BLT Salad

BLT salad is fresh, crunchy, creamy, and packed with the flavors that make a classic BLT sandwich so good. Crisp romaine, crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, avocado, and ranch dressing come together in an easy salad recipe that works for lunch, dinner, or a simple side. 

This salad comes together fast and is easy to make your own. Add chopped air fryer chicken breast or sliced Cilantro Lime Chicken to turn it into a more filling BLT chicken salad. Or, use your favorite ranch dressing or Greek yogurt ranch dressing to change up the finish. 

Why You’ll Want to Make This BLT Salad

• It has the flavors you expect: You still get the crispy bacon, fresh lettuce, and juicy tomatoes that make a BLT so good, with avocado adding a creamy finish.
• It’s easy to throw together: Since this recipe is mostly assembly, it works well for a quick lunch, an easy side, or a low-effort dinner.
• It’s easy to make your own: Keep it simple, add chicken, or use the ranch dressing you like best.
• It works for different meals: Serve it as a side dish, a light lunch, or a hearty dinner salad with chicken. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

Grab the exact ingredient amounts from the recipe card, but these are the ingredients that make this BLT salad work so well.

• Romaine lettuce: A bag of chopped romaine keeps this easy and gives the salad the crisp texture that works so well with the bacon and tomatoes. Besides this, a good leafy green lettuce will work.
• Bacon: Cook it until crisp so it adds smoky flavor and the crunch that makes this feel true to a BLT. If you want an easy method, use air fryer bacon or air fryer turkey bacon recipes.
• Cherry tomatoes: These add the juicy tomato flavor you want without making the salad watery.
• Red onion: Thin slices or a small dice add a little bite and help balance the richness of the bacon and avocado.
• Avocado: Use a ripe avocado and add it right before serving so it stays fresh and creamy.
• Ranch dressing: Ranch works so well because it adds creaminess and tang that work well with the bacon, tomatoes, and avocado. Use your favorite ranch dressing, cottage cheese ranch dressing, or Greek yogurt ranch dressing. 

How to Make This BLT Salad

Build the salad

Add the romaine lettuce to a large serving bowl or individual bowls. Top it with the cooked bacon, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and avocado.

Finish with dressing

Drizzle the ranch dressing over the salad right before serving, then toss lightly or leave it layered and serve it as-is. It doesn’t need much more than that. 

How to Turn It Into BLT Chicken Salad

If you want to make this more filling, add cooked chicken on top. It keeps the same bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and ranch combination, but turns it into something hearty enough to stand on its own for lunch or dinner.

Some recipes that I’d use are chopped blackened chicken, cast iron chicken, air fryer boneless chicken thighs, or air fryer chicken breast. You can also use air fryer buffalo chicken breast for a spicier option. Each one works well here, so you can use the chicken recipe that fits how you want to cook. Add the chicken warm or at room temperature right before serving. That way the lettuce stays crisp, the avocado stays fresh, and the salad still feels light even though it is more filling. 

The Best Ranch Options for This Salad

This salad is especially good with ranch because the creamy, tangy flavor works so well with the bacon, tomatoes, and avocado. You can use any that you prefer, but here are my recipes:

• Ranch dressing: A classic choice that gives the salad the flavor most people expect.
• Cottage cheese ranch dressing: A thicker, creamy option with a little more body and protein. I prefer to make just enough of this dressing to serve since the next day it thickens like a dip.
• Greek yogurt ranch dressing: A tangy option that still gives you that ranch flavor with a slightly lighter feel.

Tips That Help This Salad Turn Out Better

• Use crisp romaine: Romaine gives this salad the crunch that makes it feel closest to a BLT.
• Cook the bacon until crisp: Crispy bacon gives the best texture and keeps the salad from feeling chewy.
• Add the avocado right before serving: That helps it stay fresh and keeps it from getting mashed into the salad.
• Use ripe, firm tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are a good fit here because they are easy to prep and less watery than larger tomatoes.
• Dress it right before serving: This keeps the lettuce crisp instead of soggy.
• Add chicken when you want it to feel like dinner: This is one of the easiest ways to turn it into a full meal. 

Easy Swaps for What You Have On Hand

• Use turkey bacon: This is an easy swap if that is what you keep on hand, and it still gives you that smoky BLT-style flavor.
• Use spring mix if needed: Romaine is my first choice for the crunch, but spring mix can work if that is what you already have.
• Choose the ranch you like best: Classic ranch, cottage cheese ranch, and Greek yogurt ranch all work here.
• Add chicken on top: Chopped cooked chicken turns this into a hearty BLT chicken salad.
• Skip the avocado if needed: It adds creaminess, but the salad still works without it if you do not have one ready. 

If BLT Flavors Are Always a Win at Your House

My BLT Dip is another easy recipe to try when you want those same flavors in a completely different form. As I mentioned above, my crispy air fryer bacon and air fried turkey bacon recipes are helpful to make for this dish too!

FAQs

Storage

Store the chopped lettuce, bacon, tomatoes, onion, avocado, and dressing separately when possible for the best texture. Once dressed, this salad is best eaten right away. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 1 day. The avocado and lettuce will soften over time.