Chicken Bacon Corn Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing

Name: Chicken Bacon Corn Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 large chicken breasts; 4 medium corn on the cob; 8 slices thick cut bacon; 5-6 cups spinach or mixed greens, chopped; 1 cup cherry tomatoes. halved; 1/2 red onion, peeled and chopped; 1 avocado, halved and chopped; 3/4 cup mayo; 1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon buttermilk; 2 Tablespoons chives, minced; 2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely minced; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper

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This Chicken Bacon Corn Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing is absolutely divine. No skimpy salad here! This salad is packed full of grilled chicken, corn, bacon, tomatoes, onion and avocado. To top it all off, a simple creamy garlic dressing. A great, filling salad to enjoy the summer bounty.

Are you a big salad person? I absolutely adore a good salad. But it has to be filling and packed full of different flavors. I don’t want to put all the work into making a salad if I am going to be hungry again in an hour. This Chicken Bacon Corn Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing definitely fits the ticket.

This summer salad is packed to the brim with flavor. The chicken, corn and bacon are all grilled, which makes for a really easy salad. Which also means, you don’t have to sweat over your stove and make your house even hotter. And yes, I said the bacon is grilled. It’s so much easier than you would think!

Grab your ingredients for this grilled salad, and get making it! You will end your meal satisfied and full. And very excited about leftovers.

Gather your ingredients for the Chicken Bacon Corn Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing

chicken breasts
cherry tomatoes
avocado
thick cut bacon
spinach or mixed greens
corn on the cob
red onion
mayo
buttermilk
fresh chives
garlic
salt + pepper

Let’s make it!

Start with the creamy garlic salad dressing. It’s as simple as whisking or shaking together all the ingredients: mayo, buttermilk, chives, garlic, salt and pepper in a large glass measuring cup or jar. Place in the fridge while you make everything else.

Turn on your grill so it’s nice and hot. While the grill is preheating, shuck the corn by peeling back the husks, removing the silk, then wrapping the husks back over the corn to protect the kernels while grilling. Next, place the bacon in an oven proof skillet, preferably cast iron. Lay the chicken and corn on one side of the grill and reduce the heat to medium-low. Place the skillet with the bacon on the other side of the grill, maintaining the high heat. Grill everything, rotating and turning, until the bacon is crispy, the corn is tender and slightly golden and the chicken reaches 180ºF on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the grill and place the bacon on a paper towel lined plate to remove any excess grease.

To assemble the salad, toss the greens, onion and tomatoes in a large serving bowl. Cut the kernels off the cob, slice the chicken into strips and crumble the bacon. Lay over the top of the salad bowl with the avocado pieces. Toss and serve with the creamy garlic dressing.

This Chicken Bacon Corn Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing makes excellent leftovers, even with the chicken cold. A fabulous, filling salad that you’ll want to make over and over again.

Notes & tidbits

Don’t worry about purchasing buttermilk for such a small amount. Simply whisk 1 teaspoon with the milk and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes before whisking with the other ingredients.

Chicken Bacon Corn Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing

Yield: 5 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the dressing

3/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon buttermilk
2 Tablespoons chives, minced
2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the salad

2 large chicken breasts
4 medium corn on the cob
8 slices thick cut bacon
5-6 cups spinach or mixed greens, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes. halved
1/2 red onion, peeled and chopped
1 avocado, halved and chopped

Instructions

Make the dressing to start. In a large measuring cup or jar, whisk all the dressing ingredients together until completely combined. Place, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Next, preheat the grill so it's nice and hot. Pull back the husks on the corn, careful not to remove them completely. Remove the silk on the corn, then pull the husks back up around the corn to cover the kernels, don't worry if it's not perfect. Next, place the bacon in an oven proof skillet, preferably cast iron.
Once the grill is nice and hot, lay the chicken and corn on one side of the grill and reduce the heat to medium-low. Place the skillet with the bacon on the other side of the grill, maintaining the high heat.
Cook everything on the grill, turning the chicken, rotating the corn and flipping the bacon until cooked through. The chicken should read at least 180ºF on a thermometer inserted in the center. The corn should be tender and slightly golden, and the bacon should be crispy. Remove everything from the grill and place the bacon on a paper towel lined plate to remove excess grease.
To assemble the salad, place the greens in a large serving bowl. Top with the tomatoes and onions. Cut the corn kernels from the cob, chop or break up the bacon and slice the chicken into thin strips or bite sized pieces. Place in the salad bowl and top with the avocado slices. Toss everything together and serve with the creamy garlic dressing.