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Fried Chicken Salad with Jalapeño Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

By Heidi Allison

Image of Fried Chicken Salad with Jalapeño Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Somewhere between a classic Italian Chop, Cali Cobb and a Mexican Caesar, this veggie-packed salad is both filling and light—if you keep the fried chicken portions on the smaller (amuse bouche) side. The rich, creamy dressing has the flavor of a fresh, herby and slightly spicy Ranch, with a back note of bracing lime—bold flavors that enhance the fried chicken, greens and salty cotija cheese. A great recipe to use up your leftover KFC or rotisserie chicken!  

There are several culinary caveats that make this recipe work: Make the dressing several hours in advance, which allows the herb flavors time to fully develop, and the texture to thicken up.  Use a good-quality, commercial, homemade or bespoke mayo – I recommend Best Foods original or Helman’s—avoid any brand that is sweet or “fake” tasting. Do not skip adding sliced green onions and onion powder to this dressing — they act as thickening agents and add flavor to the finished dish. Without these two ingredients, the salad dressing will be runny and taste “flat”.  If you cannot find a 6% acidity distilled white vinegar, simply add more lime juice, about 1 tablespoon, to get the requisite “tangy taste” this dish requires. And a final note, the cotija cheese should be salty and on the moist side—avoid a dry cotija, which does not melt on the tongue or cling to the lettuce  

If the dressing is in the fridge for several days, “freshen” up its flavor by squeezing half a lime into it right before serving. This versatile dressing doubles up as a fabulous sauce over grilled white fish, puddled under poached salmon or ladled on a veggie-packed, cheesy, egg-white omelet. 

Fried Chicken Salad with Jalapeño Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Serves: 2 as a main; 4 as a side

Image of Ingredients

For the Jalapeño Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Makes: 1 cup

½ cup good-quality mayonnaise (I recommend Best Foods)  
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup 2% milk
1 tablespoon 6% white distilled vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice; zest of 1 lime
3 green onions, roots removed with white parts and 2” green; thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 teaspoon acacia honey (can sub with any light-colored honey)
1 large clove garlic, micro-planed
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher flake salt
1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh dill
2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Preparation

Image of salad

Place all ingredients into a high-efficiency blender or food processor and pulse until combined, about 10 pulses. Cover and refrigerate until cold—about 2 hours.

For the Fried Chicken Salad: 
While the dressing is chilling, prep all the salad ingredients.

2 Hearts of Romaine lettuce, washed and air-dried; sliced into 1-inch slices, about 4 cups
1 package of Melissa’s Steamed Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 green small zucchini, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice
1 breast and 1 thigh piece of fried chicken, bone removed, and meat sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems removed and chopped, about ½ cup
1 cup cotija cheese (I recommend Cacique brand) 

Preparation

Image of prepped salad

Layer half of the lettuce, chickpeas, zucchini, red bell pepper, parsley, and cotija into a large, shallow bowl. Drizzle with 1/3 cup of salad dressing and gently toss to coat. Top with remaining lettuce, chickpeas, zucchini, red bell pepper, parsley and cotija. Drizzle with a ¼ cup of dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place on plates or a serving platter, and top with fried chicken bites, or serve fried chicken on the side. Serve with extra dressing on the side.

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