Crispy Cobb Salad

This irresistible Cobb salad, featuring crisp lettuce and an array of tasty, satisfying toppings, is sure to become a crowd-pleaser at any gathering.

What Exactly Is a Cobb Salad?

A Cobb salad is a classic American dish made with fresh lettuce topped with layers of bacon, chicken, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, and other ingredients, all beautifully arranged. While the exact origins are debated, it’s commonly believed that this iconic salad was created in the 1930s at the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood.

What Ingredients Are in a Cobb Salad?

Here are the ingredients you'll need to prepare this timeless Cobb salad recipe:

• Meat: This protein-packed Cobb salad calls for both bacon and chicken. 
• Eggs: Boiled eggs lend even more protein to the hearty salad. 
• Lettuce: Iceberg lettuce is the traditional choice for this classic dish. 
• Tomatoes: Chopped tomatoes lend flavor and color. 
• Blue cheese: Crumbled blue cheese takes the flavor up a notch. 
• Green onions: If you prefer a stronger flavor, use a red onion. 
• Avocado: Cubed avocados make this salad even more filling.  
• Dressing: Use store-bought ranch dressing or make your own at home. 

How to Prepare a Cobb Salad

The complete step-by-step recipe is listed below, but here’s a quick preview of what you can expect when preparing a Cobb salad:

1. Boil, peel, and chop the eggs.
2. Cook, drain, and crumble the bacon.
3. Assemble the salad ingredients.
4. Top with dressing just before serving.

Kitchen Tips

“This salad works as a complete meal,” says Nicole McLaughlin (also known as NicoleMcMom). Here are some of Nicole's top suggestions for crafting the perfect Cobb salad:

• “What I love about iceberg lettuce is that it’s cold and crunchy,” she says. “If you want something a little more nutrient dense, you can mix iceberg with romaine or something like that.”
• Nicole pan-seared her chicken on the stove, but you can use rotisserie chicken for a weeknight shortcut. 
• Avocados have a tendency to brown quickly, so Nicole recommends squeezing fresh lemon juice on your cubed avocado to keep it nice and green. “That’s also going to add some good flavor,” she says. 

Community Tips and Feedback from Dinogo

“I absolutely love this salad,” says Dawn Blais. “Sometimes I use peppercorn ranch, other times I go for blue cheese with the blue cheese crumbles. And, of course, extra bacon is always a great addition!”

“I swapped ranch for blue cheese dressing based on my personal preference,” says Jennifer Scherping. “I also used Bibb lettuce, as it’s what I had on hand. It’s a beautiful, nutritious, and tasty salad.”

“So delicious,” says Dinogo Allstar Kim's Cooking Now. “I made this as a side dish to pair with tilapia (so I skipped the chicken). I might toss in some diced chicken for the leftovers tomorrow lunch.”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Ingredients List

• 6 slices bacon

• 3 eggs

• 1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded

• 3 cups chopped, cooked chicken meat

• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

• ¾ cup blue cheese, crumbled

• 3 green onions, chopped

• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced

• 1 (8 ounce) bottle Ranch-style salad dressing

Instructions

Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover them completely with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Let the eggs sit for 10 to 12 minutes, then cool, peel, and chop them up.

While the eggs are cooking, add the bacon to a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until browned and crispy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Drain, crumble, and set aside.

Arrange the shredded lettuce on individual plates. Layer with rows of bacon, eggs, chicken, tomatoes, blue cheese, green onions, and avocado.

Drizzle with your favorite dressing.

Nutrition Information (per serving)