BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwiches

These easy BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwiches put a delicious twist on the classic chicken salad sandwich. Creamy ranch and smoky BBQ sauce add tons of flavor, and crispy bacon and creamy avocado take these sandwiches over the top. 

If you love to change up chicken salad, you also need this Buffalo Chicken Salad or this Pickle Chicken Salad!

We are a sandwich loving family. And chicken salad sandwiches have been having a moment at our house lately.

These BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwiches have been hiding out in the archives for years, so I’m glad that they are making a comeback now. This is not only a super easy and fast recipe, but these sandwiches are packed with flavor.

We love these as sandwiches on croissants, (there is just something magical about chicken salad on a croissant!), but feel free to get creative with how you serve it! I actually originally served this chicken salad on bread, then served the leftovers in tortillas as wraps. But really – however you eat it, it’s delicious!

Ingredients

• Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You could also use chicken tenders. I like to cut the breasts into big strips to not only cook faster, but it makes shredding the chicken easier.
• Ranch Dressing: You can use homemade ranch dressing, or your favorite store bought version.
• BBQ Sauce: For the bbq sauce, make sure you use a sauce that you know you like. This flavor stands out more than anything else, so you want to make sure you love the bbq sauce first.
• Mayonnaise: You only need a little bit of mayonnaise to bring it all together.
• Cheese: I like to shred the cheese pretty fine. You can use regular shredded cheese, but the fine shredded cheese mixes in well and ensures that there is cheese in every bite.
• Celery: This just adds a bit of texture and crunch.
• Croissants: I just used a regular sized croissant from the grocery store bakery. If you are using an extra large croissant, (like the ones sold at Costco), you won’t have enough chicken salad to make 8 sandwiches.
• Bacon: This is optional, but adds some great flavor and texture to the sandwich. I use a regular bacon, but thick cut bacon would be great, too.
• Avocado: You can also leave out the avocado, if desired, but it just adds another layer of flavor to the sandwich.

How to Make BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwiches

STEP 1: Place the chicken in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil until the chicken is cooked through. Remove and let it cool slightly before shredding with 2 forks. I like to shred it pretty finely.

STEP 2: In a large bowl, mix together the ranch dressing, bbq sauce, and mayonnaise.

STEP 3: To that same bowl, add in your shredded chicken, along with the cheese and the celery. Making it all in one big bowl like this saves you from having to do extra dishes!

STEP 4: Mix until everything is well combined. Serve up the chicken salad on croissants, with cooked bacon and sliced avocados.

Tips and Tricks

I have been playing around with chicken salad a lot lately, and have found that boiling the chicken is my favorite way to prep the chicken. It’s not necessarily my favorite way to normally cook chicken, but it cooks it perfectly for shredded, especially for shredding it fine. I like to avoid any big chunks of chicken for chicken salad.

I served mine on croissants, but it is equally delicious on bread, or even just eating it with a fork!

The leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for several days. It’s a great make ahead for lunches throughout the week.

More Sandwich Recipes

Chicken Pesto Sandwich
Italian Sub
Egg Salad BLTs

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BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwiches

5 from 1 vote

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

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These easy BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwiches put a delicious twist on the classic chicken salad sandwich. Creamy ranch and smoky BBQ sauce add tons of flavor, and crispy bacon and creamy avocado take these sandwiches over the top. 

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed and cut into strips
• ▢ 1/2 cup prepared ranch dressing
• ▢ 1/2 cup bbq sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped celery
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 8 croissants or 16 slices of bread
• ▢ 12 slices cooked bacon
• ▢ 1 avocado sliced

Instructions

• Place the chicken in a large saucepan and cover with water. Place over medium-high heat. Once the water starts to boil, place a lid on the pan, turn the heat down, and cook for 8 minutes. Once the time is up, check the chicken to make sure it is done, then remove it to a cutting board to cool slightly.
  1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Once the chicken has cooled slightly, use 2 forks to shred the chicken finely. (You can also do this with a hand mixer, or even just pull it apart with your hands.)
• In a large bowl, combine the ranch dressing, bbq sauce, and mayonnaise. Mix to combine.
  1/2 cup prepared ranch dressing, 1/2 cup bbq sauce, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• To the sauce, add the shredded chicken, cheddar cheese, and celery. Mix until everything is well combined. Taste, and add salt and pepper, if needed.
  1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup chopped celery, Salt and pepper
• To assemble the sandwiches, add a couple slices of avocado to each croissant. Add some of the chicken salad, then top with 1 1/2 slices of bacon per sandwich.
  8 croissants, 12 slices cooked bacon, 1 avocado

Recipe Notes:

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1sandwich, Calories: 538kcal (27%), Carbohydrates: 37g (12%), Protein: 30g (60%), Fat: 33g (51%), Saturated Fat: 9g (56%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 110mg (37%), Sodium: 954mg (41%), Potassium: 269mg (8%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 11g (12%)

Keywords: bbq chicken salad, bbq ranch chicken salad, chicken salad sandwich