Classic Cobb Salad
A full Cobb salad with seared chicken, crisp bacon, jammy eggs, avocado and blue cheese in tidy rows, finished with a sharp red wine vinaigrette.
- Prep20 min
- Cook25 min
- Total45 min
- Servings4
- Net carbs*3.8 g
- LevelEasy
A Cobb salad is a full meal laid out in neat stripes: seared chicken, crisp bacon, eggs, ripe avocado, tomatoes and crumbled blue cheese over chopped romaine. Every forkful is a little different, salty one bite and creamy the next. It is the salad we make when friends come over for lunch, because it looks great on a platter and fills everyone up.
Cook the eggs for exactly 10 minutes and move them straight into ice water. That timing gives a fully set yolk that is still soft and bright yellow, not chalky with a gray ring. Slice the avocado last, just before you build the platter, so it stays green and does not brown while the chicken rests.
Ingredients
Makes 1 large platter (about 3 cups per serving). Tap an item to check it off.
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Medium saucepan
- Large serving platter
- Small jar with lid
Instructions
- Bring a medium saucepan of water to a gentle boil. Lower in the eggs and cook for 10 minutes, then move them to a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes and peel.
- Pound the chicken to an even 3/4-inch thickness and season it with half of the salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken 5 to 6 minutes per side, until it reads 165°F in the thickest part. Rest it 5 minutes, then dice.
- In a small jar, shake the 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, mustard and the rest of the salt and pepper until thick.
- Spread the romaine over a large platter. Arrange the chicken, bacon, tomatoes, quartered eggs, avocado and blue cheese in rows on top.
- Sprinkle with green onions. Serve with the dressing on the side, or drizzle it over and toss at the table.
Estimated nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 576
- Total carbs
- 8.2 g
- Fiber
- 4.4 g
- Net carbs
- 3.8 g
- Protein
- 43.1 g
- Fat
- 41.1 g
*These are estimates, calculated from the ingredient weights above and USDA FoodData Central data, divided by 4 servings. Net carbs = total carbs minus fiber. Values vary with brands, quantities, ingredient swaps and how you portion the dish. How we estimate nutrition.
Kitchen tips
- Cook the bacon in the same skillet before the chicken, then pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat and use it in place of the olive oil for more flavor.
- Dry the romaine well after washing. Wet leaves water down the vinaigrette fast.
Substitutions
- Blue cheese → crumbled feta Same amount. Milder and saltier; the carb estimate barely changes.
- Chicken breast → leftover cooked chicken Use 2 1/2 cups chopped and skip step 3.
- Cherry tomatoes → diced cucumber Same amount. Slightly lower in carbs.
Swaps change the nutrition estimate shown above.
Storage and reheating
- Fridge
- Store the toppings and the greens in separate containers for up to 3 days. Keep the dressing in its jar for up to 1 week.
- Freezer
- Not recommended. Lettuce, avocado and boiled eggs turn watery and rubbery after freezing.
- Reheat
- Serve cold. If you like warm chicken, microwave the diced chicken alone for 45 seconds before adding it.
Questions cooks ask
Can I make it ahead for a party?
Cook the eggs, bacon and chicken a day early. Build the platter and cut the avocado just before serving.
