Citrus Honey Grilled Chicken Cobb

big bowl of Honey Grilled Chicken Cobb with lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, chicken, bacon, blue cheese crumbles

Citrus Honey Grilled Chicken Cobb

Enjoy a twist on a classic with our Citrus Honey Grilled Chicken Cobb, featuring a tangy dressing and hearty toppings.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken, chicken salad, cobb salad

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 714kcal

Author Glitter and Graze

Ingredients

For the Salad

2 chicken breast
2 heads romaine lettuce
2 avocados
1 cup cherry tomatoes
6 bacon slices
4 hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles

For the Chicken Seasoning

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 lemon zest

Creamy Citrus Honey Vinaigrette

1 zest and juice of orange
1 zest and juice of lemon
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Let's get the bacon crispy: To start, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Grab your bacon slices and lay them on a rack set over a baking sheet. Pop that into the oven and let it bake for 15-20 minutes.
Once it's done, take it out and let it cool before cutting it into stripes.
Time to season our chicken: In a small bowl, mix together your salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and lemon zest. Rub it all over the chicken breasts, making sure they're well coated.
You can use an outdoor grill or a grill pan on your stove. Either way, cook the chicken for about 6-7 minutes on each side. You're aiming for an internal temperature of 165°F. Once it's cooked, let the chicken rest for a bit before slicing it into stripes.
Prepare the rest of the salad ingredients: Give your romaine lettuce a good clean and chop it up. Then, move on to your avocados - peel them, remove the pit, and chop into chunks. For your cherry tomatoes, you'll just need to slice them in half. Finally, peel and slice your hard-boiled eggs and crumble up your blue cheese.
Let's assemble the salad: Grab a large bowl and start with a base of your chopped romaine. Now, artfully arrange your grilled chicken stripes, avocado chunks, cherry tomatoes, crispy bacon stripes, sliced eggs, and blue cheese crumbles on top. It should be a riot of colors and textures!
Whip up the vinaigrette: In a bowl, combine your orange zest, orange juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, and white wine vinegar. As you whisk, slowly pour in your olive oil. You're looking for the mixture to emulsify and become creamy. Don't forget to season it with a bit of salt and pepper to taste.
Dress it up: Just before you're ready to serve, drizzle your homemade vinaigrette over the salad. Give it a good toss to make sure all the ingredients get a nice coating of that tangy, sweet dressing.

Notes

Chicken Grilling: To ensure even cooking, pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before seasoning and grilling. Also, let the chicken rest for a few minutes after grilling. This allows the juices to redistribute, ensuring a moister chicken.

Bacon Cooking: For crispy bacon that's not overly greasy, consider baking it in the oven on a rack over a baking sheet. This allows the fat to drip away as it cooks.

Avocado Slicing: Cut the avocado in half lengthwise around the seed. Twist the halves to separate them and remove the seed. Use a spoon to scoop out the avocado from the peel, then cut into chunks.

Dressing Emulsification: When making the vinaigrette, add the oil slowly while whisking to help it emulsify and become creamy. This will prevent the oil and vinegar from separating.

Salad Assembly: Layer the salad ingredients in rows on top of the lettuce for a traditional Cobb salad presentation. This not only looks appealing but also ensures every serving gets a bit of each ingredient.

Dressing the Salad: Dress the salad just before serving to prevent the lettuce from becoming soggy. If you're preparing the salad in advance, keep the dressing on the side and add it right before eating.

Hard-Boiled Eggs: To avoid the greenish-gray ring that can form around the yolk of hard-boiled eggs, cool the eggs quickly after boiling by placing them in an ice bath. This also makes them easier to peel.

Ingredient Swaps: Don't be afraid to swap out ingredients based on your personal preference or dietary needs. This salad is versatile and can be easily adapted.

Nutrition