Cobb Salad

This restaurant-worthy Cobb salad recipe, with crunchy lettuce and deliciously filling toppings, is sure to be a hit on any table. 

What Is a Cobb Salad? 

A Cobb salad is an American dish that consists of lettuce topped with bacon, chicken, boiled eggs, tomatoes, and other ingredients arranged in neat rows. It is traditionally served as a main course. The origins of the classic salad is unclear, but many believe it was created in the late 1930s at the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood. 

What’s In a Cobb Salad? 

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this classic Cobb salad recipe: 

• Meat: This protein-packed Cobb salad calls for both bacon and chicken. 
• Eggs: Boiled eggs lend even more protein to the hearty salad. 
• Lettuce: Iceberg lettuce is the traditional choice for this classic dish. 
• Tomatoes: Chopped tomatoes lend flavor and color. 
• Blue cheese: Crumbled blue cheese takes the flavor up a notch. 
• Green onions: If you prefer a stronger flavor, use a red onion. 
• Avocado: Cubed avocados make this salad even more filling.  
• Dressing: Use store-bought ranch dressing or make your own at home. 

How to Make a Cobb Salad

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make Cobb salad: 

1. Boil, peel, and chop the eggs. 
2. Cook, drain, and crumble the bacon. 
3. Assemble the salad. 
4. Drizzle with dressing before serving. 

Test Kitchen Tips

“This is a salad that can double as a full meal,” according to Nicole McLaughlin (a.k.a. NicoleMcMom). Here are some of Nicole’s best tips and tips for making a perfect cobb salad: 

• “What I love about iceberg lettuce is that it’s cold and crunchy,” she says. “If you want something a little more nutrient dense, you can mix iceberg with romaine or something like that.”
• Nicole pan-seared her chicken on the stove, but you can use rotisserie chicken for a weeknight shortcut. 
• Avocados have a tendency to brown quickly, so Nicole recommends squeezing fresh lemon juice on your cubed avocado to keep it nice and green. “That’s also going to add some good flavor,” she says. 

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

“Love this salad,” says Dawn Blais. “Sometimes I use peppercorn ranch and sometimes blue cheese with the blue cheese crumbles. Extra bacon is always good!”

“I used blue cheese dressing instead of ranch as a personal preference,” according to Jennifer Scherping. “I also used Bibb lettuce as it's what I had on hand. It makes a pretty salad that is nutritious and delicious.”

“So good,” raves Allrecipes Allstar Kim's Cooking Now. “I made this as a side dish to go with some tilapia (so I skipped the chicken). I may add some diced chicken to the leftovers for my lunch tomorrow.”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams