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BBQ Chicken Skewer Salad

BBQ chicken skewer salad with grilled chicken cubes served over fresh mixed greens and crunchy tortilla strips. Toss together a colorful salad bowl, grill the skewers until cooked through, then finish with ranch dressing and BBQ glaze.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Marinating 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 7 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

BBQ chicken skewers
  • 1.5 lb chicken breasts
  • 0.5 cup BBQ sauce
  • 1 wooden skewers, soaked
Fresh salad + toppings
  • 1 mixed greens
  • 1 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 0.25 red onion, sliced
  • 0.75 cup corn kernels
  • 0.5 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 0.25 cup ranch dressing
  • 1 crispy tortilla strips

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Marinate and prep skewers
  1. Marinate the chicken cubes in BBQ sauce for 30 minutes, uncovered in the fridge, so the pieces turn glossy (visual cue: sauce coats every cube).
  2. Thread the marinated chicken onto soaked wooden skewers, keeping pieces snug and evenly spaced (visual cue: compact rows of chicken on each skewer).
Grill the BBQ chicken skewers
  1. Preheat the grill (or grill pan) to high heat and grill the skewers for 5 minutes, then check for sear marks (visual cue: browned edges and visible grill stripes).
  2. Flip and grill for 1 to 6 minutes more until cooked through, using a visual cue of no pink in the center (temperature cue if checking: 165°F/74°C).
Assemble the salad bowls
  1. Build salad bowls by adding mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and corn (visual cue: rainbow layers across the bowl).
  2. Top each bowl with shredded cheddar cheese (visual cue: a light snowfall of cheese over greens).
  3. Place the grilled BBQ chicken skewers on top of the salad (visual cue: golden chicken skewers rising above the greens).
  4. Drizzle with ranch dressing and finish with crispy tortilla strips (visual cue: creamy ribbon dressing and crunchy, golden strips on top).

Notes

Pro tip: keep the grilled chicken hot while you assemble so the tortilla strips stay crisp for longer. Refrigerate assembled salad components separately (chicken and dressing together is fine) for up to 3 days; assemble just before eating for best texture. Freeze grilled chicken skewers only for up to 2 months (thaw in the fridge, then reheat); avoid freezing tortilla strips. For a lighter option, swap ranch for Greek-yogurt ranch (or use a reduced-fat ranch) to cut calories while keeping the tang.