Bacon Broccoli and Ranch Chicken Salad

This Bacon Broccoli and Ranch Chicken Salad is a satisfying and flavorful low-carb chicken salad. Use ranch dressing instead of mayonnaise to tie together the bold flavors of this healthy chicken bacon ranch salad.

Make your chicken salad with ranch instead of mayo

One thing I have heard over and over again on Instagram is that people are NOT fans of mayonnaise. They will make my same chicken salad recipe but swap in some Greek yogurt for the mayo. This Whole30 chicken salad recipe is for all of those people who don’t like mayo.

Turns out you can use ranch dressing in place of mayo for chicken salad! The flavor of the ranch works perfectly with the chicken, broccoli, ranch, and shallots. This recipe works best with a thicker ranch dressing like my homemade ranch dressing.

Chicken, bacon and ranch is one of my favorite flavor combinations. Mix in some raw chopped broccoli for crunch and freshness and minced shallots to balance the flavor.

Kitchen tools

• Liquid measuring cup
• Mixing bowls
• Sauce pan
• Sheet pan for baking bacon
• Sharp knife

Trick for shredding poached chicken

To make this healthy chicken broccoli salad you will need to shred poached chicken breast. I usually shred it with two forks, but there are a few tricks to make shredding the chicken even easier.

If you have a stand mixer, place the chicken breasts in the bowl of the stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to shred the chicken breasts. Or use an electric hand mixer to shred the chicken breasts in a large mixing bowl.

What ingredients will I need to make this Bacon Broccoli and Ranch Chicken Salad?

You will be amazed at how easy it is to make this healthy, Whole30 friendly chicken salad.

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Bacon
• Broccoli florets
• Ranch dressing – You can use homemade ranch dressing or store bought
• Shallot

Ingredient substitutions

Instead of shallot you can use red onion or yellow onion. Be sure to mince the onions finely so that you don’t get a big chunk of onion in each bite.

To make this chicken bacon ranch salad recipe even easier, you can use a premade rotisserie chicken in place of chicken breasts. Just shred the breast meat from the rotisserie chicken and follow the recipe as listed.

You can also use leftover chicken for this recipe. If I am using chilled leftover chicken, I like to cut it into cubes and use it to make this ranch chicken salad.

Ranch dressing options

The key ingredient in this ranch chicken salad is a thick and creamy ranch dressing. I prefer to use my homemade ranch dressing recipe because it makes the perfect homemade creamy ranch dressing.

You can also use a classic hidden valley ranch dressing. Or make a quick homemade ranch dressing using ranch seasoning, mayo, greek yogurt and a little lemon juice.

How Should I serve this?

This chicken bacon ranch salad is perfect for meal prep. Once prepared there are so many different ways to serve it!

Most of the time I serve this ranch chicken salad on leaf lettuce as a big fresh salad. I also like to add some fresh veggies to the salad like tomatoes, cucumbers or carrots.

It is also delicious on a wrap, as a sandwich or with some crackers. I like to make sandwiches on toasted wheat bread with this chicken broccoli salad and some cheddar cheese.

How to make ranch chicken salad

Step 1: Bake Bacon and Poach Chicken

First, bake the bacon in the oven until crispy. Then, fill a pot with cold water and place 2 chicken breasts in the pot. Next, place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Once boiling cover the pot and simmer for 14 minutes.

Step 2: Prep other ingredeints

While the chicken and bacon cook, dice the shallot and chop the broccoli into smaller pieces. Then, remove the chicken breasts from the water and allow it to cool slightly. Next, shred the chicken with two forks and add to a large mixing bowl.

Step 3: Mix it up!

Then, add chopped bacon, broccoli, shallots, and ranch dressing to the bowl with the chicken. Finally, mix it all together so that the ranch dressing coats all of the other ingredients. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How long will this chicken salad keep in the fridge?

Once prepared, store this low carb chicken salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Serve cold straight from the fridge.

Check out these other cold lunch ideas!

• BLT Chicken Salad
• Sesame Soba Noodles and Chicken
• Mediterranean Shrimp Salad Recipe
• Shrimp Pesto Pasta Salad

You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!

Recipe

Bacon Broccoli and Ranch Chicken Salad

★★★★★ 4.9 from 12 reviews

A flavorful low carb chicken salad made with bacon, broccoli, ranch and shallots.

Recipe By: Madeline

Prep: 5 minutesCook: 25 minutesTotal: 30 minutes

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Servings: 3 servings 1x

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Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 5 strips cooked bacon
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing – thicker dressings work best
• 1/2 a large shallot or one small shallot

Instructions

1. Bake bacon until crispy
2. Fill a pot with cold water and place 2 chicken breasts in the pot
3. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil
4. Once boiling cover the pot and simmer for 14 minutes
5. While the chicken and bacon cook, dice the shallot and chop the broccoli into smaller pieces
6. Remove the chicken breasts from the water and allow to cool slightly
7. Shred the chicken with two forks and add to a large mixing bowl
8. Add chopped bacon, broccoli, shallots and ranch dressing to the bowl with the chicken
9. Mix it all together so that the ranch dressing coats all of the other ingredients
10. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.