PALEO CHICKEN COBB SALAD WITH

BUFFALO RANCH {WHOLE30}

May 20, 2016 by Michele 61 Comments

This Paleo Chicken Cobb Salad combines all your favorite fresh healthy ingredients
and adds a spicy kick with Whole30 friendly buffalo ranch dressing, made 2 different
ways depending on your preference!  Perfectly seasoned chicken, hardboiled eggs,
bacon, avocado, tomatoes and fresh greens with a creamy spicy dressing that makes
the perfect healthy summer dinner.
So which came first, the Paleo chicken cobb salad or the buffalo ranch dressing?  Any
guesses?  If you’re new to the blog, you might not know that I LOOOVE
my homemade mayo.  And yes, I’m also fine with the fact that it has a raw egg in it –
as all homemade mayo does.  I make sure my eggs are fresh and I don’t keep my
mayo for longer than a week in the fridge.

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Anyway, I’ve learned that while many people share my love for homemade mayo and
mayo-based dressings/dips (like my ranch!) some people want no part of it.  In fact,
some people cannot believe that anyone would eat anything with a raw egg in it.  I
don’t know about you guys, but back before homemade mayo was a thing, I didn’t
exactly think twice about eating raw cookie dough before baking.  Just me?
But now I’m on a tangent!  Point is, I respect people who can’t do the raw egg, and
that’s why I created a Paleo buffalo ranch dressing that you can make two ways – one
with mayo as a base, and one with coconut milk as a base.  Holla!  And get this –
they’re both Whole30 friendly and they both taste awesome!  Says Adam, my husband
AKA the pickiest grown-up eater that I know.

So in short, the buffalo ranch came first, but the Paleo Chicken Cobb Salad is the
perfect complement.  You get perfectly seasoned chicken (you’re cooking it in bacon
fat AKA you are WINNING!) with bacon, avocado, hardboiled eggs and lot of veggies.
And then the dressing, have I mentioned the dressing?!
I will give you my honest opinion – I don’t even know which version I liked better.  Trust
me, even I’m shocked!

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I’m used to the taste of mayo-based dressings, so, that one tasted familiar to me –
much like the dressing in my chipotle ranch chicken salad.  BUT, the coconut milk
version had a sweetness to it that was sort of interesting, almost like a dairy free spicy
buttermilk ranch?  I’m not sure that’s selling it to you, but I’m telling you that you
cannot go wrong with either version.  (Full disclosure – the photos are of the coconut
milk version but they looked nearly identical.)
The paleo chicken cobb salad itself is very straightforward and contains all the goodies
you’d want in any cobb salad (minus cheese, but the dressing more than makes up for
that.)  You can easily cook the chicken beforehand to make this a quick throw-together
meal.  I actually cooked the chicken and prepared the dressing the night before so I
could quickly put the salad together for photos.  You can heat the chicken first or serve
it cold – your choice!

And one more mayo related tip!  If you are iffy about making your own mayo but want
something Paleo, you might want to try this Avocado Oil Mayo – it acts as a base the
same way the homemade kind would and is definitely worth a try if you’re homemade-
mayo shy 🙂

PALEO CHICKEN COBB SALAD WITH BUFFALO RANCH

{WHOLE30}
 5 from 1 vote
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Paleo Chicken Cobb Salad with Buffalo Ranch

{Whole30}
A Paleo Chicken Cobb Salad with all your favorites plus a creamy buffalo ranch dressing that
you can make two ways - one with homemade mayo as a base and the other with coconut milk
- both delicious and Whole30 friendly!
 Course Lunch/Dinner
 Cuisine Paleo &amp, Whole30
 Prep Time 15 minutes
 Cook Time 10 minutes
 Total Time 25 minutes
 Servings 4 servings
 Author Michele

Ingredients

For the Salad

 4-6 slices nitrate free sugar free bacon cooked and crumbled
 1/2 lb chicken tenderloins
 2-3 tbsp bacon fat or other cooking fat to cook chicken
 salt and pepper for chicken
 1/4 tsp onion powder
 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
 1/2 cup chopped and peeled mini cucumbers
 1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
 2 hardboiled eggs chopped
 1/2 med avocado sliced or chopped*
 3 cups fresh baby spinach baby kale, or your favorite mixed salad greens**
 Thinly sliced green onion for garnish

For the Buffalo Ranch - Mayo Version

 1/2 cuphomemade mayo or Avocado Oil Mayo
 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
 2 tsp onion powder
 1 tsp garlic powder
 1/2 tsp dried dill
 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  1/2 tsp dried chives***
 2 tsp- 1 tbsp hot sauce check labels for whatever you use

Buffalo Ranch - Coconut Milk Version

 1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk - blend it first so it's smooth and creamy
 1 tsp brown mustard
 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
 1/8 tsp salt
 2 tsp onion powder
 1 tsp garlic powder
 1/2 tsp dried dill
 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
 1/2 tsp dried chives
 2 tsp-1 tbsp hot sauce see above
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Instructions
1. Reserve 2-3 tbsp of bacon fat to cook the chicken, or use your cooking fat of choice.
Season the chicken tenderloins with the salt and pepper, onion powder and smoked
paprika and heat a large cast iron skillet (or grill pan) over med heat.
2. Add the chicken to the pan and cook about 5 minutes on each side, adjusting heat as
necessary. Make sure the chicken is cooked through, remove from heat, and set aside.
Once chicken is cool enough to handle, chop into bite-sized pieces.
3. To prepare the dressing, simply whisk together all the ingredients in a medium bowl until
fully combined.
4. Assemble all the salad ingredients, chopped cooked chicken and crumbled bacon in a
large bowl (avocado last so it doesn't turn brown!), and garnish with green onion.
5. Serve with the dressing on the side, or spoon the dressing on right before serving to toss
with the salad. The dressing will be very creamy either way!
6. Store leftover dressing in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes
*To avoid the avocado turning brown, cut in open and either chop or slice right before serving.
**You can chop your salad greens if you prefer a full chopped salad
***Optional - but I think it gives the dressing a nice touch
#Paleo Chicken Cobb Salad with Buffalo Ranch two
ways – both #whole30 friendly! #fitfluential
CLICK TO TWEET
Do you get nervous eating things with raw egg?  Even raw cookie dough?

Have you gone savory with coconut milk?  I’ll be doing it more, I think!