Spicy ranch chopped chicken cabbage salad made with a rainbow of veggies like bell pepper, carrots, crunchy cabbage, sweet corn and a kick of heat from jalapeño. Top this healthy chopped chicken salad with a homemade spicy greek yogurt ranch dressing for a deliciously filling salad that will keep you satisfied!
If there’s a chopped salad on a restaurant menu, then you bet I’m going to be ordering it. I love a big bowl full of crunchy greens, veggies and lean protein. It’s filling, nourishing, healthy, satisfying and especially refreshing during the summer months. A couple of years back I thought it would be fun to recreate some of my favorite go-to restaurant style meals…starting with this ridiculously good and crunchy chopped chicken cabbage salad.
This chicken cabbage salad gets its crunch from green cabbage (or you could also use red!), tons of fresh raw veggies, a hint of sweetness from corn, a kick from jalapeno, creaminess from avocado and finally it’s all tossed together with a homemade spicy greek yogurt ranch.
personally LOVE cabbage salads because they retain their delicious crunch for days, meaning that you’ll have leftovers that actually taste GOOD. SIGN ME UP!
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Chopped chicken cabbage salad ingredients
This healthy ranch chicken cabbage salad recipe is packing all of the goods and southwest flavors that make it taste like one of those big, delicious restaurant chopped salads (but without the price tag and weird ingredients!) Here’s what you’ll need:
- For the chicken marinade: we’re using a bit of olive oil, honey, fresh lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper. It’s basically like a really yummy taco chicken marinade. If you want to make this vegetarian, feel free to skip the chicken and use a can of chickpeas instead.
- For the salad: load up on shredded green cabbage, green onion, cilantro, carrots, red bell pepper, jalapeño, fresh (or frozen) sweet corn and roasted pepitas.
- For the spicy ranch dressing: protein-packed greek yogurt, garlic powder, onion powder, fresh lemon juice, dried dill (or chives), salt, a bit of water to thin and your favorite hot sauce or chipotle chili powder. If you want to skip the ranch, you can feel free to use store-bought ranch of choice.
- Toppings: I love adding crunchy tortilla strips and creamy avocado to balance everything out!
How to make homemade spicy ranch
The delicious, creamy, spicy ranch dressing is the star of the show here. It’s easy to make and you’ll want to drizzle it on everything. To make it simply:
- Add the greek yogurt, garlic powder, onion powder, fresh lemon juice, dried dill, salt, water and hot sauce to a bowl or mason jar. Not into hot sauce? Use chipotle chili powder instead!
- Mix or shake until the dressing is well combined.
- Taste it and add more hot sauce if you like it spicier!
Keys to the perfect chicken marinade
A great chicken marinade requires three key ingredients to make your chicken super juicy and flavorful:
- Fat from oil or even full fat yogurt or buttermilk
- Acid from vinegar or citrus fruit
- Plenty of seasonings like spices and fresh or dried herbs
How to grill perfect chicken
The grilled chicken in this chopped salad makes it extra delicious and filling! Learn how to grill chicken perfectly every time with this tutorial.
Can I bake the chicken?
Absolutely! Marinate the chicken as directed and then get all of my tips and tricks for baking juicy chicken here.
Customize this chopped chicken salad
- Use the summer veggies you have on-hand like tomatoes, different colored peppers, crunchy romaine or even finely chopped broccoli.
- Add a sprinkle of feta or goat cheese for additional creamy, salty or tangy goodness.
- Make it vegetarian by swapping the chicken for chickpeas, black beans or even tofu using the same marinade!
- Try another protein like grilled shrimp or salmon.
How to store this chopped chicken cabbage salad
This healthy chopped chicken salad will stay fresh covered in the fridge for about 2-3 days.
Make it ahead of time
If you want to meal prep this chopped chicken salad or serve it at a bbq or picnic I’d suggest preparing the entire salad the day before and adding the dressing (and avocado) just before serving so that everything stays fresh.
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