I was lucky enough to get a bunch of fresh broccoli last week, so I wanted to share this super simple salad that I made with it, along with some ideas for variations to use some other things that you might have on hand. There are several ways you can eat this Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Salad, so make sure to scroll down to the “How to Serve” section to see how I ate mine! I seriously gobbled this stuff up in record time, and was immediately wanting more, so I know this is going to be a new regular for me!
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What Kind of “Cooked Chicken” Should I use?
This recipe is pretty flexible and can use just about any type of precooked chicken like rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, or canned chicken breast. If you have raw chicken breast on hand, simply season your chicken with a pinch of salt and cook in a skillet with a touch of oil until the chicken is browned on the outside and cooked through (internal temperature of 165ºF). Let the chicken cool before chopping and adding to the salad.
Can I Use Frozen Broccoli?
This recipe works best with fresh broccoli. Frozen broccoli florets will probably be too wet and soft to achieve the proper texture in this salad.
What Else Can I Add to This Salad?
I kept this salad pretty simple because I’m working with what I have during this lock down, but if you have some of these other ingredients on hand they would be awesome in this Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Salad:
- Cooked bacon or bacon bits
- Sunflower seeds
- Finely diced red onion in place of the green onion
- Shredded Parmesan in place of the cheddar for more of a Caesar salad vibe
- Diced hard boiled egg
- Small shaped cooked pasta like mini shells or orecchiette
When adding additional ingredients, you may need to increase the amount of dressing used to make sure everything is covered.
How to Serve Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Salad
Okay, here’s where it gets fun. I could barely stop forking it into my mouth right out of the bowl, but I also ate it a couple other ways. It’s really good rolled into a tortilla (or pita) as a wrap sandwich, especially with the tomato flavored wraps that I happened to get from Aldi. That tangy flavor was the perfect juxtaposition for the salad. The next day I also made it into a quesadilla by stuffing it inside a regular tortilla and toasting it in a skillet until the inside got warm and the cheese melted. That was so insanely good that I immediately made a second one after I finished the first! And of course you could mix this with some cooked and cooled pasta for a really good pasta salad, as mentioned above.
Love hearty salads? Check out my round up of 19 Refrigerator Salads for Eating Healthy on the Go!
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Salad
Servings 3 about 1 cup eachIngredients
- 1 lb. fresh broccoli (about 2 cups chopped) ($1.89)
- 1 cup chopped cooked chicken* ($1.16)
- 2 oz. cheddar, shredded (about ½ cup) ($1.00)
- 2 green onions, sliced ($0.25)
- 1/3 cup ranch dressing ($0.49)
- freshly cracked pepper to taste ($0.05)
Instructions
- Finely chop the broccoli. It's important that the broccoli pieces be very small. Chop the chicken into small pieces as well.
- Add the broccoli, chopped chicken, shredded cheddar, sliced green onions, and ranch dressing to a large bowl. Stir well until everything is evenly coated in dressing. Add freshly cracked pepper to your liking.
- Serve as is, stuff into a tortilla or pita for a sandwich, or stuff into a tortilla and toast in a skillet until the inside is melted for a quesadilla. Keep any remaining salad refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Salad – Step by Step Photos
Finely chop one pound of fresh broccoli. It’s really important that the broccoli be in tiny pieces, so once you think you’ve chopped it enough, just go ahead and chop it a little more. ;)
You’ll also need about 1 cup of chopped cooked chicken. This can be any type of cooked chicken, like rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, canned chicken breast, or a piece of chicken that you just cook up in a skillet real quick (that’s what I did). Just make sure you let your chicken cool a bit before adding it to the salad. Again, you want the pieces to be pretty small.
You also need two ounces shredded cheddar (about ½ cup) and two sliced green onions.
Add the chopped broccoli, chopped chicken, shredded cheddar, and sliced green onions to a large bowl, then add ⅓ cup ranch dressing.
I used this ranch dressing that I got from Aldi. Another brand that I really like is Ken’s Steakhouse buttermilk ranch. Or you can make your own ranch dressing using my Homemade Ranch Dressing recipe!
Stir until everything is coated really well with the ranch dressing. I also added some freshly cracked black pepper just for an extra kick!
So good as is, or made into a wrap sandwich, quesadilla, or even a pasta salad!
This is so good and so easy! I was able to make it and eat it in my half-hour lunch break at home.
crowd pleaser! Make it all the time.
Loved this. It was so easy. I bought cooked chicken from TJ’s and then also made a mayo aioli instead since I don’t eat cheese or ranch (dairy issues). Turned out great!
I’m not used to eating raw broccoli but I was not cooking tonight. I didn’t have ranch dressing so I used honey balsamic dressing and I seasoned it a bit more. I had mine wrapped. I’m looking forward to tasting this tomorrow after the flavors have a chance to mix some more. Great recipe!
Yu-u-um! I’m eating it right now! I used “too much” broccoli and chicken and didn’t have any ranch, so I concocted a substitute using cottage cheese (about 1/2 cup) blitzed in the blender with a little milk (say, 1/4 cup), a smidge of apple cider vinegar (just shy of a tablespoon), and some ranch seasoning (a tablespoon or so). As a bonus, the cottage cheese adds protein. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back for seconds!
Looks delish
Looks delishlsh
Fist I will try than I can suggestion thanku
Tastes good, but I don’t care for it as a salad. I use as a filling for wrap, lightly toast it in a pan and it’s amazing!
Made the recipe tried and true. It was deliciousI! I also made this kinda like a Waldorf Salad. I added grapes, Granny Smith apples, and pecans. Both times I stuffed the salad in a homemade pita. Next, I think I’ll do it on a bed of greens.
Thank you!
This dish is so unexpectedly delicious. I read the ingredients, read the directions, and thought, “I’ll give shot.”
I COULD EAT THIS EVERY DAY. I may or may not have licked the bowl, who can say?
No alterations. Although, the third time I made it was with “Spicy Ranch” from ALDI (what I had on hand).
Great use of quality canned chicken breast.
I can’t wait for tomorrow’s lunch!! (Because this does get better overnight.)
Another home run from Beth!
So yum! I live in the UK so can’t really buy ranch so I tried a homemade recipe and it was amazing! Never had raw broccoli before but the meal was crunchy, easy and delicious.
Something so simple, but delicious! I air fried some chicken breasts with random seasonings, and I also used a homemade ranch recipe. What a great cheap healthy dinner. I reviewed it on my blog https://tiffsww.blogspot.com
How would this be if I made it the night before? Would it get mushy?
I loved the leftovers of this dish and ate it over the course of a few days. Because the broccoli is raw it stays pretty crunchy!
As salad, I didn’t care for it, but as a wrap / burrito filling, it’s amazing!
I made this with Bolthouse farms yogurt ranch and it was so good in a wrap. I will definitely make it again!
This salad is phenomenal – definitely a regular in our house! I’ve made it with chicken and it’s great, but wanted a vegetarian option so recently subbed a can of chickpeas for protein and added a handful of chow mein noodles for crunch, and it’s AMAZING. So easy and quick to prep, too!
I love that so many Budget Bytes recipes use such simple ingredients. I thought I had “nothing to eat” for dinner, but a little digging in the fridge revealed that I had everything I needed for this recipe! I used red onion instead of green, and I also threw in some pepitas for some extra crunch. I ate it cold right from the bowl and it was delicious!
Even though recipes like this are extremely simple, they’re really helpful for people like me who don’t have a “kitchen intuition” yet. Many other blogs are too complicated for me. Without this recipe, I probably would have eaten plain chicken for dinner, forgotten about the broccoli in the fridge drawer, and thrown out the last bit of onion… As I’ve done many times before. So, thank you for making tasty recipes for “real life”!!
Thanks for being here, Jean! XOXO -Monti
do you think it would be just as good if i used firm tofu instead of chicken? as a vegetarian option
Unfortunately, I don’t think tofu would be a good option for this salad, but chickpeas would probably be great!
Could you use leftover roasted broccoli? I have a bunch and it’s lightly roasted so not mushy, would it hold up?
I definitely think raw works best for this, but I think whether or not it would be good with roasted broccoli just comes down to personal preference.
I made this and used it for a quesadilla filling and it was so delicious, far better then I was expecting. Kids liked it too. Great way to use up some leftover chicken and broccoli that I had on hand.
Uhhhhh……WHY IS THIS SO GOOD?! I can’t understand it. It’s so few ingredients, such simple and fast preparation….and it tastes amazing! Beth, you’ve done it again! I love it when you come up with these super simple recipes that tick all the boxes – healthy, easy, and hold up as leftovers so I can batch cook and eat on it all week. This might be my favorite recipe of yours, I’m so happy I found it.
Haha, I always ask myself the same question!! I’m glad you appreciate these simple “recipes.” as much as I do. Sometimes I hesitate to post them because they don’t feel like real recipes! :P
Great weekday lunch – I didn’t have ranch on hand so I made a quick red wine vinaigrette. Followed the rest of the recipe as-is; I used the frozen Tyson chicken strips and chopped them up into smaller pieces. Loved it!
I first time visiting your website but really your recipes r amazing keep it up
Really good! I made it twice, the first time totally following the recipe. The second time, I used cooked shrimp instead of chicken, added some left over bow tie pasta and used YOUR Creamy Avocado Dressing instead of just ranch. Oh yeah, babeee. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Love this recipe! I used precooked Southwest-style sliced grilled chicken and used a chipotle-style ranch because that is what I had onhand. I also threw in some bacon bits and sunflower seeds. Super tasty and a good, versatile go-to!
I had broccoli, cooked chicken and cheddar on-hand, so this was perfect. When I saw that you don’t cook the broccoli, I feared my husband wouldn’t like it. I was so wrong! He loved it, I loved it, and I foresee a fight over the leftovers. Great recipe!
I made this last night and it is SO simple and delicious! Next time, I’ll add a little bacon and some sunflower seeds. And when I have leftover Caesar dressing, I’ll try it with that instead of Ranch. Thank you, Beth!
I’ve made this twice! Doesn’t matter that it’s so simple- it’s versatile, inexpensive. and mostly nutritious! Chopped raw veg + cooked cubed chicken + cheese + binding sauce = win. My fiance kept packing the first batch for sandwiches. This time, I had a carrot I needed to use, so that went in roughly chopped, and I used a garlic parmesan dressing. We’re moving and it’s summer, so this is great for a cool, quick energy-refill, meal.
Can i su substitute ranch dressing for greek yogurt instead?
I think that would be great!
Yep this was fantastic! I had a giant broccoli crown and my kids decided they don’t like broccoli this week sooooo made this! I didn’t have green onions but it was still great. My husband likes it as it is and I made a quesadilla (with some extra cheese bc I’m part mouse lol). Oh man was that good! Will definitely be making this again and again, and trying different dressings for sure!
This is just such a homerun. I made it for the third time today and all I can think about is when can I get to some leftovers, haha. I was worried I wouldn’t have enough for surprise guests so I added some small pasta like you suggested and it was delicious! I love that a lot of your recipes have space for substitution/variety, it makes me a more confident cook :) I also love to do it with your honey mustard sauce, it balances the salty cheddar super nicely. Will eat this all summer and more!!!
I subbed caesar dressing because I’m not a fan of ranch, but this is absolutely delicious as a wrap and I’ll definitely be making this again!!
Caesar dressing dounds really good too!
Made this tonight and it was so easy/delicious. I used a food processor to break down the stems, used fresh grilled chicken (marinated in Italian dressing and a little mayo). I also used more cheese than recommended and a little less ranch. To make up for that I added some olive oil.
I find I have a bit of trouble digesting completely raw broccoli. I’m wondering if I can briefly cook and blanch it without making it too soft or watery?
Thanks for all your great recipes!
A quick blanch could be okay but not too long as it will get pretty soft.
I always blanch my broccoli for 30 seconds for fresh salads or veggie trays. It brings out the color, removes some of the bitterness of the raw broccoli and still is crunchy. I do drain/dry it well so that I don’t bring extra water into a recipe
My kids are picky about their broccoli, so I’m going to try roasting it tonight since that usually keeps it pretty dry. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Rachel, did you try roasting the broccoli? How did it turn out?
Wow! This one is a keeper. Even with some quarantine kitchen substitutions this is fantastic. I made it with a can of chickpeas as suggested by a previous commenter to keep it vegetarian. Today I added a scoop to my toast and topped with a 6 minute soft boiled egg. Perfect work from home lunch! Thanks for another great versatile recipe!!
I’m a new cook so this is probably a dumb question but is the broccoli supposed to be cooked in any way? You don’t mention it but having raw broccoli seems weird? Is raw broccoli weird?
Hi Vicky! Yes it’s fresh and raw broccoli. Not weird, delicious!
I love Broccoli! And Rolls! It’s an extraordinary idea. I will try it and let you know how it was :)
If you hate food wastage as much as I do, this is a great recipe to use the broccoli stems as well. I use a little hand-powered food processor for this as it’s fast and easy to clean. (this also brings the $ per serving down) Just trim off the gnarly outer bits before running it through the FP.
Also, I didn’t have ranch dressing and I subbed in with cesear and mayo (half and half) and it tasted great. I’m going to try the burrito melt method you suggested too!
Thanks for your great site.
Do you think your homemade ranch dressing would make about the right amount of dressing for this recipe?
Yes the ranch recipe here https://www.budgetbytes.com/homemade-ranch-dressing/ should be more than enough.
Thank you!
Update: I ended up making a vegan version of this last night with soy curls! I soaked the soy curls in vegan chicken broth (better than bouillon has one) and used about 3/4 of a package. I used vegan shredded cheese and vegan ranch dressing, but I also added a little vegan sour cream, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and some seasoning because the vegan ranch alone was a bit bland and lacked tang. It was so delicious! My husband and I ate them in warmed pita bread and both loved it.
I think this would work really well with soy curls as a vegan/vegetarian substitute for the chicken. I am excited to try this, I actually have a bottle of vegan ranch that I need to finish off, so I don’t even need to make that part myself!
Great recipe! I swapped out the chicken for one can of chickpeas to make it vegetarian, and added two hard boiled eggs for more protein. I also used the homemade ranch dressing, which was SO quick and easy, and I felt way better about than store bought stuff. I’ve been eating it wrapped in a tortilla for lunch, and I think it should last me most of the week. Love that this is a hearty, filling salad with comforting flavors that still feels pretty healthy.
So good!! I made it with just canned white chicken breast and it still turned out great! Also just used my Target brand ranch (nothing fancy) and it was still so good (and deceivingly filling!!) You are awesome, Beth!!
Can you freeze this with the ranch dressing?
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this one, sorry!
I’m not a fan of Ranch dressing. Any idea what else could be used? Maybe besides mayo?
You could try a honey mustard sauce Honey Mustard Sauce
We love everything in this salad, EXCEPT the raw broccoli. I always (very quickly) blanch & shock raw broccoli, whenever raw broccoli is called for in a recipe. It’s still almost raw (but not at all cooked). Just enough to get that nasty raw taste out of it. We also add some dried cranberries, and always use a light dressing, sometimes even light Blue Cheese dressing – in which case we leave out the grated Cheddar.
I made this substituting the green onion for a red onion, and using cheddar jack, and it was amazing! I will definitly be making this again.
Recipe shortcut – Using broccoli slaw found in refrigerated section of grocery store. Purchased it on a whim and remembered the recipe was available. Thanks Beth! It is delicious!
This looks so delicious. Yummy
Fabulous! We doubled the recipe and had enough for the two of us to eat leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Also, I left out the green onions and used semi-homemade ranch dressing made with a ranch packet from Aldi instead of a bottle. So delicious!!! We’ll be making this for the next several months!
I got this email yesterday, and have been thinking about it since. Didn’t have any cooked chicken, but I did have leftover turkey tenderloin that I couldn’t turn into another sandwich, but didn’t want to waste. So delicious! Thank you for providing such wonderful recipes with ingredients that we already likely have on hand!
This looks delicious! I cook with a ton of broccoli when it’s in season and cheap in the grocery stores. But at this point in the year, I’m getting a little tired of it and am looking for creative recipe ideas like this to switch it up. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing!
Exceptional! I made it as written, but with lite ranch. I scooped it onto a whole-wheat tortilla, folded the tortilla in half, and baked it for about 10 minutes at 350, until the tortilla began to crisp up. Wow! So tasty! I’ll be making this often!
Super simple and easy to use ingredients that you have on hand (I used your ranch dressing recipe too and it was delicious!) Definitely a good go-to side dish 😁