Loaded salads are totally my jam. They make life colorful and delicious and it’s a great way to use whatever is left in my fridge. Yesterday I whipped up this BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad for my boyfriend and myself because I had some leftover quinoa I needed to ditch before I hit the road for NYC. The result was one flavorful, protein rich salad that will sure be happening again very soon. Layers of quinoa, grilled corn, black beans, shredded BBQ chicken, diced avocado, BBQ sauce and a little cheese gave this salad about 324 dimensions and each bite was packed with flavor.
It’s kind of like a BBQ chicken pizza but subbed with quinoa which makes it healthier and guilt free! Hands down this is one of my new favorite salads that you absolutely have to try! Any quinoa skeptics out there will most likely change their mind after a few bites of this. (But feel free to sub in couscous or rice if you feel inclined)
| BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad |
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup shredded BBQ chicken
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 2 tbsp White Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2-4 tbsp BBQ sauce
- 2 scallions, chopped
- cilantro for garnish
- In a large bowl, toss together the quinoa, corn, black beans, chicken and avocado. Season with salt and pepper
- Transfer mixture onto a bowl and top with shredded cheese, BBQ sauce, scallions and cilantro.
- Serve warm or at room temperature
*Note: this recipe calls for already cooked chicken so plan ahead! I prefer tocook my chicken in the crockpot, using 6 chicken thigh, 1 white onion sliced and 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce. I cook on low for about 6-7 hours and then shred and refrigerate for later.
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Looks delicious!! I am saving this to add into my rotations next week!! Thanks for sharing
This looks amazing!! I so need to try this nice and healthy.
This salad was so good I just had to blog about it! Thank you so much for sharing!!
YUM! Made this tonight with chicken I had leftover from http://chaosinthekitchen.com/2009/07/lime-and-coconut-chicken/ including the sauce in place of BBQ – it was delicious! Can’t wait to try it with the BBQ chicken and BBQ sauce. Definitely will be a regular at our house. Thanks!
yay!! glad you loved it!
Hi Gaby. I made this for dinner a few nights ago and it was amazing! I made several alterations based on what I had on hand: I added half a red pepper, a couple handfuls of spinach, omitted the cheese, and added some ranch dressing and lime juice. Even my non-salad-loving husband couldn’t get enough of it! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Gaby, I am a Quinoa virgin! I would love some tips on cooking it. I can’t wait to make this salad:-)
This looks great! Is there a dressing or no?
Hey Stacey! No dressing other than the BBQ sauce
Thanks!
This was amazing!!!!!!!! My favorite salad is BBQ chicken and I love this twist with quiona! Thanks for sharing, I had to share it with my readers too!
http://sugartotdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/07/dinner-brought-to-you-by-pinterest.html
never seen nor can I get quinoa. what is a suitable substitute?
you could always use rice!
we made this tonight and it was awesome! thanks!!
ooooo I wanna make it tonight too!! Great idea
Glad you loved it!
This is great. Use turkey or salmon for a different taste.
Absolutely! Turkey or Salmon would be great! or vegetarian!
Had this for lunch today! (added some jalapenos, plain Greek yogurt, and crumbled cornbread on top) and it was amazing! Love this, thank you for a great recipe!
oooo love the addition of cornbread!! great idea!
In lieu of chicken I used tofu marinated in BBQ sauce and baked until crispy and caramelized. Otherwise I made the recipe exactly as written. I’m sure this is great with chicken, but it’s also really easy to turn into a vegetarian friendly dish. Only thing I would change is to omit the green onions next time. They didn’t add much and actually tasted kind of out of place. Cooked yellow onions might be the way to go.
What is considered a serving? Do you know how many calories per serving ?
I made this exactly as written and my boyfriend won’t stop talking about how delicious it was! So simple and yet so healthy and delicious. This will definitely be a regular dish in our rotation.
awww thanks Melissa! Your comment just made my morning
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