Crispy Chicken Cobb Jar Salad (Printable)

Vibrant layered salad with crispy chicken bites, bacon, blue cheese, and fresh vegetables packed in convenient mason jars.

# What Goes In:

→ Crispy Chicken

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

→ Salad Components

10 - 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
11 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
12 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
13 - 2 large 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, thinly sliced

→ Blue Cheese Dressing

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

# How to Make It:

01 - Place chicken pieces in buttermilk and marinate for at least 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Remove chicken from buttermilk, coat thoroughly in the breadcrumb mixture, and arrange on prepared baking sheet. Lightly spray with olive oil.
03 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
04 - Whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, fresh chives, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.
05 - Divide dressing evenly among four 16-ounce mason jars, approximately 2 tablespoons per jar. Layer remaining ingredients in order: cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bacon, blue cheese, hard-boiled egg quarters, crispy chicken bites, and romaine lettuce. Top with avocado immediately before serving to prevent oxidation.
06 - Seal jars and refrigerate until ready to consume. Shake jar vigorously or transfer contents to a bowl and toss to combine before eating.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything stays crisp and fresh because the dressing sits at the bottom, keeping the lettuce from wilting into sad mush by Wednesday.
  • You can prep all four jars in less time than it takes to decide what to eat for lunch four days in a row.
  • The crispy chicken stays surprisingly crunchy even after a day or two in the jar, especially if you let it cool completely before layering.
  • It's one of those recipes that looks impressive but is actually harder to mess up than a regular tossed salad.
02 -
  • Let the chicken cool completely before adding it to the jars, or the steam will make everything soggy and ruin the whole point of layering.
  • The order of ingredients actually matters because the dressing needs to stay at the bottom, away from the lettuce, or you'll end up with wilted greens by day two.
  • If you're making these on Sunday for Friday, skip the avocado entirely or pack it in a tiny separate container, because even the best tricks can't stop it from browning after three days.
03 -
  • Use wide-mouth mason jars because they're way easier to layer and eat from, plus you can actually fit a fork in there without scraping your knuckles.
  • If you're taking the jar somewhere without a bowl, shake it really well and eat it straight from the jar with a fork, which sounds weird but works perfectly and feels oddly satisfying.
  • Double the chicken recipe and keep the extra in the fridge for snacking, because crispy chicken bites are dangerously good on their own.
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