Chef Salad Recipe
Enjoy a Chef salad that’s piled high with turkey, ham, cheese, boiled egg, and veggies on top of a bed of chopped romaine lettuce. It’s a low-maintenance dish you will love any time of year but especially in the summer when you simply can’t stand to cook. Enjoy it for lunch or serve it up as a side dish for a cookout, BBQ, or family dinner.
Don’t forget the dressing! This salad goes great with my Homemade Ranch Dressing or my Easy Blue Cheese Dressing recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Chef Salad!
- Perfect for the summer! If the heat’s got you down, this no-cook salad is a true winner!
- Quick and easy. This Chef salad requires minimal prep making it perfect for a meal when you’re short on time.
- Make ahead. Chop up all your ingredients so you can quickly assemble them for a working lunch.
- Versatile salad. It’s hearty enough for a main meal but also makes a tasty side dish everyone will love.
- A family-style salad that works great for a crowd. But also suitable for just the family.
Ingredients
This Chef salad recipe relies on prepared ingredients and those that require very little prep making this a salad perfect for anyone who needs a quick and easy salad for meals. Here is a look at the highlights but be sure to check the recipe card for the full list and quantities.
- Romaine lettuce: Perfectly crunchy and makes a great base to hold up all the delicious toppings on your Chef Salad.
- Ham: Use cooked and diced ham to keep things simple. You can also use leftover ham from Sunday dinner too.
- Turkey: Use your favorite brand of deli turkey or this salad makes a great way to use up leftover turkey.
- Colby Jack Cheese: Get the block cheese so you can dice it up similar to the ham and turkey.
- Bacon: Use your favorite bacon and make sure to cook it until crisp.
- Hard-cooked eggs: For ease, buy these already cooked or you can make your own hard-boiled eggs in the air fryer.
- Tomatoes: Use grape or cherry tomatoes which require very little prep.
- Celery: Gives your salad a nice bit of crunch.
Tips & Variations
- Use a crispy lettuce or greens. You need one that can really stand up to the heaviness of the meats and cheese that top this salad. That’s why I recommend romaine lettuce but you could also use iceberg lettuce or even kale.
- Use a different cheese. I like the color of using the marbled Colby Jack but you can use any block cheese. Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, and blue cheese crumbles are other great options.
- Swap out the meat. While turkey and ham are classic you can also use diced or shredded chicken or roast beef.
- Add some croutons, nuts, or seeds to the top. These make a nice crunchy addition to the top.
- Make sure to dry your lettuce. Nothing ruins a salad more than too much liquid which waters down the dressing. Your best bet is to use a salad spinner to remove as much water as possible.
How To Make A Chef’s Salad
Once you’ve got all your ingredients together and prepped, it’s time to assemble your Chef’s salad!
- Arrange. The lettuce on a platter.
- Add. The ham and turkey on top in separate rows over the top of the salad.
- Place. The diced cheese and crispy bacon in rows next to the meat.
- Top. The last open area with the halves of boiled eggs, grape tomatoes, and celery.
What To Serve With A Chef Salad
Your Chef salad makes a great side dish for a whole range of main courses but it’s hearty enough to enjoy on its own too! Here are some of our favorite ways to serve it.
- Meat and Seafood: It goes great with Air Fryer Chicken, Hamburgers, Steak, Pulled Pork Sliders, Ranch Chicken, Shrimp, Salmon, and Fish Sticks.
- Pasta: This salad makes an easy side for all types of pasta dishes including Spaghetti Casserole, Chicken Pot Pie Casserole, Chicken Alfredo Bake, Goulash, Taco Lasagna, Lasagna Soup, Chili Mac, and Baked Feta Pasta.
- Dressings: Serve it up with your favorite dressings but Ranch Dressing and Blue Cheese Dressing are classic and popular options.
- Dessert: Need a little indulgence? Try this Pineapple Cobbler, Strawberry Shortcake Cups, Strawberry Pie, and Orange Creamsicle Cookies.
Recipe FAQ
Usually served as an entree salad, it’s made with a variety of chopped meats and cheese, thinly sliced veggies, and hard-cooked eggs. There’s lots of variety with how it’s served and the recipe is flexible making it great to use up ingredients you might already have on hand.
These two salads look a lot alike but they are made with different ingredients. A cobb salad is made with diced cooked chicken breast, avocado, bacon, chopped egg, tomatoes, and blue cheese. On the other hand, a chef’s salad is made with chopped deli meats, cheese, boiled eggs, bacon, and thinly sliced vegetables.
Storing
- Store. Your salad in the fridge for up to three days. The longer it sits the lettuce will likely get quite soggy. You can keep the toppings separate from the lettuce if possible to extend the shelf-life. Don’t try to freeze your leftovers.
More Salad Recipes
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Chef Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 8-oz pkg diced cooked ham, drained
- 1 cup chopped cooked turkey
- 1 cup cubed colby-Jack cheese
- 4 slices fully cooked bacon, chopped
- 1 2-count pkg hard-cooked eggs, halved
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup sliced celery
Instructions
- Arrange lettuce on a platter. Top with ham, turkey, cheese, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, and celery. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Notes
- Use a crispy lettuce or greens. You need one that can really stand up to the heaviness of the meats and cheese that top this salad. That’s why I recommend romaine lettuce but you could also use iceberg lettuce or even kale.
- Use a different cheese. I like the color of using the marbled Colby Jack but you can use any block cheese. Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, and blue cheese crumbles are other great options.
- Swap out the meat. While turkey and ham are classic you can also use diced or shredded chicken or roast beef.
- Add some croutons, nuts, or seeds to the top. These make a nice crunchy addition to the top.
- Make sure to dry your lettuce. Nothing ruins a salad more than too much liquid which waters down the dressing. Your best bet is to use a salad spinner to remove as much water as possible.
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