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BBQ Chicken Skewer Salad

BBQ chicken skewer salad with grilled BBQ chicken skewers piled onto a fresh salad, finished with ranch dressing and crispy tortilla strips. Cubed chicken is marinated in BBQ sauce, grilled until cooked through, and served over crunchy greens and vegetables for a meal-prep friendly dinner.
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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
  • 1.5 lb chicken breasts Cubed for even grilling
  • 0.5 cup BBQ sauce Use for marinating and flavoring
  • Wooden skewers, soaked Soak to prevent burning
Salad
  • Mixed greens
  • 1 Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 Cucumber, diced
  • 0.25 Red onion, sliced
  • 0.5 cup Corn kernels
  • 0.5 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
  • 0.25 cup Ranch dressing For drizzling over the top
  • 0.5 Crispy tortilla strips Add at the end to keep them crunchy

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Marinate the chicken cubes in BBQ sauce for 30 minutes, keeping them covered while they sit at room temperature only long enough to start grilling, or chilled if your kitchen is warm. The chicken should look evenly coated in a glossy BBQ layer.
Skewer and grill
  1. Thread the chicken onto soaked skewers, spacing pieces so they cook evenly on the grill. Leave slight gaps between pieces for airflow.
  2. Grill the skewers for 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through, turning once when grill marks form. Aim for a hot, steady grill and cook until the chicken no longer looks pink in the center.
Assemble the salad
  1. Assemble salad bowls with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and corn kernels. Build the vegetables evenly so each bite has crunch and color.
  2. Top each bowl with the grilled BBQ chicken skewers. Place the skewers on top so the chicken stays visible as the hero ingredient.
  3. Drizzle ranch dressing over the bowls and top with crispy tortilla strips. Add the tortilla strips last so they stay crisp.

Notes

Pro tip: soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes to reduce scorching, then keep the grill hot for faster caramelization. Store leftover salad components separately—chicken can be refrigerated up to 4 days and assembled salads up to 2 days (tortilla strips get soggy). Freezing: freeze grilled chicken only for up to 3 months, then reheat and assemble fresh salad. For a lighter option, swap ranch dressing for Greek-yogurt ranch while keeping the same drizzle method.