This salad! It’s got great texture, crazy good flavor, and a homemade avocado lime ranch dressing that you’ll want to drizzle on everything!
Cobb salad is beloved by many, and for good reason. With all the various ingredients, it ends up being extremely hearty and satisfying. This Mexican-inspired Cobb salad is no different! It’s loaded with soft boiled eggs (which we always prefer to hard boiled eggs), grilled seasoned chicken breasts, crispy bacon, refreshing and juicy tomatoes, fresh avocado, sautéed corn, black beans, and jalapeño, and salty queso fresco.
It’s a lot, but also just enough. When you toss everything together, it is textural heaven. The piece de resistance is our avocado lime ranch dressing! We’re using a whole avocado to make a healthier version of ranch dressing, and it is so creamy you will want to lick the bowl clean. No shame! In addition to the traditional flavors of ranch dressing, we add lots of fresh cilantro to ours, which pairs beautifully with the Mexican-inspired flavors in the salad.
If you’re looking for a salad that is filling enough to serve as an entrée, this Mexican Cobb is for you!
What Is A Cobb Salad?
The Cobb salad dates back to 1937 when the owner of the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant raided the kitchen for dinner late one night. He pulled together a variety of random ingredients left lying around and tossed the whole thing with their house French dressing. Today, a traditional Cobb is made the same way, from a mix of lettuces (iceberg, endive, and watercress), roasted or grilled chicken, crispy bacon, avocado, chopped tomatoes, chives, and Roquefort.
We love the classic — it always hits the spot! — but today we’re excited to share with your our Mexican-inspired version! It all starts with a simple, but delicious homemade ranch dressing.
Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients below. You can 100% prep everything ahead of time and enjoy this for lunch or dinner all week long (just chop avocado and tomatoes fresh to order!).
Ingredients For Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing
- Mayonnaise or sour cream: the creamy base for our dressing, which (along with the buttermilk) provides tang!
- Dried spices: onion powder, garlic powder, dry mustard, Kosher salt, black pepper: These dried spices give creamy ranch dressing it’s unique and recognizable zingy flavor!
- Fresh herbs: chives, dill, parsley, cilantro: To brighten the dressing and give it a vibrant, herby flavor. Chives, dill, and parsley are all classic ingredients of ranch dressing, but the addition of cilantro pairs beautifully with the avocado and other Mexican-inspired flavors of the salad.
- Avocado: Gives the dressing another level of creaminess while simultaneously adding healthy fats that help to keep you full longer.
- Lime juice: To add brightness and fresh acidity. It helps to cut the richness of the otherwise creamy dressing.
- Buttermilk: The quintessential ingredient that gives classic ranch dressing its noticeable tang.
How To Make Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing:
- Make the creamy dressing. Add all dressing ingredients except buttermilk to the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade attachment, then process until very smooth. Scrape down the sides, then process once more.
- Finish with buttermilk. Whisk in the buttermilk, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Store in an airtight container in a refrigerator until needed.
How To Make A Mexican Cobb Salad
If you haven’t already, begin by crisping up some bacon and making soft boiled eggs (aka: 7 minute eggs). We tend to prefer oven baked bacon at a high temp. Usually 400F on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil for 12-17 minutes, depending on thickness. Once cool, crumble bacon and set aside.
- Make the soft boiled eggs. Boil water, add a generous pinch of salt and a splash of white vinegar. Cook eggs for exactly 7 minutes.
- Once cooked, immediately transfer eggs to an ice bath. Cool before peeling!
- Season the chicken. You can let this rest while you grab the other ingredients!
- Sauté the corn and beans. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add corn, drained black beans, jalapeño, remaining cumin, chili powder, and Kosher salt. Cook until corn is tender, but not too soft, about 3-4 minutes. Squeeze half a fresh lime on top.
- Heat a large grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, pour on 1-2 Tbsp olive oil then add chicken. Cook for 5-7 minutes per side, or until an internal temperature of 165 F is reached. Cook time will depend on thickness of the chicken breasts. Let chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing.
- Prepare remaining salad ingredients. Roughly chop or hand rip lettuce into small bite-size pieces. Chop tomatoes into a medium dice, about ½” pieces. Peel and cube the avocado. Crumble the queso fresco into small bite-size pieces. Thinly slice or finely chop cilantro. (You can also leave the leaves whole and just discard stems.)
- Assemble the Mexican Cobb salads. Place a layer of lettuce in a bowl or plate as the base layer of your salad. Starting from the top of the bowl and working your way down in neat lines, layer each prepped ingredient: avocado, sautéed corn and beans, cooked chicken, crumbled bacon, chopped tomatoes, and queso fresco. Add one halved soft boiled egg to each plate, a lime wedge, and some finely chopped cilantro.
- Finish and serve. Drizzle each salad with avocado lime ranch, then top with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
What To Serve With A Mexican Cobb Salad
Not a single thing is needed, unless of course you want to serve it up with a refreshing classic margarita (yes, please — make mine a double!).
Because of how loaded this salad is — avocado! eggs! bacon! chicken! queso fresco! — it will keep you full for a long time, just like our beloved Hangry No More Salad (named aptly for its reputation of filling us up!).
If you’ve got extra avocado lime ranch dressing, we recommend drizzling it on or serving it alongside tacos, quesadillas, pulled pork, rice bowls or any other Mexican-inspired dishes!
Mexican Cobb Salad FAQs:
- Can you make a Cobb salad ahead of time? Yes! Make the dressing up to 3 days in advance, then store in an airtight container in a refrigerator. Each component of the salad can be prepped ahead of time and assembled when ready to eat. We recommend waiting to chop avocado and tomatoes until just before serving so they retain their shape, color, and texture, but everything else is just as good days later.
- Is a Cobb salad gluten free? Yes! No gluten here!
- Can the dressing be made dairy free? While there are absolutely dairy-free yogurts that would make great substitutions for the mayonnaise (or sour cream), replacing buttermilk with a dairy-free option is a bit harder. There are recipes for vegan buttermilk, but personally we have never tried them. If you experiment, let us know what you think!
- What other proteins can I use besides chicken? The possibilities are endless! Salmon, shrimp, or steak would all work well here. Alternatively, the extra crunch from fried chicken would be fantastic! Following a vegetarian lifestyle? Leave the animal protein off entirely — this salad is hearty and filling even without the chicken!
We are so excited for you to try this super satisfying Mexican Cobb Salad! If you give it a try, please let us know by leaving a review or rating below! And let us know how else you use the avocado lime ranch dressing! It’s my new addiction and I can’t wait to serve it over chili and cumin spiced salmon next!
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For more salad recipes, check out the following:
- Couscous Salad with Tarragon Roasted Shrimp
- Greek Salad
- Charred Radicchio Salad
- Fall Cobb Salad
- Goat Cheese Salad with Strawberry Rosé Vinaigrette
- Shredded Brussel Sprouts Salad
Mexican Cobb Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For The Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise or sour cream
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped chives
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped dill
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
- 1 whole avocado ripe, peeled
- 1 lime juiced
- ½ cup buttermilk
For The Salad
- 6 large soft boiled eggs instructions included below
- 1 ½ lb chicken breasts about 2 medium chicken breasts
- 2 tsp chil powder divided
- 2 tsp cumin divided
- 1 tsp Kosher salt divided
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 ears corn kernels removed from the cob, or 1 can sweet corn, drained
- 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans drained
- 1 jalepeño seeded and finely chopped
- ½ lime plus more wedges for serving
- 4-6 cups Lettuce Romaine, iceberg, endive, watercress, or any lettuce you have on hand
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 avocado cubed
- 4 oz Queso fresco
- 6 slices bacon crispy
- Cilantro for serving (or chives)
- Flaky sea salt for serving
Instructions
Make The Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing
- Make the creamy dressing. Add all dressing ingredients except buttermilk to the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade attachment, then process until very smooth. Scrape down the sides, then process once more.
- Finish with buttermilk. Whisk in the buttermilk, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Store in an airtight container in a refrigerator until needed.
Make The Mexican Cobb Salad
- Make the soft boiled eggs. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and a splash of white vinegar. Set a timer for exactly 7 minutes, then carefully lower the eggs into the boiling water.
- Prepare the ice bath. Fill a large mixing bowl with cold water, then add 1 cup of ice cubes. When timer goes off on the eggs, immediately transfer to ice bath. Cool for 10 minutes before gently peeling eggs.
- Season the chicken. Place chicken breasts in a large container or Ziploc bag. Add half of the ground cumin, chili powder, and Kosher salt. Rub marinade on all sides, then let sit while you assemble the rest of the salad.
- Sauté the corn and beans. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add corn, drained black beans, jalapeño, remaining cumin, chili powder, and Kosher salt. Cook until corn is tender, but not too soft, about 3-4 minutes. Squeeze half a fresh lime on top, then stir, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed. Set aside until ready to assemble.
- Cook the chicken. Heat a large grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, pour on 1-2 Tbsp olive oil then add chicken. Cook for 5-7 minutes per side, or until an internal temperature of 165 F is reached. Cook time will depend on thickness of the chicken breasts. Let chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing.
- Prepare remaining salad ingredients. Roughly chop or hand rip lettuce into small bite-size pieces. Chop tomatoes into a medium dice, about ½" pieces. Peel and cube the avocado. Crumble the queso fresco into small bite-size pieces. Thinly slice or finely chop cilantro. (You can also leave the leaves whole and just discard stems.)
- Assemble the Mexican Cobb salads. Place a layer of lettuce in a bowl or plate as the base layer of your salad. Starting from the top of the bowl and working your way down in neat lines, layer each prepped ingredient: avocado, sautéed corn and beans, cooked chicken, crumbled bacon, chopped tomatoes, and queso fresco. Add one halved soft boiled egg to each plate, a lime wedge, and some finely chopped cilantro.
- Finish and serve. Drizzle each salad with avocado lime ranch, then top with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Notes
- Can you make a Cobb salad ahead of time? Yes! Make the dressing up to 3 days in advance, then store in an airtight container in a refrigerator. Each component of the salad can be prepped ahead of time and assembled when ready to eat. We recommend waiting to chop avocado and tomatoes until just before serving so they retain their shape, color, and texture, but everything else is just as good days later.
- What other proteins can I use besides chicken? The possibilities are endless! Salmon, shrimp, or steak would all work well here. Alternatively, the extra crunch from fried chicken would be fantastic! Following a vegetarian lifestyle? Leave the animal protein off entirely — this salad is hearty and filling even without the chicken!
This is a solid recipe, with ample options for customization based on your preferences. I made this as directed for my first iteration, and then made a few adjustments the second time around to suit my preference for more acid and heat. I recommend trialing a few adjustments in your toppings to take this salad from good to fantastic. I have had success with toasted pepitas, quick pickled onions, crushed tortilla chips, subbing cotija for queso fresco, grilled pineapple, quick pickled jalapeños. Thanks for the great salad inspiration Ari!
All sound like great additions! So glad you enjoyed! xo, Ari
I am obsessed with this recipe! It’s so delicious and you don’t need every single ingredient for it to still be great. I like to replace queso fresco with white cheddar and often leave out the jalapeño. The dressing is amazing and really ties it together (I prefer using Mayo over sour cream but they have both worked). My favorite part is using fresh summer corn off the cob! The best!
Had to make minor adjustments to make it non-dairy, but it came out delicious! Easy to put it together and so healthy and satisfying. Thanks!
This one always hits the spot! Glad you were able to adapt it to fit your needs! xo, Ari