Chicken Salad with Bacon Ranch

Name: Chicken Salad with Bacon Ranch
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 slices (225 g) thick-cut bacon; 4 cups (520 g) cooked chicken breast or rotisserie chicken meat, skin removed, cooled, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes; 1 cup (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 4 oz / 113 g block); 4 whole (60 g) green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced (about ½ cup); ½ cup (120 ml) ranch dressing, thick, refrigerated style, cold; ¼ cup (55 g) mayonnaise; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; ¼ tsp (0.8 g) garlic powder; ½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper; kosher salt, a pinch to taste, added only after tasting; 2 hearts (300 g) romaine hearts, washed, thoroughly dried, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) ribbons (about 6 cups)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender chunks of chicken, oven-crisp bacon, sharp cheddar and green onions tossed in a creamy ranch dressing, then piled over crisp romaine. It's a make-ahead lunch that eats like a loaded ranch sandwich without the bread.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Wait: 30 min
Total: 1 hr 5 min
Makes: About 6 cups chicken salad (4 servings of about 1½ cups each, over romaine)

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Ingredients

4 servings

8 slices (225 g) thick-cut bacon
4 cups (520 g) cooked chicken breast or rotisserie chicken meat, skin removed, cooled, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
1 cup (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 4 oz / 113 g block)
4 whole (60 g) green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
For the dressing
½ cup (120 ml) ranch dressing, thick, refrigerated style, cold
¼ cup (55 g) mayonnaise
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp (0.8 g) garlic powder
½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
kosher salt, a pinch to taste, added only after tasting
For serving
2 hearts (300 g) romaine hearts, washed, thoroughly dried, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) ribbons (about 6 cups)

Equipment (8)

Rimmed baking sheet, about 13×18 inches (33×46 cm)
Wire rack that fits in the baking sheet (optional)
Large mixing bowl (at least 3-quart / 3 L)
Small bowl for the dressing
Cutting board and sharp knife
Box grater (if grating your own cheddar)
Paper towels
Measuring cups and spoons

Steps

Before you start

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the middle before you start.
Use cooked chicken that is fully cooled. Warm chicken makes the dressing thin and greasy. Poached, roasted or rotisserie chicken all work.
Work in parallel: assemble the chicken salad while the bacon bakes. The bacon cools while the salad chills, so the whole recipe takes about 65 minutes of scheduled time (less on the clock if you overlap).
The bacon is folded in at the end, not before chilling, so it stays crisp. Keep it covered at room temperature and refrigerate it only if holding it more than 2 hours.

1
Bake the baconOven 400°F / 205°C
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F (200°C).
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, set a wire rack on top if you have one, and lay the 8 bacon slices in a single layer without overlapping.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through.
- Use this time to make the chicken salad in the next three steps.
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Ready when: Bacon is deep golden-brown, rippled, and the fat is bubbling. It will crisp more as it cools.
Tip: Start checking at 18 minutes. Thick-cut bacon goes from perfect to burnt quickly in the last few minutes.
2
Prep chicken and add-ins
- While the bacon bakes, put the cubed chicken in a large mixing bowl.
- Pat it with a paper towel first if it looks wet.
- Add the grated cheddar and sliced green onions, and toss with a spoon to combine.
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Ready when: Chicken pieces are roughly uniform in size, about ½ inch (1.25 cm), and evenly mixed with the cheese and onions.
Tip: Grate cheddar from a block. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch and can make the dressing gritty.
3
Whisk the dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ranch dressing, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic powder and black pepper until smooth and evenly pale.
- Taste, and add a pinch of salt only if needed.
- Ranch, bacon and cheddar are already salty.
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Ready when: Dressing is smooth, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, with no streaks of mayonnaise.
Tip: Use thick refrigerated-style ranch. Thin pourable bottled ranch will make a soupy salad.
4
Dress the chicken
- Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture.
- Fold gently with a spatula for about 30 seconds, scraping the bottom of the bowl, until every piece is evenly coated and no dry spots remain.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
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Ready when: Chicken is evenly coated with no pooled dressing; after chilling the salad is cold, slightly thicker and clings to a spoon.
Tip: Fold rather than stir hard so the chicken stays in distinct chunks and doesn't turn mushy.
5
Drain and cool bacon
- When the bacon is done, use tongs to move it to a plate lined with a double layer of paper towels.
- Blot the tops with another paper towel and let it cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, while the salad chills.
- Leave it loosely covered on the counter until you serve.
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Ready when: Bacon snaps cleanly when bent.
Tip: Let the rendered fat cool, then discard it in the trash. Don't pour hot fat down the drain. If you won't serve within 2 hours, refrigerate the bacon in a covered container.
6
Prep romaine and bacon
- Just before serving, divide the dry romaine ribbons among 4 plates or shallow bowls.
- Crumble the cooled bacon into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces with your fingers, or chop it with a knife.
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Ready when: Romaine is dry and crisp, and the bacon is in bite-size pieces.
Tip: Wet lettuce dilutes the dressing. Dry it well in a salad spinner or by patting with towels.
7
Fold in bacon and serve
- Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the crumbled bacon for topping.
- Fold the rest into the chilled chicken salad, taste, and adjust with a little black pepper or a squeeze of lemon if needed.
- Spoon about 1½ cups of chicken salad (about one quarter of the batch) over each bed of romaine and finish with the reserved bacon.
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Ready when: Salad is creamy and well seasoned, with visible crisp bacon on top.
Tip: Add the bacon right before serving. If it sits in the dressing for hours it loses its crunch.

Good to know

Tips

Pat the chicken dry and make sure it is fully cooled before mixing, so the dressing stays thick and creamy.
Baking bacon on a rack lets the fat drip away and gives evenly crisp slices with no flipping.
Taste before adding salt. Bacon, cheddar and ranch all contribute plenty.
For a heartier lunch, scoop the salad into a wrap or onto toasted bread with a few romaine leaves.

Make ahead

Cook and cool the bacon up to 2 days ahead and store it in a paper-towel-lined airtight container in the fridge. Mix the chicken, cheddar, green onions and dressing up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate covered, then fold in the bacon and serve over romaine just before eating.

Storage & reheating

Store the chicken salad without bacon or romaine in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cooked bacon keeps at room temperature, covered, for up to 2 hours; after that refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Dressed chicken salad doesn't freeze well because the dressing separates. Serve cold and don't reheat. If the salad has been out of the fridge for more than 2 hours, discard it.

Substitutions

mayonnaise → plain full-fat Greek yogurt. Gives a tangier, lighter salad. Use the same amount, and add a pinch of salt if needed.
sharp cheddar cheese → Monterey Jack or pepper jack cheese. Monterey Jack is milder and creamier. Pepper jack adds heat. Use the same amount.
romaine hearts → butter lettuce leaves or sandwich bread. Use whole butter lettuce cups for wraps, or spoon the salad onto toasted bread for sandwiches.
green onions → fresh chives. Use ¼ cup finely snipped chives for a milder onion flavor.