Avocado and Panko-Crusted Chicken Cobb Salad

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A fresh, green salad, jazzed up with traditional (and not so traditional) Cobb toppings. Get your homemade salad fix with this Avocado and Panko-Crusted Chicken Cobb Salad, which calls for crunchy baked chicken, avocados and lots of vegetables! Topped with a Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing, this salad is perfect for sharing.

Angled close up of salad in a bowl
I am embarrassed to admit to y’all that during the last year, I became obsessed with a certain fast food restaurant’s Chicken Cobb Salad. It is so delicious, and add in how convenient it is to pick up when driving from a certain direction back to our house, and you can surmise that I probably definitely overindulged.

As someone who likes to eat whole, real foods, I feel less bad when ordering this salad as opposed my traditional fast food restaurant go-to: French fries… though I know in the back of my mind that the dish probably isn’t as good for me as I think it is.

So when I had a hankering for my favorite fast food salad the first week in January, I decided it was high time that I learned to make it for myself.

After all, nothing beats a homemade salad.

Collage of breaded chicken on baking sheet

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    I had most of the ingredients I loved from the dish in the fridge already, so I decided to bake some chicken tenderloins with a panko breadcrumb crust, adding a crunch in their texture.

    I chopped greens and various other vegetables and threw them into the bowl.

    I added a sprinkling of cheese to the veggies.

    I fried up a little bacon for good measure, too. Then I hardboiled some eggs.

    I even topped it off with some sliced avocado. While it’s not a traditional Cobb Salad topping, it was just delightful. (Also, AVOCADO. So good.)

    Overhead view of salad in a bowl with utensils

    My mother, who was in town while this salad was being made, and I ate like queens that day… and I’ve been making a small rendition of this salad ever since because it’s the perfect lunchtime dish that simple to make, delicious and chock full of veggies.

    Here’s how you can make your own:

    Angled close up of salad in a bowl
    Yield: 8 servings

    Avocado and Panko-Crusted Chicken Cobb Salad

    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes

    A fresh, green salad, jazzed up with traditional (and not so traditional) Cobb toppings. Get your homemade salad fix with this Avocado and Panko-Crusted Chicken Cobb Salad, which calls for crunchy baked chicken, avocados and lots of vegetables!

    Ingredients

    Chicken Tenders

    • ¾ lb. chicken tenderloins
    • 1 egg, beaten.
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs

    Salad

    • 12 oz. romaine lettuce heads, chopped
    • 7 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
    • 2 green onions, chopped
    • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
    • ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar
    • 4 hardboiled eggs, sliced
    • 1 ripe avocado, sliced

    Instructions

    Make the chicken

    1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
    2. Break the egg into a bowl and season with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs into another bowl.
    3. Dip the chicken into the egg wash mixture, then transfer to the panko, moving around until coated in the breadcrumbs.
    4. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and repeat until all the chicken tenderloins are coated.
    5. Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes.
    6. Remove from oven, and once cooled, slice up and set aside.

    Make the Salad

    1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until cooked to your level of liking. Remove from the heat, pat dry and let cool, then crumble and set aside.
    2. Hardboil the eggs. Once cooked, remove the shells, slice and set aside.
    3. Chop the romaine into bite-sized pieces, and transfer to a serving bowl.
    4. Chop the green onions, and sprinkle on top of the romaine.
    5. Wash the cherry tomatoes (if you haven't already), then sprinkle on top of the salad.
    6. Sprinkle the hardboiled eggs, bacon and panko-crusted chicken on top of the ingredients.
    7. Slice an avocado and top the salad with this.
    8. Serve individually, and let each person drizzle the amount of salad dressing they want on top of their salad. (Or dress the salad and then serve immediately.)

    Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    8

    Serving Size:

    1
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 315Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 177mgSodium: 452mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 27g

    Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.

    How much did you love this recipe?

    Follow me on Instagram for more content, and share a photo of your creation with the hashtag #speckledpalate!

    © Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate
    Cuisine: American / Category: Entrees

    Collage of bowls of salad

    Have you ever taken it upon yourself to make something you loved from a restaurant at home?

    How did it turn out?

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    31 Comments

    1. This sounds so good and it is such a pretty salad! I recreated a salad recently (with hot bacon mustard dressing) that turned out great. I need more salads in my life though. And more ways to eat chicken (I really don’t like it all that much) Thanks for another great recipe.

      Reply

      1. Thanks so much, Kathy! Like you, I need more salads in my life, and there’s nothing like a homemade one, huh? The salad you recreated sounds divine, too!

        Reply

    2. This looks SO good and like something I could manage to make 🙂 I think it’d be perfect for my quest to find new and yummy things to bring from home to work for lunches! Pinning this so I can make it later 🙂

      Reply

      1. This is definitely something you could make and bring to work for lunch, girl! You’ve totally got this… and let me know what you think if and when you do whip it up!

        Reply

    4. Pinned it. Sounds and looks great. I do love to recreate dishes from places I love. Cheaper than going out but you still get to indulge a little
      SGBC
      Dawn
      Spatulas On Parade

      Reply

      1. Thanks, Dawn! Glad I’m not the only one who enjoys recreating dishes from places you love… and I agree with you! It’s cheaper, but you still get to indulge a bit. So good.

        Reply

    6. Hey, there’s no shame in getting obsessed with ANY food! It happens to everyone. I myself am having a craving for chicken tenders with honey mustard after seeing your beautiful breaded tenderloins. 🙂 Although the combination with crispy salad greens and rich avocado is also clearly delicious!

      Reply

      1. I like the way you think, Eileen, because it’s so true. We all do become obsessed with one food or another at some point, huh?

        I love that you were having a craving for chicken tenders and honey mustard after seeing these photographs. That’s one of my fave quick meals.

        Reply

      1. Thanks, Aria! And I don’t generally try to recreate lots of things from restaurants because I’m not that skilled, either. 😉

        Reply

    10. Restaurant dishes are my favorite source of inspiration. My best effort to date has probably been a steak marinated in garlic and lime, grilled, and served with lightly salted slices of avocado. This salad looks delicious, and can I just say how much I love your wooden bowl? Reminds me of a set my parents had when I was very little.

      Reply

      1. Totally agreed. And I’m gonna need that recipe for the steak because it sounds DIVINE.

        We got the wooden bowl as a wedding present, and we don’t use it nearly as much as we should, so I was happy that it got some usage… and some photo time. 😉 It makes me happy that the bowl reminds me of the one your parents had when you were a kid.

        Reply

    11. Wowsa this looks delicious! Perfect for a good kind of indulgence. Glad you translated it from the fast food variety.

      Reply

      1. Thanks, lady! It IS delicious, and I agree — glad I translated it from the fast food variety because this fresh version’s gotta be a lot better, right?

        Reply

      1. High-fives for salad kicks, Chelsea! They’re delicious, and I’d love to know what you’ve been making. Also, please let me know what you think of this when you do try it out!

        Reply

    14. I actually have some panko in the cupboard right now that I wanted to use… this is a fantastic idea for our hot summer weather at the moment. Yum! Love the look of that creamy dressing drizzled over it. Mustard and honey with chicken is such a killer combo xx

      Reply

      1. Well, I think you should definitely make this salad to combat that hot summer weather. While I haven’t had it during the summertime (as it’s still the winter here – boo), I can attest to it being filling and wonderful during the colder months, too.

        Reply

    15. Oh this looks so delicious. I’m a sucker for a good salad. I would live off of salads 24/7 if I could. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I will most definitely being trying. Gorgeous pictures as well!

      Reply

      1. Thanks, lady! I’m the same way about a good salad, and if I find a good one, I don’t let it go and will binge on it. 😉 Can’t wait to hear what you think!

        Reply

    16. What a fabulous idea! I love everything here, and you made it so much tastier than I’d ever think to! And the creamy Honey Mustard salad dressing is positively mouth-watering. Gorgeous!

      Reply

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