Barbecue Chicken Cobb Salad with Chipotle Buttermilk Dressing
A fantastic take on a Cobb Salad with Barbecue Chicken and a Spicy Chipotle Buttermilk Dressing.
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 846kcal
Ingredients
For the Barbecue Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ medium red onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 plum tomatoes coarsely diced
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons dark molasses
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder available at Hispanic or specialty markets
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
For the Balsamic-mustard vinaigrette
- 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons red onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup olive oil the original recipe called for more but this was plenty
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Chipotle Buttermilk Dressing
- ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons red onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons chipotle purée I used adobo chipotle peppers; and a bit more than what is called for
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Grill
- 6 chicken thighs
- 1 ¼ cups Mesa BBQ sauce
- 2 large red onions sliced 1/4 inch thick
- Olive oil for brushing the onions
For the Salad
- 8 cups mixed greens washed and dried
- 8 plum tomatoes quartered
- 8 large hard-boiled eggs quartered
- 4 medium avocados peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
- 8 ounces creamy blue cheese or Gorgonzola crumbled
- Chipotle Buttermilk Dressing
- Balsamic-Mustard Vinaigrette
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
To Make the Sauce
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sweat the onion and garlic until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer 15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer 20 minutes.
- Puree the mixture in a food processor, pour into a bowl, and let cool at room temperature. May be refrigerated up to 1 week or frozen.
To Make the Vinaigrette
- Combine the vinegar, mustard, onion, and sugar in a blender or food processor and let it spin.
- With the motor running, slowly add the oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Note: I used my mini processor for this. Perfect.
To Make the Chipotle Buttermilk Dressing
- Use a blender, stick blender or food processor to blend everything together; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Putting it all together
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high.
- Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and brush with mesa barbecue sauce.
- Grill, basting continuously with barbecue sauce, until golden brown and cooked through, 10 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Brush the onion slices with olive oil and grill until golden brown and slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes on each side (Use a piece of foil; I had several pieces fall between the grates, no muy bueno)
- In a large bowl, lightly toss the greens with the balsamic-mustard Vinaigrette and place on a large platter.
- Cut the chicken thighs on the bias into 1/2-inch slices.
- Arrange the chicken in the center of the platter, resting on the greens. Arrange the tomatoes, eggs, onion slices, and avocado slices around the chicken. Sprinkle with the crumbled blue cheese and drizzle with the chipotle buttermilk dressing.
Notes
The original recipe called for chicken breasts but I so prefer boned chicken thighs. Once they have been de-boned they can be grilled flat but I actually prefer reforming them to their original shape by folding them in half and grilling them. Takes a bit longer but they do not get overdone and dry out.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 846kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 42g