BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad Cheesecake Factory Copycat Recipe

Better-Than-Restaurant BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad (Copycat)

If you love the BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad from
The Cheesecake Factory
but don’t love the price tag, this homemade copycat version is for you.

This salad delivers everything people crave about the original:
crispy or grilled chicken, smoky BBQ sauce, cool ranch, fresh veggies, and just the right mix of crunch and creaminess — all made at home in under 30 minutes.

Originally published in 2018, this recipe has been refreshed to add clarity, customization options, and helpful tips while keeping the flavors that helped it rank so well.

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad Ingredients

This salad is extremely flexible — you can keep it close to the restaurant version or adapt it to what you have on hand.

• Romaine lettuce or mixed greens
• Corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
• Black beans, rinsed and drained
• Tomatoes or grape tomatoes
• Shredded cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese
• BBQ sauce
• Ranch dressing

Want to level it up? Try homemade sauces:

• 
  Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce Copycat
  
• 
  Homemade Ranch Dressing (Hidden Valley-Style)
  

Best Chicken Options for This Salad

The original Cheesecake Factory salad uses crispy chicken, but both methods work beautifully:

• Crispy chicken – adds crunch and a true restaurant feel
• Grilled chicken – lighter, fresher, and great for meal prep

For extra flavor, we love using this

Cilantro Lime Chicken
. It adds a subtle southwest twist that pairs perfectly with BBQ and ranch.

How to Assemble BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

1. Start with a bed of crisp lettuce.
2. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, and cheese.
3. Top with warm chicken.
4. Drizzle with BBQ sauce and ranch dressing.
5. Finish with tortilla strips, onion rings, or croutons if desired.

Pro tip: Toss the lettuce lightly with ranch first, then drizzle BBQ on top for balanced flavor in every bite.

Serving & Pairing Ideas

This salad is a complete meal on its own — protein, veggies, and bold flavor all in one bowl.

If you want to lean fully into the copycat experience, serve it with dessert:

• 
  Copycat Key Lime Cheesecake
  

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad FAQs

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

Yes — prep all ingredients separately and assemble just before serving for best texture.

Is this salad gluten-free?

It can be. Use gluten-free BBQ sauce and skip breaded chicken or onion rings.

Can I make it healthier?

Absolutely. Use grilled chicken, light ranch, and load up on extra greens.

What’s the closest chicken option to the Cheesecake Factory version?

Crispy chicken strips give the most authentic restaurant-style texture.

More Copycat Recipes You’ll Love

• Homemade Cosmic Brownies
• Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli
• Manwich Sloppy Joes
• Little Caesar’s Crazy Bread
• Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

Cheesecake Factory BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

My delicious variation of The Cheesecake Factory BBQ ranch chicken salad.

5 / 5 ( 4 Reviews )

Print Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Serves: 4

Adjust Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 8 cooked breaded chicken tenders or 4 grilled chicken breasts
• 1 can corn
• 1 can black beans
• ¾ cup shredded cheese
• ½ can olives sliced
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 sliced avocado
• 2 heads Romaine lettuce or your favorite lettuce
• BBQ Sauce Sweet Baby Rays is my favorite
• Ranch Dressing Make my Creamy Cilantro Ranch

Instructions

• Cook chicken.
• Make dressing.
• Shred lettuce.
• Place lettuce on plate and layer with all of your favorite ingredients above corn, beans, cheese, olives, avocado, cilantro, and chicken.
• Drizzle ranch and BBQ sauce on top of salad.
• Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

See Creamy Cilantro Ranch recipe here. 

Nutrition

Calories: 562kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 25g | Sodium: 1037mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 9g