Easy Homemade Cobb Salad Recipe (With Chicken)

^{This post has been sponsored by Andria's Food Group. All opinions expressed are my own.}

This is the best Cobb Salad you'll ever try, courtesy of a few super simple but super delicious twists on the original recipe.

Most classic Cobb salad recipes use plain grilled chicken, but for this recipe we're using chicken tenders marinated in fresh lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, garlic, and fresh parsley. This Cobb salad also features two different cheeses; rather than relying solely on blue cheese crumbles, we're combining crumbled gorgonzola and feta, which work deliciously together. Finally, fresh basil and parsley bring some needed herbal brightness.

The most unique aspect of this particular Cob Salad recipe, however, is that we've dressed it with Andria's Salad Dressing. This is an absolutely delicious dressing that's become a staple in my household, because let's be honest - the dressing makes or breaks any salad, and Andria's beautifully ties every ingredient together with restaurant-quality flavor.

The end result is a beautifully loaded salad that's perfectly balanced from the marinated chicken tenders and crispy bacon to the creamy avocado, crumbled feta, and crisp lettuce. Once you try this Cobb salad recipe, it will become your new favorite salad, I promise.

A Brief History of Cobb Salad

The year is 1937, and the place is the now-legendary Brown Derby Restaurant in Hollywood, California. It's late one evening, and the restaurant's owner, Robert Howard Cobb, is craving a late-night snack. Driven by his nocturnal hunger, he ventures into the kitchen and combines whatever he can find. Chopped lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, chicken, bacon, Roquefort cheese, and chives. He tossed it all together on a plate and gave it a quick drizzle of red wine vinegar. The result was so delicious it went on the menu the next day.

However, it was Sid Grauman who made the dish famous by repeatedly ordering it at the Brown Derby. The Brown Derby Cobb salad would go on to become one of Hollywood's most iconic dishes during the Golden Age of American cinema, served to countless celebrities at the time, and from there it eventually spread across the country, becoming the most iconic American salad.

The traditional ingredients - chicken, bacon, avocado, eggs, blue cheese, tomato, and chopped greens - have remained the foundation of the dish. Modern interpretations often feature marinated proteins, additional herbs, and other, similarly creative variations (such as croutons, different cheese or mixed cheeses, or vegan reinterpretations).

Nevertheless, some 90 years after Robert Cobb's midnight kitchen raid, the Cobb salad remains one of the most famous American salads of all time.

Complete Ingredient Checklist for Cobb Salad

Ingredient Checklist to Prep the Chicken

• 1.5-2lbs Chicken Tenders (about 12-14 tenders)
  • Why Use Chicken Tenders: Tenders are the most delicate part of the chicken breast and are naturally the most tender part of the chicken. They also cook faster and more evenly, making them perfect for this salad.
• 2 tbs Olive Oil
  • Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil Matters: You'll be able to taste the oil in this recipe, so we want that oil to be quality. Extra virgin olive oil delivers fresh, fruity, and slightly peppery notes that other oils (especially flavor-neutral cooking oils) lack.
  • Selection Tips: Look for olive oils that say "extra virgin" and "cold-pressed" on the label. Also, dark green or amber bottles help protect from light degradation.
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano (crushed)
  • Crush It: Crushing the oregano releases aromatic oils.
• ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • Why Garlic Powder instead of Fresh Garlic? Garlic powder distributes more evenly throughout the marinade.
  • Can I Use Fresh Garlic? Yes, but you'll need to grate it so that it distributes even throughout the marinade.
• 2 tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
  • Fresh is Best: Fresh lemon juice has bright, aromatic citrus oils that bottled lacks, and that makes a huge difference in this salad.
• 2 tbs Fresh parsley (chopped)
  • What type of parsley to use: Use Italian flat-leaf parsley. Curly leaf parsley is much milder and may have a slightly bitter taste depending on the plant.

Ingredients for the Salad

• 10-12 Slices of Bacon, thick cut
  • Why Thick Cut Bacon: Thick cut crumbles better. The fat also renders more slowly, enhancing crispness without burning.
  • The Fat Matters: You want visible marbling, and you want to avoid trimming the fat. The fat is where the flavor lives.
• 4 Hard-Boiled Eggs (halved)
• 4-5 Scallions (shredded)
  • Scallions vs Green Onions: Scallions and green onions are the same vegetable.
  • White and Green Parts: Use both the white and green portions of the scallion for maximum flavor.
• 2-3 tbs Fresh Italian Parsley
• About 10 Fresh Basil Leaves (chopped)
  • Fresh is Best: We want the anise-like, Mediterranean brightness and aromatic oils that typify fresh basil. These qualities are absent in dried basil.
  • Prep Tips: Wash gently, pat dry, and then chiffonade on a cutting board just before serving.
• 2 Avocados (diced)
  • Ripeness Indicators: Gently squeeze the avocado; it should yield slightly to (gentle) pressure. Rock-hard avocados are underripe; mushy avocados are overripe. The small stem should come off easily and reveal green underneath.
  • Prevent Browning: Cut the avocado just before serving, and then squeeze fresh lemon juice over the diced pieces.
• 2 Cups Fresh Baby Spinach
• 1 Head Green Leaf Lettuce (or your favorite Salad Greens)
• 4 oz Gorgonzola Cheese (crumbled)
• 4 oz Feta Cheese (crumbled)
• 1 Heirloom Tomato (diced)
  • Why Use Heirloom Tomatoes: Heirloom tomatoes are open-pollinated, meaning they are grown for flavor rather than uniform appearance or shipping durability. This means enhanced sweetness, brighter acidity, and flavor depth.
  • Imperfections are Fine: Don't be put off by lumpy shapes, color variations, or small blemishes. These are characteristic of the open-pollination process.
• 1 English Cucumber (sliced thin)
  • Why Use English Cucumbers: English cucumbers are nearly seedless and have a reduced water count.
• 1 Lemon (quartered for garnish)
• Andria's Salad Dressing
  • Why Andria's is the perfect Finishing Touch: Andria's Salad Dressing delivers the perfect balance of flavors for our Cobb Salad. Featuring garlic, tamarind, mixed vegetables, and herbs, this dressing features a depth of flavor that manages to be both rich and pungent, while retaining a delicious balance. This salad dressing will turn any salad into a delight worth savoring. Seriously, grab a bottle and try it for yourself; I promise you won't be disappointed.

Ingredient Substitutions for Cobb Salad

The beauty of Cobb Salad is that it's a versatile recipe by design - meaning you can do pretty much anything with it that you want. Flexibility is part of the appeal. Remember, the salad's inventor came up with this recipe by tossing together leftover ingredients from his commercial kitchen.

Substitutions that Work Well

1. Chicken Tenders
   • Chicken: My go-to substitute for the chicken tenders would be chicken breast. Chicken thighs (deboned) would also work.
   • Rotisserie Chicken works well, but risks making the salad a bit saltier than intended.
   • Fish: Grilled shrimp or grilled salmon would both pair nicely.
   • Beef: If opting for beef, I would recommend tender cuts that have been sliced thin.
   • Turkey: As long as it's cooked to be moist, turkey breast will work just fine.
2. Gorgonzola
   • Roquefort: The original cheese used for Cobb Salad.
   • Other Cheeses: Danish Blue Cheese, Stilton, and Point Reyes Original Blue are all decent choices.
   • Skip It: If you are not a fan of blue cheese, feel free to skip it.
3. Feta
   • Goat cheese, queso fresco, and cotija are probably the best alternatives to feta since they all provide similar tang and texture.
4. Heirloom Tomato
   • Vine-ripened tomatoes would be my go-to. Campari tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes also work well.
5. Scallions
   • Chives are my go-to substitute for scallions.
   • Shallots also work well. The ratio of shallots to scallions is about 1 medium shallot to 2-3 scallions.
   • Red onion would substitute deliciously while adding a bit of color. Red onions and scallions convert at a 1-to-1 ratio by volume.
6. English Cucumber
   • Other Cucumber Types: Any type of cucumber works.
   • Skip It: If you don't have cucumber available, I would probably just leave it out.
7. Bacon
   • Bacon Alternatives: Your favorite bacon alternatives work just fine here, such as turkey bacon.
   • Getting Fancy: The easiest way to get fancy with this salad is by using pancetta or crisped prosciutto.
   • Omit Entirely: You can omit the bacon entirely to make the salad vegetarian.
8. Marinade Ingredient Substitutions
   • Fresh Lemon Juice Substitute: Lime juice, naturally, is a 1-to-1 substitution for lemon juice.
   • Extra Virgin Olive Oil Substitute: I would opt for a flavor-neutral cooking oil such as avocado oil.
   • Garlic Powder: Fresh garlic, but you'll need to grate it so that you release all of the juices and ensure even distribution throughout the marinade.
9. The Greens
   • Iceberg, romaine lettuce, or mixed salad greens are all fine options.
10. Dressing
    • Ranch, red wine vinaigrette, or your favorite homemade versions of either all work well. That said, I cannot emphasize enough just how well Andria's Salad Dressing works to elevate today's Cobb Salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

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And that's our Cobb Salad Recipe courtesy of Andria's Salad Dressing! If you enjoyed today's recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you!

Happy Cooking!