Cobb Salad with Dressing

Cobb Salad with Dressing hits every craveable note: smoky bacon, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, sharp blue cheese, and a tangy red wine vinaigrette. It suits busy weeknights and meal prep fans, and you can get it on the table in about 30 minutes. I learned to toss one during a hectic restaurant shift, and it still saves my dinner plans.

Why You Should Try This Cobb Salad with Dressing

Cobb Salad with Dressing packs protein, color, and crunch into one big bowl. You get balance from salty bacon, rich avocado, bright tomatoes, and a punchy vinaigrette.

This classic also welcomes swaps without losing its soul. You can use rotisserie chicken, turkey bacon, or even skip meat and pile on extra eggs and beans.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Salad components:

• 8 cups chopped romaine or a mix of romaine and butter lettuce (bagged greens make fast work)
• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded (rotisserie chicken keeps prep quick)
• 6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled (thick-cut holds texture)
• 3 large eggs, hard-boiled and quartered
• 1 large avocado, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced or 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (Roquefort or Gorgonzola both work; feta steps in if you prefer)
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives or green onions
• Optional add-ins: diced cucumber, roasted corn, or cooked chickpeas

Dressing components:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (smooth style blends easiest)
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (choose a mild, fruity bottle)

Substitution notes:

• Swap turkey bacon or prosciutto for classic bacon.
• Use goat cheese if blue cheese feels too bold.
• Try grilled shrimp or salmon in place of chicken.

Equipment:

• Large salad bowl and tongs
• Medium pot for eggs
• Skillet for bacon
• Small bowl and whisk or a jar with lid for dressing
• Cutting board and sharp knife
• Paper towels for draining bacon and drying greens

How to Make Cobb Salad with Dressing

Cook the bacon

1. Place bacon in a cold skillet. Turn heat to medium.
2. Cook until golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes, flipping as needed.
3. Transfer to paper towels and crumble when cool.

Hard-boil the eggs

1. Cover eggs with cold water in a pot by one inch.
2. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook 9 minutes.
3. Drain, shock in ice water 5 minutes, peel, and quarter.

Mix the dressing

1. Whisk vinegar, Dijon, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
2. Stream in olive oil while you whisk until the dressing looks glossy and emulsified.
3. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. If you want a creamy spin, whisk in 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese.

Prep the vegetables and chicken

1. Rinse and dry greens thoroughly so the dressing clings.
2. Dice avocado, slice tomatoes, and mince onion or shallot.
3. Dice or shred cooked chicken.

Assemble and serve

1. Add greens to a large bowl and season them lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper.
2. Arrange chicken, bacon, eggs, avocado, tomatoes, onion, blue cheese, and chives in neat rows or piles.
3. Drizzle with half the dressing and toss gently, or plate the salad and serve the dressing on the side. Add more dressing to taste.

Tips & Tricks

• Dry greens well so the vinaigrette sticks instead of sliding off.
• Salt tomatoes and avocado lightly to boost flavor before tossing.
• Warm bacon right before serving to keep the crisp factor.
• Dice ingredients in similar sizes so every bite feels balanced.
• Keep the dressing in a jar and shake it right before you pour to re-emulsify.
• Short on time? Use rotisserie chicken, pre-cooked bacon, and bagged chopped salad mix.

What to Serve with Cobb Salad

I like crusty sourdough or garlic toast alongside to catch any extra vinaigrette. A cup of tomato soup or chicken noodle soup pairs well when you want a cozy add-on. You can also serve it with grilled corn or roasted potatoes if you crave something heartier. For drinks, pour iced tea, sparkling water with lemon, or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.

Make-Ahead and Storage

• Prep components up to 3 days ahead and store them separately in airtight containers. Keep greens dry and lined with a paper towel. Hold avocado and eggs for the day you serve for best texture.
• Refrigerate dressing up to 1 week. Let it sit at room temperature 10 minutes and shake before serving.
• Store cooked chicken for 4 days in the fridge or freeze it up to 2 months. Keep bacon in the fridge for 4 days or freeze it for 1 month, then re-crisp it in a skillet over medium heat.
• Avoid freezing greens and tomatoes. Assemble the salad right before serving so everything stays crisp.

Ally Sanders

Cobb Salad with Dressing

Cobb Salad with Dressing is a classic hearty salad loaded with chicken, bacon, avocado, eggs, and blue cheese, served with a tangy red wine vinaigrette.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  

• 6 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
• 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, then drain on paper towels and crumble once cooled.
2. Cook or shred the chicken breast if not already cooked, and dice into bite-sized pieces.
3. Chop the Romaine lettuce and place it in a large serving bowl or on a platter.
4. Slice the cherry tomatoes, dice the avocado, chop the hard-boiled eggs, and thinly slice the red onion if using.

1. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.

1. Arrange the chicken, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, avocado, blue cheese, and red onion in rows over the bed of chopped Romaine.
2. Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad just before serving, and serve the remaining dressing on the side.
3. Toss gently at the table if desired so every bite has a bit of each topping and dressing.

Notes

Nutrition Information
Approximate per serving (1/4 of recipe with dressing): 530 calories; fat 39 g; saturated fat 11 g; carbohydrates 13 g; fiber 5 g; sugars 5 g; protein 33 g; sodium 880 mg. Values will vary based on specific brands, exact ingredient sizes, and portion size.