Ooo, I love a nourishing and delicious salad bowl, and this Whole30 BBQ Chicken Salad Bowl fits the bill! It’s easy to put together and can work great for lunch, dinner, or meal prep!
Why We Love This Whole30 BBQ Chicken Salad Bowl
First, you will love that it is Whole30, Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, with egg-free options. Super nutrient-dense, and also delicious. To make this egg-free, use a vegan dressing (like a vinegrette) to top this with, like this Whole30 compatible vinaigrette I find at Walmart.
Second, it is a very flexible recipe. Just as you would build your bowl to your specific liking at any salad bowl restaurant, feel free to do the same here! I share my favorite combination but make it your own. This also means it’s flexible for those at your table to do the same.
Third, this salad bowl is EASY! You can prep the BBQ chicken and potatoes ahead of time for fast assembly, or you can use store-bought varieties that cut down the prep time.
Fourth, it is so fresh and nourishing. I love that this Whole30 BBQ Chicken Salad Bowl has protein, lots of veggies, and healthy fats. This means you will be filled and fueled!
Finally, it is budget-friendly! I keep this budget-friendly by using a homemade BBQ sauce and dressing. Also, remember to swap out any items that aren’t budget-friendly in YOUR area. Can’t find a reasonable price on pepitas? Use sunflower seeds instead!
Ingredients
- BBQ Chicken – This BBQ Chicken is excellent meal prep and can be easily made ahead to make these quesadillas come together in 15-20 minutes. Are you in a hurry and don’t have BBQ Chicken already prepped? You can also toss your favorite BBQ sauce with shredded chicken or canned shredded chicken to use in this dish.
- Greens of choice – This can be shredded lettuce like romaine, mixed greens, spinach, etc. Whatever combination you love or need to use up. We served ours on finely chopped romaine.
- Roasted sweet potatoes – The fast option is to find a bag of frozen sweet potatoes and air fry them! We use and love Cascadian Farms, which are also Whole30 compatible. But if you can’t find a frozen option that works for you, I also love using my Whole30 Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Those can be made in advance and stored in the fridge to build your bowls faster when ready!
- Diced tomatoes – We used Roma tomatoes, but any tomato here works well
- Red onion – I love the flavor profile of this salad with red onion. And also, white, yellow, or sweet onions would work well too!
- Pepitas – Pepitas are a type of pumpkin seed that adds a crunch and flavor to salads and bowls I adore! I find them easily at Winco or Walmart (On a Whole30? Double check it was roasted compatible oil, like this one at Walmart) You can substitute any roasted, salted seed or nut of your choice.
- Avocado – We embrace healthy fats and love half an avocado in each bowl. My body and relationship with sugar changed for the better when I started eating healthy fats at every meal! Just sayin’…
- Bacon – Bacon is optional, but I am HERE for bacon on salads. We use the most affordable Whole30 Compatible bacon – Kirkland’s Low Sodium Bacon from Costco. But, Walmart has this no sugar added Whole30 compatible bacon as well!
- Ranch or Date Mustard – We love this with my homemade Ranch or Date Mustard. My homemade dressings are so EASY and budget-friendly! But, if you want an easy store-bought option, this Primal Kitchen Ranch I find at Walmart is Whole30 compatible.
- Cilantro – I love the pop of flavor chopped cilantro brings!
- OPTIONAL, not Whole30 compatible – Rice, quinoa, corn, and black beans are all delicious add-ins!
How to Make This Whole30 BBQ Chicken Salad Bowl
- MEAL PREP: To make this bowl come together quickly, I highly recommend making the BBQ chicken, bacon, and roasted sweet potatoes ahead of time. Once prepped, it can be built in 20 minutes flat!
- This recipe makes four salad bowls. For each bowl, add about 4-5 cups chopped greens, 3/4 c BBQ chicken, 3/4 c roasted sweet potatoes, 1/3 c tomatoes, 2 tablespoons onions, 1/4 c pepitas, 1/2 an avocado (sliced), 2 slices of cooked bacon, and 1/4 cup dressing of choice. Sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro and sprinkle with a pinch of garlic salt. Add any optional toppings if using.
- All of these components can be stored in the fridge for up to one week. If prepping ahead, build all the bowl components except the avocado and dressing and store them in a sealed container. Add the dressing and avocado slices just before serving.
Whole30 BBQ Chicken Salad Bowl
An EASY fresh + flavorful dinner or meal prep that is super flexible and budget-friendly!
Course Main Course, SaladCuisine AmericanKeyword budget-friendly, dairy-free, easy, egg-free, gluten-free, keto, main dish, nut-free, paleo, whole30
Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 484kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups bbq chicken see recipe below
- 1 large head romaine, finely chopped or other greens of choice
- 3 cups roasted sweet potatoes see notes
- 3 large roma tomatoes, finely diced
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup pepitas, roasted and salted or other seed or nut of choice
- 2 avocados pitted and sliced just before serving
- 8 slices cooked bacon
- 8 oz Ranch or Date Mustard or other dressing of choice
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- pinch of garlic salt per salad
- Optional toppings, if not on a Whole30: Cooked rice or quinoa, corn, or black beans (drained and rinsed)
Instructions
- MEAL PREP: For this bowl to come together quickly, I highly recommend making the BBQ chicken, bacon, and roasted sweet potatoes ahead of time. Once prepped, this bowl can be built in 15 minutes flat!
- If not prepped ahead, start with making the BBQ chicken (recipe below) and roasting sweet potatoes. The fastest potato option for this is to find a bag of frozen sweet potatoes and air fry them! We use and love Cascadian Farms, which are also Whole30 compatible. But, if you can't find a frozen option that works for you, I also love using my Whole30 Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
- This recipe makes 4 salad bowls. For each bowl, add: about 4 cups chopped greens, 3/4 c bbq chicken, 3/4 c roasted sweet potatoes, 1/3 c tomatoes, 2 tablespoons onions, 1/4 c pepitas, 1/2 an avocado (sliced), 2 slices of cooked bacon, and 1/4 cup dressing of choice. Sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro and sprinkle with a pinch of garlic salt. Add any optional toppings, if using.
- All of these components will store in the fridge for up to 1 week. If prepping ahead, build all the bowl components except the avocado and dressing and store in a sealed container. Add dressing and avocado slices just before serving.
Notes
Nutritional information does not include the dressing of choice and any optional toppings.
Read the “Ingredient” section of the blog post above for more details and substitutions on the ingredients, as well as links to my favorite products.
Nutrition
Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 468mg | Potassium: 1658mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 28400IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 5mg
Whole30 BBQ Chicken
An EASY recipe perfect for meal prep or to use for a variety of easy dinners!
Course Main CourseCuisine AmericanKeyword budget-friendly, dairy-free, easy, egg-free, gluten-free, keto, kid-friendly, main dish, nut-free, paleo, whole30
Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 1/2-cup servings
Calories 97kcal
Ingredients
- 2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast excess fat trimmed
- 2 cups BBQ sauce homemade (below) or store-bought
Homemade BBQ Sauce
- 1 6-oz can tomato paste
- 2-4 tablespoons date paste see recipe below
- 1 tablespoon balsamic or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke, for a smokey flavor; 1/2-1 teaspoon chili powder, for a kick
Instructions
- If using the homemade sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- If using oven, preheat oven to 350 degrees. If chicken is more than 1" thick, consider cutting in half horizontally or into pieces for faster cooking.
- INSTANT POT: Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the Instant Pot and cover them completely with the sauce. Seal and cook on manual for 20 minutes. Chicken is done when it is no longer pink in the center and is easy to shred.
- OVEN: Place the chicken breasts in a 9×13 pan and cover them completely with sauce. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, until no longer pink in the center and easy to shred. The length of cooking time will vary on the thickness of the chicken breast used.
- SLOW COOKER: Place chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker and cover completely with sauce. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours, until chicken is no longer pink and easy to shred.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the sauce and shred. I prefer to use a hand or standing mixer to shred. You can transfer to a standing mixer bowl and shred there or put the blades of a hand mixer right into the slow cooker or Instant Pot. BUT, EITHER WAY – be prepared for splatter! I do this by covering the mixer (hand mixer or standing mixer) with a kitchen towel before turning on. This is important to avoid chicken bits and BBQ sauce splatters all over your kitchen. Or, you can shred by pulling two forks in the opposite direction on each chicken breast.
- Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week or the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
See blog post above to see ideas on how to serve and use this chicken!
NOTE: Recipe cook time and total time reflects the fastest cooking method, in the Instant Pot. Length of cook time however will vary greatly depending on the cooking method, so be sure to reference the recipe details to determine the length of your cook time!
Nutrition
Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 283mg | Potassium: 307mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Date Paste
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Servings 8 tablespoons
Calories 52kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 1/2 cup hot water
Instructions
- Mix 1 cup pitted dates with 1/2 cup hot water, pushing the dates down into the water to moisten all. Let soak for 5 minutes. Puree in a blender or mixer until it makes a smooth paste.
Nutrition
Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.004g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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