Cobb Salad
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Salad for dinner? Absolutely! This flavor-packed Cobb salad recipe covers all the bases with savory chicken, crisp bacon, creamy avocado, and a tangy homemade vinaigrette.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
I love salads with a lot of “stuff” in them, and this classic Cobb salad definitely fits the bill. It’s got everything you could want—lettuce, chicken, bacon, avocados, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and blue cheese, all tossed in a tangy vinaigrette.
But what makes this version especially good is that, instead of using plain grilled chicken or poached chicken, which can be a bit boring, the chicken is cooked in the bacon drippings—a trick I borrowed from a New York Times recipe by Alison Roman. It adds a ton of flavor and makes the most of every ingredient.
Like most great dishes, the Cobb salad has a bit of lore behind it. The most widely told story dates back to 1937, when Robert Cobb of the Brown Derby in Hollywood tossed together a mix of kitchen leftovers—and ended up with a signature dish that’s now a classic.
“Loved it. The dressing was sensational…A warm roll, a glass of white wine, perfect dinner.”
What You’ll Need To Make A Classic Cobb Salad
- Romaine Lettuce: A crisp, refreshing base that holds up well to all the bold, hearty toppings.
- Chicken & Bacon: Chicken tenderloins or breasts make up the hearty protein base—tenderloins cook quickly and stay juicy, but breasts work well too. Thick-cut bacon adds smoky, salty crunch, and the rendered fat is perfect for cooking the chicken for extra flavor.
- Avocados, Tomatoes & Eggs: Creamy avocado, juicy grape or cherry tomatoes, and hard-boiled eggs give the salad richness, sweetness, and satisfying texture. (Tip: Save a step by grabbing packaged hard-boiled eggs at the store—they’re usually near the fresh eggs.)
- Crumbled Blue Cheese (Optional): Adds a sharp, tangy bite that pairs beautifully with the bacon and avocado. The classic recipe is made with Roquefort, a bold, tangy blue cheese from France. However, you can use a milder blue like Maytag, Danish blue, or Gorgonzola dolce. Not a fan of blue cheese? Try shredded Cheddar cheese or just leave it out.
- Shallots, Vinegar, Mustard, Oil & Sugar (for the vinaigrette): Minced shallots, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and just a pinch of sugar create a balanced, tangy dressing that cuts through the richness. A mix of vegetable oil gives the vinaigrette a smooth, neutral base.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the dressing. Add the shallot, vinegar, oil, mustard, salt, pepper, and sugar to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to combine. (Or whisk everything together in a bowl.) The dressing can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated.
Step 2: Cook the bacon. In a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to move the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
Step 3: Cook the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and add it to the skillet in a single layer. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
Step 4: Assemble and dress the salad. In a large bowl, combine the romaine, chicken, and tomatoes. Give the dressing a shake to re-emulsify, then pour in about three-quarters of it. Toss gently and add more if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Step 5: Plate and serve. Transfer the salad to a large platter or plates. Top with the eggs, avocado, blue cheese (if using), and bacon. Pass the pepper mill at the table and enjoy!
More Salad Recipes You May Like
Classic Cobb
When you’re in the mood for a salad that truly satisfies, this Cobb has you covered—with all the good stuff and plenty of flavor.
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots (from 1 medium shallot)
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon sugar
For the Salad
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins (or boneless skinless chicken breasts), cut into ¾-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 romaine hearts, (from one 22-ounce bag), roughly chopped
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved if desired
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, diced
- 2 avocados, pitted and diced
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Make the vinaigrette: Combine the shallot, vinegar, oil, mustard, salt, pepper, and sugar in a medium jar with a tight-fitting lid; screw on the lid and shake vigorously to emulsify. (Alternatively, whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.)
- Make the salad: In a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, leaving the fat in the pan. Season the chicken with the salt and add to the bacon fat in a single layer; cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.
- Put the romaine, chicken, and the tomatoes in a large mixing bowl. Give the dressing a shake to re-emulsify, then add three-quarters of it to the bowl; toss gently to combine. Add more dressing, little by little, until the greens are dressed to your liking. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Arrange the salad mixture on a serving platter or plates.
- Sprinkle the hard-boiled eggs, avocado, blue cheese (if using), and reserved bacon over the salad. Pass the pepper mill at the table.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The vinaigrette can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated.
- Note: You can save yourself a step by purchasing packaged hard-boiled eggs at the grocery store (usually found near the fresh eggs). If you’d like to cook the eggs at home, this is how I cook hard-boiled eggs.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 425
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Sodium: 614 mg
- Cholesterol: 118 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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Howdy: I love that you used a recycled Maman jelly jar with the distinctive checkered lid for mixing the dressing. I do the same. “Quality” comes in those jars. Cheers! Suzanne
I love this recipe, I tweak it by using applewood smoked turkey bacon and add in pickled red onions or shallots. Soooo yummy!
Love this recipe! I have been wanting to make one of your salad recipes from the Weeknight/Weekend cookbook for awhile now. This is a great one! We had supernova blend lettuce on hand as my brother-in-law grows this lettuce. It was very delicious even with that change. My husband admitted he was dreading having a salad for his whole dinner meal, but he also loved it! Next time I will prepare the dressing and eggs ahead of time and will serve with some crusty artesian bread.
My husband was also dreading salad as our entire dinner, but was also wonderfully surprised by his much he LOVED this salad!
I love this salad recipe. The only change I make is I use chicken bacon (which doesn’t make grease). Instead, I cook chicken breasts or tenders in ghee for some flavor. The dressing is amazing and works well on any salad.
Perfection…I’ve made it twice in one week! One guest commented on how juicy my chicken was!
Another Jenn Segal synchronicity….I saw this recipe only yesterday, on a 110° Sherman Oaks, California heat wave. It felt SO right to be serving this as our entrees, and I did just that. It was absolutely fantastic. My only tweak for next time will be for final presentation. I found my inner Jenn, by arranging the toppings over the salad and then serving. As I was eating, I found that when the topping ingredients ended up mixing together with the salad, I enjoyed even more. Next time my Cobb won’t be as beautiful as last night, but I’m going to toss everything together before serving. We loved this like all get out, and all that Jenn mentioned regarding the cooking of the chicken in the bacon fat was on the money.
I just had to comment that I was glad to see that someone else makes use of the Bonne Maman preserves’ jars lol! I have been using them for salad dressings as well. Looking forward to making the salad!
What a great salad for summer!! So delicious and I know I’ll be making that wonderful vinaigrette often. Only change was subbing smoked turkey for the chicken. Do not like chicken at all.
Another great recipe. Thank You Jenn!
Lynne
I love making this salad for dinner. It’s is so easy and delicious. Thanks !!
I have a favourite Cobb Salad recipe, but I was intrigued by this one, so I tried. Delicious, will definitely be on the favourite list from now on.