This chef salad recipe is a cool, filling meal that comes together in just 20 minutes. Crisp lettuce is loaded with ham, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, fresh veggies, and crunchy croutons, and most of the ingredients can be prepped ahead to make serving even easier.
I like to arrange the toppings in sections instead of tossing everything together. The rows stay neat, make the salad look great on the table, and let everyone skip the ingredients they don’t want. Which is always helpful with picky eaters!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Chef salad is easy to adapt for a quick family dinner, weekday meal prep, or a build-your-own salad bar.
- Hearty enough to serve as a complete meal.
- Easy to customize with your favorite meats, cheeses, veggies, and dressing.
- A great way to use deli meat, cooked chicken, or produce already in the fridge.
- Simple to scale up when you’re feeding a crowd.
- The undressed ingredients can be prepared ahead and assembled when you’re ready to eat or used for meal prep.
Ingredients
Lettuce: Romaine gives the salad structure, while iceberg adds extra crunch. Chop both into bite-sized pieces so the salad is easy to eat. You can also use all romaine or all iceberg if that’s what you have.
Veggies: Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion add freshness, color, and crunch. Grape tomatoes work just as well in place of cherry tomatoes.
Protein: Bacon, deli ham, hard-boiled eggs, and cheddar make this salad filling enough for a meal. Turkey can replace the ham, and Swiss or Gouda are good substitutes for cheddar.
Croutons: Use store-bought or homemade croutons and add them shortly before serving so they stay crunchy.
The Best Dressing for Chef Salad
The right dressing depends on whether you want something creamy, tangy, or slightly sweet:
- Homemade Ranch Dressing is my first choice for a classic chef salad. Its creamy, herby flavor pairs well with the bacon, ham, eggs, and cheddar.
- Quick and Easy Italian Dressing adds plenty of tang and helps balance the richer meats and cheese.
- Poppy Seed Dressing has a sweet and tangy flavor that works especially well with the fresh tomatoes and cucumber.
- Blue Cheese Dressing is a bolder creamy option with a sharp, savory flavor that pairs especially well with the bacon, ham, and tomatoes.
For the full salad, start with 1/4 cup of dressing and gently toss to coat. Add more one tablespoon at a time if needed. If everyone prefers something different – or you’re prepping the salad ahead – serve the dressing on the side.
How to Make a Chef Salad
STEP ONE: Make sure the washed lettuce is completely dry so the dressing will cling instead of collecting at the bottom of the bowl. Chop everything into bite-sized pieces, and let the cooked bacon cool before adding it.
STEP TWO: Spread the lettuce in a wide serving bowl, then arrange the meat, cheese, and vegetables in rows or sections across the top. Add the quartered eggs last to keep the yolks intact, and save the croutons until just before serving so they stay crunchy.
STEP THREE: Start with 1/4 cup of dressing and gently toss from the bottom until the leaves look lightly coated and glossy. Add more dressing as needed, or leave the salad undressed and let everyone choose their own at the table.
Tips for Success
These simple tips will help keep your chef salad fresh, crisp, and easy to eat.
- Save time by making the hard-boiled eggs ahead or buying cooked and peeled eggs at the store.
- If you cut the eggs into quarters, I recommend waiting to add them until you serve the salad. That way, they look nice and pretty on top. You can chop the eggs and toss them with the other salad ingredients if you prefer.
- Try other toppings, such as turkey, grated carrots, green onions, avocado, pepperoncini peppers, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, broccoli, and blue cheese crumbles!
- Ripe tomatoes are awesome in the summer months, but for the best flavor in the winter, try grape tomatoes.
- For a gorgeous presentation, chop each veggie differently – Julienne, diced, crinkle cut, etc.- but keep everything bite-sized.
FAQ
What’s the difference between a chef salad and a Cobb salad?
Chef salad usually includes deli meats, sliced cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and fresh vegetables. Cobb salad traditionally uses chicken, bacon, avocado, blue cheese, eggs, and tomatoes. Chef salad is more flexible, so the meats, cheese, vegetables, and dressing can change based on what you have. For this recipe, I chose ham because it’s an easy, ready-to-use protein and bacon for extra salty crunch.
What kind of ham is best for chef salad?
Thick-cut deli ham works best because it can be sliced into strips without falling apart or getting lost in the salad. Leftover baked ham is also a great option—just cut it into small cubes.
How many people does this salad serve?
This recipe makes 4 generous main-dish servings. If you’re serving it alongside soup, sandwiches, or another entrée, it can stretch to about 6 smaller portions.
What can I serve with chef salad?
Chef salad is filling enough to serve on its own, but cheesy garlic bread, dinner rolls, fresh fruit, or a cup of soup are easy additions when you want to round out the meal.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make ahead: You can prep the salad ingredients up to 3 days ahead of time and store them in the fridge in airtight containers.
For easy grab-and-go meal prep: Divide the lettuce, meats, cheese, eggs, and veggies among individual airtight containers. Pour the dressing into small cups with lids, and keep the croutons separate. I use a second small cup or a snack-size food storage bag. Add both right before eating so every bite stays fresh and crunchy.
Storing leftovers: Pop any leftover chef salad into an airtight container and refrigerate it within 2 hours. An undressed salad will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days. If the salad has already been tossed with dressing, try to eat it within 24 hours before the lettuce and croutons get too soft.
Chef Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon diced
- 1 small head romaine lettuce chopped
- ¼ head iceberg lettuce chopped
- 4 hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters lengthwise
- 1 cup deli-style ham cut into strips
- 4 slices cheddar cheese cut into strips
- ½ pound cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ small red onion peeled and diced
- ½ cucumber peeled and chopped
- ½ cup croutons
- ¼ cup salad dressing plus more as needed
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium heat. Cook 6 slices bacon until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- While the bacon cooks, start prepping the toppings. Then, place 1 small head romaine lettuce and ¼ head iceberg lettuce into a large salad bowl. Top with the bacon, 4 hard-boiled eggs, 1 cup deli-style ham, 4 slices cheddar cheese, ½ pound cherry tomatoes, ½ small red onion, ½ cucumber, and½ cup croutons.
- Pour ¼ cup salad dressing over the bowl and gently toss to coat. You can also toss the salad, plate it, and then let everyone add their preferred dressing.
Notes
- Nutritional information does not include salad dressing. Check the dressing label or recipe for additional nutrition details.
- Hard-boiled eggs can be made ahead or purchased cooked and peeled to save time.
- For meal prep, store the dressing and croutons separately and add them right before eating.
Nutrition
More Easy Salad Recipes
These fresh and filling salads are perfect for everything from quick lunches to easy family dinners.
- Salmon Salad
- Easy Wedge Salad
- BLT Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad
- Turkey Taco Salad
- Chicken Caesar Salad
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