FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook

• What Is A Cobb Salad?
• Why You’ll Love This Cobb Salad Recipe
• Cobb Salad Ingredients
• How To Make A Cobb Salad
• Storage Instructions
• More Easy Meal Salad Recipes
• Recommended Tools
• Cobb Salad Recipe card
• Recipe Reviews

This Cobb salad recipe has always been one of my favorite meals, both at home and at restaurants. It’s flavor packed, nutrient dense, satisfying, and so delicious. With just a few simple ingredients like lettuce, crispy bacon, chunks of tender chicken, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, and tomatoes — all topped off with a creamy Cobb salad dressing — you’ll be ready to serve up this classic main dish in no time!

What Is A Cobb Salad?

Cobb salad is a popular green salad topped with chicken, bacon, hard boiled eggs, avocado, tomatoes, Roquefort cheese, chives, and a Cobb salad dressing (often ranch , blue cheese , balsamic vinaigrette, or honey mustard ). It was invented by Robert Cobb, owner of the Brown Derby Restaurant in Hollywood.

Why You’ll Love This Cobb Salad Recipe

• Wide variety of textures: crisp lettuce, sweet tomatoes, tender chicken, and crispy bacon
• Easy Cobb salad dressing
• Ready in just 10 minutes if you have some staples on hand
• Simple, basic ingredients you probably have on-hand
• Makes an easy, healthy lunch or dinner

I originally created this recipe for my Easy Keto Cookbook , but it’s the perfect healthy meal for anyone, even if you don’t have any dietary restrictions. Cobb salad ingredients are super basic and found at any grocery store (much like chef salad !).

Cobb Salad Ingredients

Here I explain the best cobb salad ingredients, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card .

There are many ways to make a classic Cobb salad, but here is what I put in mine:

• Greens – For this recipe for Cobb salad, I used a combination of romaine lettuce and watercress. Arugula, spinach, kale, iceberg lettuce, and mixed greens are all great options that can be found in most grocery stores.
• Cooked Bacon – I highly recommend baking bacon in the oven , which lets you make a big batch quickly and very consistently. You can also make bacon in the air fryer or microwave , too. Drain on paper towels and then chop or crumble to use in the salad. If you want a healthier bacon alternative, try air fryer turkey bacon . To save time making this recipe, use store-bought bacon bits .
• Cooked Chicken Breast – You can slice baked chicken breasts , make Instant Pot shredded chicken , or even cut the meat from baked chicken drumsticks or your leftover rotisserie chicken.
• Grape Tomatoes – Slice them in half. You could substitute cherry tomatoes, diced tomatoes, or even sun-dried tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes.
• Avocados – You can slice them or dice them. Gently press the top to test ripeness — if it yields slightly, it’s ready to eat.
• Hard Boiled Eggs – Make hard-boiled eggs ahead of time. You can use my perfect boiled eggs method, air fryer hard boiled eggs , or even hard-boil eggs in the oven . Let them cool completely in cold water, then peel and slice or dice them. If you like your yolks more runny, you can make soft boiled eggs instead.
• Roquefort Cheese – You can substitute crumbled Roquefort cheese with other types of blue cheese such as Gorgonzola, Stilton, or Maytag Blue. If you’re not a blue cheese fan, you can omit it, or try feta cheese or goat cheese.
• Chives – Feel free to swap in other herbs and aromatics, such as parsley, green onions, shallots, red onion, or tarragon.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper – To taste.

VARIATION: Add crunch!

If you like a little crunch, add a handful of walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds.

Cobb Salad Dressing Options:

Wondering what the best dressing for Cobb salad is? Traditionally, Cobb salad recipes call for a vinaigrette dressing, but here in Minnesota, it’s usually served with ranch dressing! Choose whatever you like best. Here are a few options:

• Ranch Dressing – This homemade ranch dressing takes just 5 minutes and is good on basically everything. I think it’s key for this salad. It’s pictured in the photos in this post. Store-bought also works.
• Green Goddess Dressing – Fresh, herby, and ready in a flash.
• Honey Mustard – Choose your favorite brand, or use sugar-free honey mustard , which is my favorite dressing ever.
• Blue Cheese Dressing – Make this in just 5 minutes with 5 ingredients. So much better than store-bought dressing.
• Thousand Island Dressing – Just 6 ingredients to make this dressing. Try it on burgers , too.
• Creamy Balsamic Dressing – If you’re interested in a more traditional dressing, this is a great one. Delicious on so many salads.
• Ceasar Dressing – This super creamy dressing can be made in just 5 minutes. Plus, it’s good on everything – not just salad.

How To Make A Cobb Salad

This section shows how to make cobb salad, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card .

1. Mix the salad. In a large bowl, combine romaine lettuce, watercress, bacon, chicken, tomatoes, avocado, hard boiled eggs, Roquefort cheese, and chives.
2. Prep the dressing. If making your own dressing, whisk the Cobb salad dressing ingredients together in a bowl. (I made ranch dressing .)

1. Toss together. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to combine – you can do this right in the bowl, or transfer to individual serving bowls first, before drizzling. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Storage Instructions

• Store: Keep undressed salad components separately in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Avoid slicing avocado until just before serving, so it doesn’t brown.
• Meal prep: All the ingredients can be cooked and/or prepped ahead of time so when it comes time to eat, you can throw this salad together in minutes. In particular, I recommend making hard boiled eggs, bacon, chicken, and dressing ahead of time.

More Easy Meal Salad Recipes

If you like this salad, you might like some of these other healthy salad recipes :

Recommended Tools

• Salad Chopper – This helpful tool gets the job done quickly, just like when you get salads from restaurants.
• Egg Slicer – Easily cut hard boiled eggs — dices, slices, or cuts into wedges.
• Avocado Saver – If you don’t use up all your avocado at once, this will keep the rest from browning. The only method that really works!

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 5 cups Romaine lettuce (chopped) ▢
• 5 cups Watercress (chopped) ▢
• 8 slices Cooked bacon (cut into small pieces or crumbled) ▢
• 12 oz Cooked chicken breast (cut into cubes or shredded) ▢
• 2 cups Grape tomatoes (halved) ▢
• 2 medium Avocados ▢
• 4 large Hard boiled eggs (diced or sliced) ▢
• 1/2 cup Roquefort cheese (crumbled) ▢
• 2 tbsp Chives (finely chopped) ▢
• 1/2 cup Ranch dressing ▢
• Sea salt (to taste) ▢
• Black pepper (to taste) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. If you don’t have pre-cooked chicken, eggs, and bacon, cook baked chicken breast here , easy peel boiled eggs here , and crispy baked bacon here . Shred or dice the chicken, slice the eggs, and crumble the bacon.
2. In a large bowl or on a serving platter, combine all ingredients except dressing, salt and pepper.
3. Add dressing and toss to combine.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 2 cups, or 1/8 entire recipe

📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Easy Keto Cookbook here .

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

Add Your NotesYour Notes

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.

Cobb Salad Recipe

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• The Basic Keto Meal Formula
• Understanding Macros
• Keto Food Swaps
• Keto Food List
• Electrolyte Basics
• Keto Diet Types
• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• Recipe Reviews

Even though I have a great guide to starting a keto diet , people often ask me for a quick keto cheat sheet they can use. That’s why I created this simple keto diet cheat sheet , so that you can have all the info you need handy. We’ll cover the basic keto formula for building meals, foods to eat and to avoid, delicious keto swaps for high-carb foods, electrolyte basics, and 4 ways to follow the keto lifestyle.

You can keep reading to view this info, or download my keto cheat sheet printable pdf to print out or save ad-free on any device (plus the pdf has more details!).

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ foods) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System + EBooks (Only $37)

The Basic Keto Meal Formula

Eating keto doesn’t have to be complicated! While there are plenty of delicious easy keto recipes to choose from, you don’t even have to cook from a recipe to get started.

Simply follow the keto cheat sheet formula of protein + veggie + fat for your meals.

Be sure to choose a moderate amount of protein, only low carb vegetables (mostly ones that grow above ground), and generous fat to attain an optimal macro ratio. That’s approximately 60-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. The table below will give you ideas for what to choose.

Understanding Macros

Macros are macronutrients for short. They include fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You can calculate your own macros using the macro calculator , but the macro keto cheat sheet below will explain how to look at macros when following a keto lifestyle.

Carbs Are A Limit.

Keeping carbs low is what gets you into ketosis and keeps you there. Ketosis means that you’re using fat as your primary energy source instead of sugar, and requires keeping carbs very low.

A good starting point is 20-25 grams net carbs per day, but you can experiment after a few weeks to see if your body stays in ketosis at higher levels. People who are very active may be able to do more and stay in ketosis, up to around 50 grams per day.

“Carbs are a limit” means that you set a limit for how many carbs to eat per day and don’t exceed it. You don’t have to hit that limit, so if you’re under that’s okay, just don’t go over. Ideally most of your carbs would come from low carb vegetables, and if you’re eating enough veggies, you’ll usually get close to the limit naturally.

A common misconception is that reaching ketosis requires a certain macro ratio, but it’s really only restricting your carb intake that gets you there [ * ]. In the absence of sufficient carbs to use as energy, the body will switch to using fat as fuel. This is called the metabolic state of ketosis.

Protein Is A Goal.

Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of all our cells. It’s a crucial for keeping our muscles strong and for many cellular functions [ * ].

“Protein is a goal” means that you always want to eat enough protein to reach the goal each day, but not exceed it too much. You want enough for your needs, but excess protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is protein being converted to sugar [ * ] and can kick you out of ketosis.

Fat Is A Lever.

Fat is the primary macronutrient in a keto lifestyle, because being in ketosis means that fat is your primary fuel source. Fat as a fuel source will come from your food, and if you are losing weight, from your body.

A big advantage of a keto lifestyle is the high fat intake. It keeps you full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to, and using it as the primary fuel source makes it easier on your body to burn body fat, with a lower chance of breaking down your muscle (provided you get enough protein).

Aside from reaching your protein goal and limiting your carbs, the remainder of your calories on a keto diet comes from fat.

Don’t fear fat – it’s your main energy source on keto, and getting enough of it trains your body to use fat for fuel instead of sugar. That means that as long as you are not overdoing your overall calorie intake, you’ll efficiently burn your body fat for fuel as well.

“Fat is a lever” means that you can increase or decrease your fat intake depending on your goals and hunger levels. Increase it (along with exercise) to gain muscle, or decrease it to lose weight.

Keto Food Swaps

One of my favorite challenges is creating recipes, or just discovering, keto food swaps. These are delicious keto replacements for traditionally high-carb or high-sugar foods.

So, I created this keto diet cheat sheet with all the swaps in one place! I also have more keto food swaps in my Easy Keto Cookbook .

Keto Swaps For Breakfast

Keto Swaps For Bread

Keto Swaps For Meals & Side Dishes

Keto Swaps For Snacks & Sauces

Keto Swaps For Cooking & Baking

Keto Swaps For Drinks

If you’re looking specifically for keto alcohol options, browse the full keto alcohol guide .

Keto Food List

When looking for a keto cheat sheet printable, the most-requested information is a keto food list.

The great thing is that keto doesn’t have to feel restrictive. It’s incredibly satisfying and there’s such a wide variety of foods you can eat!

Foods To Eat On Keto

• Leafy greens – Such as spinach, chard, and lettuce.
• Above-ground veggies – Such as peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.
• Full-fat cream & cheese – Such as heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat hard cheeses.
• Natural meats – Such as beef, lamb, and pork.
• Berries – Such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
• Avocados
• Unsweetened nut milks – Such as almond milk and coconut milk.
• Almond flour and coconut flour
• Eggs
• Healthy fats – Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and butter.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

• White flour & sugar
• Rice & grains – Such as barley, wheat, and corn.
• Milk & yogurt – Such as fruit on the bottom yogurt, sweetened Greek yogurt, and all milk.
• Cereal
• Processed food – Such as granola bars, candy
• Most fruit – Such as apples, bananas, and grapes
• Hydrogenated fats – Such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and margarine
• Sweetened beverages & condiments – Such as soda, ketchup, and sweet dressings
• Starchy veggies – Such as peas, carrots, and beets.
• Potatoes – Such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.

That’s the short keto diet cheat sheet version of all the keto food categories, but I recommend downloading the full Keto Cheat Sheet System. It includes a super detailed printable keto food list with over 100 items, including 2 color-coded pages with net carb counts, along with 6 more pages of keto cheat sheets:

Get The Keto Cheat Sheet System PDF (Only $37)

Electrolyte Basics

Getting enough electrolytes is crucial for anyone, but especially so on a keto diet. The reason is that ketosis has a diuretic effect, which increases excretion of water and electrolytes, especially sodium [ * ]. This is often the cause of the keto flu.

For more details on electrolytes and avoiding keto flu, check out the full keto flu guide here .

The important thing to know about electrolytes is that replenishing them will keep keto flu away and keep your body functioning well. I always recommend an electrolyte drink and whole food sources of anything your body needs before resorting to supplements, so I made a list of what to eat to get each of the 3 major electrolytes – sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Here’s your keto diet cheat sheet for getting electrolytes from food:

Keto Diet Types

People follow a keto lifestyle for different reasons. Some do it just to lose weight, others are after better overall health, increased energy, and reduced inflammation.

Strictly speaking, the defining factor of a keto diet is the metabolic state of ketosis, which is achieved by restricting carbs. However, many people (myself included) also reduce or eliminate processed, inflammatory, or low-nutrient foods.

Below is your keto cheat sheet summary of the different ways that people follow keto. You choose what works best for your goals and lifestyle!

• Strict Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, count all calories and macros, and eat clean, unprocessed foods.
• Lazy Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, and track only net carbs OR eat keto foods without tracking.
• Dirty Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, with “if it fits your macros” approach including processed foods.
• Low Carb – Up to 50-100g net carbs daily, less strict.

For a more detailed listing of these different types of keto with pros and cons, grab the Easy Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF below!

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ swaps) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System (75 pages, Only $37!)

Cobb Salad

This easy Cobb salad recipe takes just 10 minutes, with simple ingredients like lettuce, chicken, bacon, tomatoes, avocado & creamy dressing.

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera for the full recipe, including tips, step-by-step photos, and storage, or to save it to your account. You can also find it at: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/cobb-salad-recipe/

Ingredients

• 5 cups Romaine lettuce (chopped)
• 5 cups Watercress (chopped)
• 8 slices Cooked bacon (cut into small pieces or crumbled)
• 12 oz Cooked chicken breast (cut into cubes or shredded)
• 2 cups Grape tomatoes (halved)
• 2 medium Avocados
• 4 large Hard boiled eggs (diced or sliced)
• 1/2 cup Roquefort cheese (crumbled)
• 2 tbsp Chives (finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup Ranch dressing
• Sea salt (to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. If you don’t have pre-cooked chicken, eggs, and bacon, cook baked chicken breast here , easy peel boiled eggs here , and crispy baked bacon here . Shred or dice the chicken, slice the eggs, and crumble the bacon.
2. In a large bowl or on a serving platter, combine all ingredients except dressing, salt and pepper.
3. Add dressing and toss to combine.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 2 cups, or 1/8 entire recipe

📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Easy Keto Cookbook here .

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. :)