Texas Roadhouse Grilled Chicken Salad [Copycat Recipe]
Chicken salads are a forever inspiration. You can make them in a million different ways and they will always be top-notch. This one is rather simple, homey, and usual, but still as tasty. I’ve been making this recipe for a while, but with just a few changes and a different serving style, it became a copycat of Texas Roadhouse Grilled Chicken Salad.
Main course salads are an easy way to incorporate nutritionally rich ingredients, without overstuffing. Still, they are as easy to skyrocket the calorie count with too much dressing and addition. That’s why I always choose one source of carbs (croutons this time), homemade dressing, and grilled meat.
How to Properly Grill the Chicken?
Grilled chicken is often my dinner choice, so I have a few tips and tricks on how to make it perfectly. First, I never skip tenderizing. I like to do it in a zip-lock bag with a kitchen mallet. Just hit it several times, until it’s a bit thinner and a lot softer.
Next, season it well, and by that, I mean massage the spices into the meat. If you like the crust like I do, you can always heat the pan to the highest and lower the temperature to medium when grilling.
I know many other people are scared of undercooked chicken, right? I frighten it, though. That’s why I made so many dried and chewy cuts, but not anymore.
I found that the perfect time for grilling is about 5 minutes per side, over medium heat. This is solely for the thicker cuts. if you slice it thinly, 3 minutes is enough.
Also, if you’re planning on cutting the chicken for the salad or something similar, I highly recommend letting it sit for 5 minutes approximately, so the meat juices don’t trickle.
How to Make Texas Roadhouse Grilled Chicken Salad?
This is one of the quickest salads to make, plus it has great nutritional value. The ingredients are all common, even the spices. Sometimes I’m so focused on unusual ingredients and combinations, that I forget how good simple ones are!
- Chicken – Chicken breasts are lean, and loaded with proteins, but still very juicy. Their taste is rather bland, but with the right spices and vegetables, they can be spectacular.
- Vegetables – As a base, you’ll need crispy Romain lettuce. Next are tomatoes, shredded carrots, and onions. I like to use grape or date tomatoes and red onion.
- Herbs and spices – Besides salt and pepper, I used garlic powder, parsley, dill, and cilantro. I made ranch for the dressing, so I used fresh herbs there.
- Eggs – I hard-boiled eggs to add up to protein count. You can definitely skip it if you’re not a fan.
- Croutons – You can, of course, use store-bought croutons with Italian seasoning. I made it from scratch, using bread, olive oil, Italian spice mix, salt, and pepper.
- Dressing – I went for ranch dressing but made it from scratch. I combined sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, lemon juice, and fresh herbs.
- Bacon – I opted for turkey bacon, but you can go with the standard, though.
- Cheese – Strong cheddar was my choice this time. Jack would also be smashing. I chopped it into the cubes.
Let’s make one more amazing lunch salad!
Step 1: Grilling the Chicken
Before you grill the chicken, get the eggs on the stove. I let them sit in the water a bit after cooking so that I can peel them effortlessly.
This chicken requires simple spices only. Take a chicken breast and use a kitchen mallet to tenderize it. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
I grilled it in the pan with a splash of olive oil, but an outside grill would be even better. Heat the pan over medium temperature and cook the chicken for about 4-6 minutes per side, depending on how thick the meat is.
If you have a thermometer, it is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 °F. Remove from the pan and let it sit for about 5 minutes to absorb all the juices before slicing it.
Step 2: Making the Croutons
While the chicken is grilling, cube bread, drizzle it with some olive oil, and season. I used Italian seasoning mix, pepper, and a pinch of salt.
Arrange it on the baking paper and toss it in the oven at 350 °F (180 °C) until crispy and golden. I baked mine for about 7 minutes.
Step 3: Mixing the Dressing
In a bowl, fuse together sour cream, mayo, buttermilk, and some lemon juice. Season it with garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste, and add fresh herbs for the best flavor. I went with dill, parsley, and cilantro.
Herbs brighten up the whole meal. You can add some mint, as well.
Step 4: Assembling the Salad
Start with chopping some Romain salad and place it on the bottom of the plate. Shred the carrot and sprinkle on top. Next, add halved grape tomatoes, cheddar cheese cubes, crumbled turkey bacon, and croutons.
Slice eggs into cubes, too, and add them to the salad. Slice the chicken into strips or chunks, arrange on the top, and garnish with red onion rings.
I like to leave the dressing on the side, to drizzle by yourself. Plus, the croutons stay fresh and crispy forever!
How to Store Texas Roadhouse Grilled Chicken Salad?
Before all, I must say, I don’t like storing already assembled salads. I find them become mushy, soggy, and watery in a blink of an eye.
On the other side, storing all the salad components separately is my cup of tea. I like to store croutons in airtight containers or zip-lock bags, so they can stay crunchy. If you’re going to use them within 5 days, you can store them at room temperature.
When you grill the chicken, be careful to store it in a 2-hour window. That’s super important, so the bacteria don’t develop.
Store the dressing in a mason jar and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I like to keep all the components ready to go, so I can have fresh lunch in a literal minute.
Recipe Alternations
In Texas Roadhouse restaurant, you can choose between different dressings for this salad. I made it with ranch, but I love it with their blue cheese dressing, as well. For those who like to keep it simple, definitely go for oil and vinegar.
Besides those, you can opt for Caesar, honey mustard, Italian, Thousand Island, and honey French. Go for Thousand Island dressing or honey French if you love the sweet and savory combo.
If you are a Texas Roadhouse fan, make sure you check out these recipes:
- TR Grilled BBQ Chicken
- TR Smothered Chicken
- TR Grilled Shrimp Appetizer
- TR Country Fried Chicken with Baked Potatoes
- TR Herb Crusted Chicken with Side Dishes
- TR Portobello Mushroom Chicken
Texas Roadhouse Grilled Chicken Salad [Copycat Recipe]
Equipment
- 1 grilled chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 4 oz chicken breast
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the Salad
- 2 cups Romain lettuce
- ½ cup carrot (shredded)
- ½ red onion (sliced)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 egg (boiled)
- ⅓ cup cheddar (cubed)
- ⅓ cup turkey bacon
For the Croutons
- 1 bread slice (cubed)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tsp Italian spice mix
For the Ranch
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- ½ tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp buttermilk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- parsley, dill, cilantro (fresh) (to taste)
Instructions
Grilling the Chicken
- Get the eggs on the stove to hard-boil.
- Tenderise the chicken with the kitchen mallet. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Grilled it in the pan with a splash of olive oil. Heat the pan over medium temperature and cook the chicken for about 4-6 minutes per side, depending on how thick the meat is.
- Remove from the pan and let it sit for about 5 minutes to absorb all the juices before slicing it.
Making the Croutons
- Cube bread, drizzle it with some olive oil, and season. I used Italian seasoning mix, pepper, and a pinch of salt.
- Cube bread, drizzle it with some olive oil, and season. Use Italian seasoning mix, pepper, and a pinch of salt.
Mixing the Dressing
- In a bowl, fuse together sour cream, mayo, buttermilk, and some lemon juice. Season it with garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste, and add fresh herbs: dill, parsley, and cilantro.
Assembling the Salad
- Start by chopping some Romain salad and placing it on the bottom of the plate. Shred the carrot and sprinkle on top.
- Add halved grape tomatoes, cheddar cheese cubes, crumbled turkey bacon, and croutons. Slice eggs into cubes. Slice the chicken into strips. Arrange on the top, and garnish with red onion rings.
- Drizzle with dressing.
Notes
Nutrition
Before diving into the nutritional details, please review our Nutritional Disclaimer page for important context and clarifications.
