Parmesan Crusted Chicken Cobb Salad (Print)

Crispy baked chicken with Parmesan crust atop hearty Cobb salad loaded with fresh vegetables, avocado, bacon, and zesty dressing.

# Components:

→ Parmesan Crusted Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
02 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
03 - 1 cup gluten-free or regular panko breadcrumbs
04 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - 1 teaspoon paprika
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Salad

10 - 6 cups mixed salad greens
11 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
12 - 1 large avocado, sliced
13 - 1 cup cucumber, sliced
14 - 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
15 - 4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
16 - 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
17 - 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

→ Dressing

18 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
19 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
20 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
21 - 1 teaspoon honey
22 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
23 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs. In another bowl, combine Parmesan, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
03 - Dip each chicken thigh into the egg, then coat thoroughly in the Parmesan breadcrumb mixture. Place on prepared baking sheet.
04 - Drizzle olive oil over the coated chicken thighs.
05 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and cooked through with internal temperature of 165°F. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice.
06 - While the chicken bakes, arrange greens on a large platter. Top with tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, eggs, bacon, blue cheese, and red onion in neat rows.
07 - Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
08 - Top the salad with the sliced chicken. Drizzle with dressing just before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The Parmesan crust gets impossibly crispy in the oven without any deep frying mess.
  • It's a complete meal in one bowl, so there's nothing else to fuss with on busy nights.
  • You can prep most components ahead, then assemble when hunger strikes.
02 -
  • If you skip the rest after baking, the chicken stays too hot and cooks the avocado, which is a tragedy in slow motion.
  • Fresh grated Parmesan melts and browns differently than the shredded stuff—it's worth the thirty seconds of effort.
03 -
  • Don't skip the parchment paper—it's the difference between easy cleanup and ten minutes of scrubbing.
  • If your oven runs hot, start checking the chicken at 22 minutes so the crust doesn't burn while the inside's still cooking.
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