Crispy Chicken Cobb Jar Salad (Printable)

Portable layered salad with crispy chicken bites, smoky bacon, and creamy blue cheese dressing in convenient mason jars.

# What You Need:

→ For the Crispy Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if needed)
04 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
06 - 1/2 tsp paprika
07 - 1/2 tsp salt
08 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
09 - Olive oil spray

→ For the Salad

10 - 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
11 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
12 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
13 - 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
14 - 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
15 - 1 avocado, diced
16 - 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
17 - 1/2 small red onion, finely sliced

→ For the Dressing

18 - 1/3 cup mayonnaise
19 - 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
20 - 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
21 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
22 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
23 - 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
24 - Salt and pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Marinate chicken pieces in buttermilk for at least 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Mix panko, Parmesan, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Remove chicken from buttermilk, coat in breadcrumb mixture, and place on baking sheet. Mist with olive oil spray.
03 - Bake for 18–20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Let cool slightly before assembling.
04 - Whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon, chives, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
05 - In four large mason jars, layer in this order: 2 tbsp dressing, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bacon, blue cheese, hard-boiled egg, crispy chicken, romaine lettuce. Add avocado last.
06 - Seal jars and refrigerate until ready to eat. Shake jar or pour into bowl to combine before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The chicken actually stays crispy until lunchtime, which feels like magic
  • Everything gets perfectly dressed when you shake it, no soggy lettuce ever
  • You can assemble four days of lunches in about 45 minutes
02 -
  • The dressing goes on the bottom of the jar, not the top, or you will end up with soggy greens
  • Sturdier vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers should sit directly in the dressing
  • Wait to add avocado until right before you eat to keep it from turning brown
03 -
  • Let the chicken cool completely before assembling the jars, or the heat will wilt the greens
  • Wide-mouth jars make assembly and eating so much easier than regular ones
  • If your lettuce seems damp, give it a quick spin in a salad spinner before layering
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