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Paleo Chicken Cobb Salad with Buffalo Ranch {Whole30}

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This Paleo Chicken Cobb Salad combines all your favorite fresh healthy ingredients and adds a spicy kick with Whole30 friendly buffalo ranch dressing, made 2 different ways depending on your preference!  Perfectly seasoned chicken, hardboiled eggs, bacon, avocado, tomatoes and fresh greens with a creamy spicy dressing that makes the perfect healthy summer dinner.

Chicken cobb salad with paleo buffalo ranch 2 ways

So which came first, the Paleo chicken cobb salad or the buffalo ranch dressing?  Any guesses?  If you’re new to the blog, you might not know that I LOOOVE my homemade mayo.  And yes, I’m also fine with the fact that it has a raw egg in it – as all homemade mayo does.  I make sure my eggs are fresh and I don’t keep my mayo for longer than a week in the fridge.

Anyway, I’ve learned that while many people share my love for homemade mayo and mayo-based dressings/dips (like my ranch!) some people want no part of it.  In fact, some people cannot believe that anyone would eat anything with a raw egg in it.  I don’t know about you guys, but back before homemade mayo was a thing, I didn’t exactly think twice about eating raw cookie dough before baking.  Just me?

cobb salad with buffalo ranch

But now I’m on a tangent!  Point is, I respect people who can’t do the raw egg, and that’s why I created a Paleo buffalo ranch dressing that you can make two ways – one with mayo as a base, and one with coconut milk as a base.  Holla!  And get this – they’re both Whole30 friendly and they both taste awesome!  Says Adam, my husband AKA the pickiest grown-up eater that I know.

So in short, the buffalo ranch came first, but the Paleo Chicken Cobb Salad is the perfect complement.  You get perfectly seasoned chicken (you’re cooking it in bacon fat AKA you are WINNING!) with bacon, avocado, hardboiled eggs and lot of veggies.  And then the dressing, have I mentioned the dressing?!

cobb salad with paleo buffalo ranch dressing two waysI will give you my honest opinion – I don’t even know which version I liked better.  Trust me, even I’m shocked!

I’m used to the taste of mayo-based dressings, so, that one tasted familiar to me – much like the dressing in my chipotle ranch chicken salad.  BUT, the coconut milk version had a sweetness to it that was sort of interesting, almost like a dairy free spicy buttermilk ranch?  I’m not sure that’s selling it to you, but I’m telling you that you cannot go wrong with either version.  (Full disclosure – the photos are of the coconut milk version but they looked nearly identical.)

paleo chicken cobb salad with homemade buffalo ranch

The paleo chicken cobb salad itself is very straightforward and contains all the goodies you’d want in any cobb salad (minus cheese, but the dressing more than makes up for that.)  You can easily cook the chicken beforehand to make this a quick throw-together meal.  I actually cooked the chicken and prepared the dressing the night before so I could quickly put the salad together for photos.  You can heat the chicken first or serve it cold – your choice!

And one more mayo related tip!  If you are iffy about making your own mayo but want something Paleo, you might want to try this Avocado Oil Mayo – it acts as a base the same way the homemade kind would and is definitely worth a try if you’re homemade-mayo shy 🙂

Paleo Chicken Cobb Salad with Buffalo Ranch {Whole30}

Chicken cobb salad with buffalo ranch, two ways

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Paleo Chicken Cobb Salad with Buffalo Ranch {Whole30}

A Paleo Chicken Cobb Salad with all your favorites plus a creamy buffalo ranch dressing that you can make two ways - one with homemade mayo as a base and the other with coconut milk - both delicious and Whole30 friendly!
Course Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine Paleo &amp, Whole30
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Michele

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 4-6 slices nitrate free sugar free bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 1/2 lb chicken tenderloins
  • 2-3 tbsp bacon fat or other cooking fat to cook chicken
  • salt and pepper for chicken
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 cup chopped and peeled mini cucumbers
  • 1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
  • 2 hardboiled eggs chopped
  • 1/2 med avocado sliced or chopped*
  • 3 cups fresh baby spinach baby kale, or your favorite mixed salad greens**
  • Thinly sliced green onion for garnish

For the Buffalo Ranch - Mayo Version

  • 1/2 cuphomemade mayo or Avocado Oil Mayo
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried dill
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried chives***
  • 2 tsp- 1 tbsp hot sauce check labels for whatever you use

Buffalo Ranch - Coconut Milk Version

  • 1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk - blend it first so it's smooth and creamy
  • 1 tsp brown mustard
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried dill
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried chives
  • 2 tsp-1 tbsp hot sauce see above

Instructions

  1. Reserve 2-3 tbsp of bacon fat to cook the chicken, or use your cooking fat of choice. Season the chicken tenderloins with the salt and pepper, onion powder and smoked paprika and heat a large cast iron skillet (or grill pan) over med heat.
  2. Add the chicken to the pan and cook about 5 minutes on each side, adjusting heat as necessary. Make sure the chicken is cooked through, remove from heat, and set aside. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, chop into bite-sized pieces.
  3. To prepare the dressing, simply whisk together all the ingredients in a medium bowl until fully combined.
  4. Assemble all the salad ingredients, chopped cooked chicken and crumbled bacon in a large bowl (avocado last so it doesn't turn brown!), and garnish with green onion.
  5. Serve with the dressing on the side, or spoon the dressing on right before serving to toss with the salad. The dressing will be very creamy either way!
  6. Store leftover dressing in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*To avoid the avocado turning brown, cut in open and either chop or slice right before serving.
**You can chop your salad greens if you prefer a full chopped salad
***Optional - but I think it gives the dressing a nice touch

Paleo and Whole30 Chicken Cobb Salad with buffalo ranch dressing - two ways! One with a coconut milk base and the other with a homemade mayo base - both delicious, Paleo and Whole30 friendly

#Paleo Chicken Cobb Salad with Buffalo Ranch two ways – both #whole30 friendly! #fitfluential

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Do you get nervous eating things with raw egg?  Even raw cookie dough?

Have you gone savory with coconut milk?  I’ll be doing it more, I think!

 

 

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I used to eat raw cookie dough all the time, never really thinking twice about why it could be a bad idea. But yea, for some reason the raw egg thing seemed weird to me the first time I made your homemade mayo. I did try it once and I think knowing the eggs are fresh helps but Rob just couldn’t wrap his mind around it. I’ll have to remind him of that the next time he reaches for raw cookie dough:)

    Reply

  2. All cookie dough is “edible,” as far as I am concerned. And if you get a little something extra from it, well then it is just the gift that keeps on giving, lol. This looks sooooo good. Love the new use for coconut milk!

    Reply

  7. I’ve done savory soups with coconut milk but never dressing–what a good idea! Eating raw egg makes me nervous…but I’ve eaten a lot of cookie dough with raw egg in it and didn’t care. It’s probably a mental thing!

    Looks delicious!

    Reply

  8. I ALWAYS loved raw cookie dough, which my mom warned us against because of the raw egg, which in turn means that when I was eight years old I might have eaten a full half-roll of those slice and bake cookies prior to baking when her back was turned…

    Reply

  9. This salad looks so good! Definitely going into my summer menu cycle!! I’m trying to work the Paleo diet into my family’s life, and recipes like this will certainly be satisfying to my hubby and boys!
    Every time I make cookies, I eat some of the raw dough… I thought everyone did 🙂

    Reply

  12. This is my kinda salad!

    I feel like the whole raw egg deal really isn’t that much to be concerned about. I didn’t realise it was such a big deal until we were in the US and realised some people are totally overcautious – to the point they won’t even eat fried eggs unless they’re over easy etc. When I was a kid I always ate raw cookie dough and cake batter – and I still do sometimes if I feel like it (though these days for some reason I just don’t like it!) and I haven’t died yet, haha!

    Reply

    • Lol I know, most people around here are shocked when they hear people eat raw egg yet cookie dough gets a pass somehow, maybe because it’s not “planned” ? not sure!

      Reply

  15. Heck sometimes I made cookie dough for the sheer purpose of eating it raw.

    I love a good Cobb salad. Of course I would ditch the chicken, although keep the bacon, and toss in some blue cheese for protein (and really because I adore cheese). I’d take either dressing though.

    Reply

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