Wendy’s BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad Recipe

There’s something magical about Wendy’s BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad that keeps me coming back every time it appears on their menu. The combination of tender grilled chicken, smoky, blackened corn, crispy bacon, and signature honey BBQ glaze creates a perfect balance of flavors and textures that transforms a simple salad into a satisfying meal. Unfortunately, this fan favorite tends to disappear and reappear on Wendy’s menu, leaving loyal customers like me craving it during its absence.

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Why This Recipe Works

The secret lies in layering complementary flavors and textures: smoky blackened corn provides sweetness and char, crispy bacon adds saltiness and crunch. At the same time, the dual-sauce approach creates complexity with honey BBQ glaze on the salad and BBQ ranch for dipping. Using quality grilled chicken and fresh vegetables elevates this beyond typical fast-food salads while maintaining that signature Wendy’s taste profile.

How to Make a Wendy’s Salad at Home

My favorite Wendy’s salad is the BBQ ranch chicken salad. Sometimes they discontinue it, and sometimes they bring it back. No matter what they decide, I can eat it all the time when I make it at home.

While this salad requires some extra preparation, it’s delicious and will make a great addition to your meal plan! It’s also an excellent way to use up leftover grilled chicken. You may like it so much that you plan on grilling extra to ensure leftovers for this salad!

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad Ingredients

Here’s what I used to make my salad. It tastes just like Wendy’s salad.

Main Salad Ingredients

• Grilled chicken breast – Provides lean protein base and absorbs flavors beautifully
• Mixed lettuce greens – Create fresh, crisp foundation for substantial toppings
• Fresh corn kernels – Deliver natural sweetness when blackened for smoky flavor
• Crispy bacon – Adds essential saltiness and satisfying crunch element
• Vine-ripened tomatoes – Contribute juicy freshness and vibrant color contrast
• Sharp cheddar cheese – Provides rich, tangy flavor that complements BBQ elements

BBQ Ranch Dressing Components

• Honey – Creates sweet base for BBQ glaze and balances smoky flavors
• BBQ sauce – Forms foundation for both glaze and ranch combination
• Ranch dressing – Adds creamy coolness that tempers BBQ intensity

Other Veggies to Add to Your Salad

I love making my own salads because they are so easy to customize. With just a few ingredient swaps, you can make the same salad taste and look different.

Try adding some of these veggies in for a little different variation and taste:

• Avocados
• Cucumbers
• Green peppers
• Carrots
• Red onions

How to Make BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

1. Cook the corn in a skillet over medium-high until it begins to blacken.
2. If your chicken isn’t already cooked, season it with salt and pepper and cook it in the same skillet with little oil.
3. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
4. Place the salad greens in a bowl.
5. Place chicken, corn, tomatoes, and bacon on top of the salad greens.
6. Mix honey with a tablespoon of BBQ sauce and drizzle it over the salad.
7. Combine BBQ sauce with ranch dressing and serve it with the salad.

What do you eat with chicken salad?

This is an entire meal all on its own. It’s an incredibly filling recipe. But if you still want something on the side, serve it with a cup of fresh fruit.

This will also taste delicious with some french fries or a bowl of soup.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

• Component Storage: Store salad components separately in refrigerator for up to 3 days for best quality and texture.
• Assembly Method: Combine fresh ingredients just before serving to maintain crispness and prevent soggy lettuce.
• Leftover Management: Cooked chicken and corn can be stored together and used within 2-3 days for optimal food safety.

Do you love Wendy’s? Try these copycat recipes!

• Wendy’s Baconator
• Wendy’s Breakfast Baconator
• Wendy’s Chili
• Wendy’s Fondue Fries
• Wendy’s Summer Berry Chicken Salad
• Wendy’s Taco Salad

Popular Salad Recipes

• Apple Pecan Salad
• Applebees Oriental Chicken Salad
• Grape Salad
• Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad
• Olive Garden Salad
• Thai Noodle Salad
• Waldorf Salad

Check out my easy salad recipes and the best fast food recipes here on CopyKat!

Wendy’s BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad – Copycat Recipe

Recreate Wendy's famous BBQ ranch chicken salad at home! Grilled chicken, blackened corn, bacon, and honey BBQ glaze over fresh greens. Perfect!

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad, Wendy’s Salad

Prep Time: 8 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes minutes

Servings: 1

Calories: 828kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

• 4-5 slices grilled chicken (you can find this in the freezer section at the grocery store or use leftovers) or a grilled chicken breast
• 1/4 cup corn kernels, drained
• 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 slices Applewood smoked bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
• 2 tablespoons creamy ranch dressing (Marzetti® brand recommended)
• 4 cups salad greens – ideally a mix of iceberg and romaine

Instructions

• In an iron skillet, cook the corn over medium-high until it begins to blacken. Be careful as this will happen quickly and you don’t want it to burn.
• Remove the corn from skillet.
• If your chicken isn’t already cooked, turn the heat to medium and add 1 teaspoon olive oil in the same skillet.
• Sprinkle your chicken with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
• Cook chicken on one side in the skillet until edges are opaque, about 7-10 minutes.
• Turn the chicken over. Cover and cook about 10 minutes more or until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes.
• Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
• Place the salad greens in a bowl.
• Top the salad greens with chicken, corn, tomatoes, and bacon.
• Mix the honey with 1 tablespoon of the BBQ sauce and drizzle it over the salad.
• Blend the remaining BBQ sauce with the ranch dressing and serve it with the salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 828kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 1198mg | Potassium: 854mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 2375IU | Vitamin C: 47.7mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 3mg