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Cobb Salad

A hearty platter layers grilled chicken, bacon, egg, avocado, tomato, and blue cheese over crisp romaine, finished with tangy red-wine vinaigrette.
Composed Cobb salad with chicken, bacon, egg, avocado, tomato, and blue cheese arranged over chopped romaine beside red-wine vinaigrette.

Cobb salad has enough warm, savory toppings to eat as a full meal, while crisp romaine keeps each bite fresh. Lightly dress the greens first and arrange the rest in distinct rows so the platter stays composed from kitchen to table.

Render bacon slowly

Starting bacon in a cold skillet gives the fat time to render before the edges brown. Medium-low heat keeps the slices crisp without scorching, and cooling them on paper towels makes them easier to crumble over the greens.

Cook chicken to a clear cue

Drying the chicken helps it brown on either a grill or in a heavy skillet. Use the thermometer at the thickest center, then rest the meat before slicing so it stays juicy in the salad.

Cooked chicken, bacon, eggs, avocado, tomatoes, blue cheese, romaine, and red-wine vinaigrette are prepared separately for assembly.
Separate bowls of cooked chicken, crisp bacon, eggs, avocado, tomato, and blue cheese wait beside the romaine.

Whisk a sharp, balanced dressing

Red wine vinegar and Dijon give the vinaigrette its tang and body, while minced shallot adds a mild savory note. Whisk the oil in gradually so it lightly clings to the lettuce instead of separating into a slick on the platter.

Keep the platter composed

A lightly dressed bed of romaine anchors the heavier toppings without hiding them. Arrange the chicken, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, avocado, and blue cheese in separate rows, which keeps their colors and textures easy to see.

Close detail of browned chicken, crisp bacon, egg, avocado, tomato, and blue cheese atop lightly dressed chopped romaine.
The finished Cobb shows crisp bacon, sliced chicken, egg, avocado, tomato, and blue cheese in tidy rows over romaine.

Finish just before serving

Dry romaine holds the vinaigrette better and keeps the base from becoming watery. Dress only the greens, add the toppings afterward, and pass the rest of the dressing so the composed arrangement stays intact.

Cobb Salad

4 main-course servings
55 minutes total

Ingredients

  • •  1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • •  1 tbsp olive oil
  • •  1 tsp kosher salt, divided
  • •  1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • •  6 slices thick-cut bacon
  • •  4 large eggs
  • •  2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • •  1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • •  1 small shallot, finely minced
  • •  1/2 tsp honey
  • •  1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • •  2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-size pieces
  • •  1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • •  1 large ripe avocado, diced
  • •  4 oz blue cheese crumbles

Method

  1. Whisk the vinaigrette

    Whisk the red wine vinegar, Dijon, minced shallot, honey, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a bowl. Stream in the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking until the dressing looks lightly thickened; set it aside so the shallot softens.

    Look for: The dressing is lightly thickened and no oil beads remain on top.

  2. Render the bacon

    Lay the bacon in a cold large skillet and set it over medium-low heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until the fat renders and both sides are crisp, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and cool before crumbling.

    Look for: The bacon is browned and crisp rather than dark at the edges, with rendered fat in the skillet.

  3. Cook and cool the eggs

    Put the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, cover, turn off the heat, and stand 10 minutes; move the eggs to cold water until cool, then peel and quarter them.

    Look for: The whites are fully set, and the eggs feel cool before peeling.

  4. Season the chicken

    Pat the chicken breasts very dry so they brown well. Rub them all over with the olive oil, 3/4 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper, coating the thicker ends evenly.

    Look for: The chicken has an even sheen of oil and seasoning, with no wet patches on the surface.

  5. Grill or pan-cook the chicken

    For grilling, heat the grill to medium-high and cook the chicken 5 to 7 minutes per side; for stovetop cooking, heat a heavy skillet over medium-high and cook 5 to 7 minutes per side. In either method, turn once and continue until the thickest center reaches 165 F.

    Look for: The exterior is browned, and an instant-read thermometer reaches 165 F in the thickest center.

  6. Rest and slice the chicken

    Move the cooked chicken to a clean cutting board and rest it for 5 minutes so the juices settle. Slice across the grain into bite-size strips, keeping any collected juices with the meat for the salad.

    Look for: The chicken stays moist when sliced, and the board has no stream of escaping juices.

  7. Prepare the salad base

    Rinse the romaine and dry it thoroughly, then spread it over a large platter. Halve the cherry tomatoes and dice the avocado just before assembly so the cut surfaces stay fresh.

    Look for: The romaine is dry and crisp, with no water collecting on the platter.

  8. Arrange and dress the Cobb

    Toss the romaine on the platter with 2 to 3 tbsp vinaigrette, then arrange the chicken, crumbled bacon, quartered eggs, tomatoes, avocado, and blue cheese in distinct rows over it. Pass the remaining dressing at the table so each portion can be dressed without tossing away the composed presentation.

    Look for: The toppings remain visible in separate rows and the romaine is lightly coated, not pooled with dressing.