This California Cobb Salad includes the traditional ingredients of grilled chicken, smoky bacon, avocado, and blue cheese with a touch of summer thrown in! You’ll love the addition of sweet strawberries and a tangy lemon vinaigrette to brighten up this classic main dish salad!
If strawberries in salads sounds like something you want more of, this Strawberry Chicken Salad with Baked Goat Cheese Rounds is another one of my favorites.
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A cobb salad has always been one of my go-to salads. I'm sure it has something to do with the bacon and avocado. I mean, how can you go wrong with those two ingredients?!
For this salad, I took most of the traditional Cobb Salad ingredients....chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, and blue cheese then added in a few unique ones ..... kale mix, strawberries, and lemon vinaigrette. You can certainly customize those or add even more toppings if you like.
Growing up in California meant that strawberries were a staple when it came to fresh fruit. I love adding them to salads for a bright, fresh taste.
Contents:
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Strawberries: Try to use the freshest strawberries you can find. I don't recommend using frozen in this recipe.
- Eggs: You can hard boil them yourself or purchase them pre-boiled. You could also use crumbled eggs from a grocery store salad bar if you like.
- Coffee-Rubbed Bacon: My new favorite when it comes to bacon is the coffee-rubbed bacon from the Whole Foods meat counter. If you have a Whole Foods near you I'd highly recommend checking it out. Not only is it delicious but you can purchase it by the slice so you don't have to find an excuse to use up a whole package of bacon! Regular bacon also works for this recipe.
- Champagne Vinegar: I use this type of vinegar often in salad dressing and think it's a good pantry staple. It's similar to white wine vinegar, which can be used as a substitute, however, Champagne vinegar is a bit milder which is why I often use it in salad dressings.
- Salad greens: The recipe calls for kale, but you can substitute the greens of your choice.
- Agave: Agave tends to be a bit thinner in consistency than honey, which makes it slightly easier to incorporate into salad dressing. You can substitute honey.
Recommended Tools
Handheld juicer – This is my favorite juicer! The design makes it really easy to extract the juice and it works for both lemons and limes.
Meat thermometer - A meat thermometer is a must-have tool when grilling. My preference is to probe-style meat thermometer so you don't have to keep opening the grill to check the temperature of the meat. Some grills now have them available as accessories but if yours does not, this one is a good choice.
How to make this recipe
This is a great salad for meal prep. See the tips below for the best way to add this to your weekly meal prep routine.
Make the dressing. Next, whip up the dressing by combining the lemon juice, vinegar, zest, garlic, mustard, agave, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small mason jar with a lid. Close the lid and shake well to combine everything.
Assemble the salad. Divide the kale or greens between two large salad bowls. Add some chicken, bacon, avocado, eggs, strawberries and blue cheese to each bowl. Drizzle each salad with some dressing and toss to coat.
Meal Prep Tips
Chicken + Dressing: You can make the chicken and the dressing ahead of time. Both will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Hard-boil the eggs: I also usually hard boil a couple of eggs in my instant pot at the beginning of the week. They are great in salads and you can always make an egg salad if you don't use them all for something else.
Salad Greens: I also often use a bagged chopped kale salad mix for the lettuce so it's ready to go at any time.
Make it a Platter Salad
If you want to make this a little more elegant, maybe for a nice al fresco date night dinner, layer the ingredients on a platter like I did for the photos. Then drizzle the dressing over the top when you’re ready to serve. If you want to make an easy lunch salad, chop everything up into bite-sized pieces, toss together with the dressing in a large bowl and then serve.
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Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 8 - 10 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, about ½ a lemon
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon agave
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
For the salad:
- 4 cups of chopped kale or other salad greens
- 2 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 eggs, hard boiled
- ½ cup sliced strawberries
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. Mix the oil, garlic, lemon juice and zest, pepper, mustard, thyme and salt in a small bowl. Pour over the chicken and let it marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Grill the chicken. Preheat your grill to about 400°F. Place the chicken on the grill and grill for 7 minutes. Flip the chicken and grill for another 6 to 7 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Once the chicken is done remove it from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes.
- Make the dressing. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, zest, garlic, mustard, agave, salt, and pepper to a small container with a lid. Close the lid and shake to combine. Add the olive oil and shake vigorously.
- Assemble the salad. Divide the kale between two bowls. Top each with chicken, bacon, avocado, eggs, strawberries and blue cheese. Add the dressing and toss to coat.
This post was originally published in May 2017. It was updated in April 2025 with some new information and photos. No changes were made to the original recipe.
Gloria
What a wonderful looking salad. During the summer we like to make a meal on salads. This is the perfect dinner salad for sure.
Linda
That is one beautiful presentation! It would be perfect for a BBQ with friends or just as a light lunch. And that dressing! It sounds light and flavorful, just what I want for summer.
Urban Foodie Kitchen
Thanks Linda!
Julie
We eat grilled chicken cobb salads at least twice a month in the summer - but I've never thought about adding fruit to it. Definitely going to try - and this lemon vinaigrette sounds delicious!
Sara
First of all, I LOVE cobb salads. Secondly, I LOVE the fact that you put so much flavor into the chicken for this salad, and that you use strawberries! Finally, COFFEE RUBBED BACON?! I don't think I would ever eat anything else after trying all of this out. Love it!
Urban Foodie Kitchen
Yes, the coffee-rubbed bacon is a little dangerous but SOOO good!!
Jo
Yes please, I need that bowl of goodness right away. I'm a huge fan of cobb salad. So many textures, so many amazing flavors! Looks amazing!
Robin
Do you have an alternative to the champagne vinegar?
Urban Foodie Kitchen
Hi Robin - You could also use white wine vinegar. The dressing will have a slightly different taste but it works just fine!
Michele
I do love a good cobb salad! This one looks absolutely amazing. I love that you added strawberries. Perfect for summer and sounds so yummy!
Charity
I'm collecting all the salad recipes because we're in the middle of a heat wave. Adding this cobb to my list. It looks like a nice twist on the traditional version. Thanks!
Lorie
I am sooooo intrigued by the coffee rubbed bacon you mentioned. Gotta try! All things that include avocado are also on the top of my list so this salad will be mine all mine--like asap
Urban Foodie Kitchen
I definitely recommend the coffee-rubbed bacon if you can find some - it's fantastic! Also very delicious in breakfast sandwiches! 🙂
Jagruti Dhanecha
This salad looks great, filling and packed with flavours, textures and deliciousness.
Balvinder
Great recipe this looks so tasty and heartfelt!!I want to dive into my screen!
HEATHER PERINE
What a wonderful salad for summertime! And the dressing is divine!
Kate
Many thanks for sharing this salad recipe. I love the look of your pictures and will certainly try this. I am looking forward to it.
Remini APK
Strawberries in Cobb salad? Genius twist—fresh, bright, and delicious combo.