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This copycat Panera Green Goddess Salad has everything you love about the original: pan-seared chicken, crispy bacon, hard boiled eggs, pickled onions, and a creamy herb dressing, all in one fresh, filling bowl. It comes together in under 30 minutes and is just as good as the restaurant version.
The Green Goddess Dressing is what makes this salad. My Cobb Salad and Teriyaki Chicken Salad are two more meal-sized salads worth trying.
3 Tips That Really Matter For This Recipe
- Pound the chicken to an even thickness. This helps it cook evenly so you’re not dealing with dry edges and an undercooked center. A quick pass with a meat mallet or rolling pin does the trick.
- Make the dressing and pickled onions ahead. Both keep well in the fridge and take just minutes to prep. Having them ready makes assembly fast when it’s time to eat.
- Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut. If you want to skip the stovetop step, shredded rotisserie chicken works beautifully here and cuts the total time down significantly.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
How to Make Green Goddess Salad
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
The chicken is the only component that requires any cooking. Everything else is just prep and assembly.
Step 1: Prep and Cook the Chicken
Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels, then lightly pound them to an even thickness. This helps them cook evenly all the way through. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes without moving it. You want a good golden sear on the first side.
Flip and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. The outside should be golden and the juices should run clear. Set aside to rest for a few minutes before slicing.
Step 2: Prep the Toppings
While the chicken rests, get everything else ready. Wash and dry your lettuce, slice the grape tomatoes, crumble the bacon, and slice the avocado. Quarter or slice the hard boiled eggs.
- My Pickled Red Onions recipe only takes a few minutes to put together and can be prepped well ahead of time.
For the hard boiled eggs, see my recipe for perfect hard boiled eggs. You can also use the air fryer or Instant Pot to make them in advance.
Step 3: Assemble the Salads
Divide the lettuce among four plates or bowls. Slice the rested chicken and arrange it over the lettuce along with the tomatoes, bacon, eggs, avocado, and pickled onions.
Drizzle generously with Green Goddess Dressing and serve immediately.
Storage Tips
Make Ahead and Storage
This salad is a great candidate for meal prep with a little planning.
Make ahead: Cook the chicken, prep the toppings, and make the dressing up to 2 days in advance. Store everything separately in the fridge and assemble just before serving. The pickled onions can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and stored in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.
Storage: Once dressed and assembled, the salad doesn’t hold well. Dress only what you’ll eat right away and store any leftovers undressed. Chicken and toppings will keep separately in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Avocado: Slice the avocado just before serving to keep it from browning. If you’re prepping ahead, a little squeeze of lemon or lime juice will help slow the oxidation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as the Panera Cobb Salad?
Yes. Panera calls it the Green Goddess Cobb Salad on their menu. This copycat version uses the same core ingredients: chicken, bacon, hard boiled eggs, pickled onions, and green goddess dressing, over a bed of mixed greens.
Can I use rotisserie chicken instead of cooking my own?
Absolutely. Shredded rotisserie chicken is a great time-saver here. Just pull it apart or slice it and add it straight to the salad. It works just as well and cuts the hands-on time significantly.
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Yes, with some prep planning. Cook the chicken, hard boil the eggs, make the dressing, and prep the toppings up to 2 days in advance. Store everything separately and assemble right before eating so the lettuce stays crisp.
What can I use instead of pickled onions?
Thinly sliced raw red onion is the closest swap and works well if you don’t have pickled onions on hand. It has a sharper bite, so use a little less than you would pickled.
More Salads You’ll Love
Panera Green Goddess Salad with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 14 ounces spring mix or romaine lettuce
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 4 hard boiled eggs sliced or quartered
- 2 avocados sliced
- 1 cup pickled red onions
- Panera Green Goddess Dressing see recipe
Instructions
- Pat chicken breasts dry and lightly pound to an even thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 5 to 6 minutes on the first side until golden. Flip and cook 4 to 5 minutes more, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Set aside to rest, then slice.
- While chicken rests, prep the toppings. Halve the tomatoes, crumble the bacon, slice the avocado, and quarter the eggs.
- Divide lettuce among four plates or bowls. Top with sliced chicken, tomatoes, bacon, eggs, avocado, and pickled onions. Drizzle with Green Goddess Dressing and serve immediately.
Notes
- Shortcut: Shredded rotisserie chicken works great here in place of cooking your own. Just slice or pull apart and add straight to the salad.
- Make ahead: Cook the chicken, prep the toppings, and make the dressing up to 2 days in advance. Store separately and assemble just before serving.
- Pickled onions: My Pickled Red Onions recipe is quick to make and keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Raw red onion is a fine substitute in a pinch.
- Avocado: Slice just before serving to prevent browning. A squeeze of lemon or lime juice helps if you’re prepping ahead.
- Storage: Dress only what you’ll eat right away. Store undressed leftovers separately in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Hi! This sounds yummy. I’d like to try the dressing, but the link doesn’t seem to be working 🙁
Hi Cindy, Thanks for the head’s up. There was a snafu with the scheduling but it
s working now. Find it here: Panera Green Goddess Dressing