Summertime is perfect for breaking out the grill and enjoying some delicious BBQ recipes. This BBQ salad recipe is great for a light and healthy meal. It’s also an excellent way to use up any leftover grilled meat, ensuring nothing goes to waste. With endless possibilities for variations, you can create a delicious and unique BBQ salad that’s perfect for any occasion.
Table of Contents
Preparing Your BBQ Salad Ingredients
The most important thing after the BBQ is to allow the meat to cool to room temperature before placing it in the fridge. Sometimes there may be leftover salad ingredients from the barbecue itself, which can be used for the recipe, but it’s always advisable to add some fresh ingredients to make the BBQ salad more exciting.
BBQ Salad Recipe
Using a mixture of meats makes the salad more interesting. Meat previously marinated is absolutely fine – the smokier and more barbecue flavored, the better!
- 2 handfuls of leftover mixed BBQ meat, such as beef steak, chicken, or pork
- 4 handfuls of mixed salad leaves, including peppery rocket or watercress
- 1 small can of sweet corn, drained
- 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
- 1 small pack of croutons, white or wholemeal
- Creamy blue cheese dressing
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cut the leftover barbecue meat into even 1 cm cubes. Wash and dry the salad leaves and mix them in a large bowl with the meat, sweet corn, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Pour the croutons on top and toss well, adding a generous quantity of dressing. Serve immediately.
BBQ Salad Variations
A BBQ salad is best enjoyed when the meat is moistened with a creamy dressing, which will have dried out a little overnight. Blue cheese is ideal, but the garlicky ranch-style dressing is a good alternative for those who dislike the flavor, as is mayonnaise or Thousand Island dressing. Sweet corn is the essential ingredient in this salad to add sweetness, texture, and color. Other good additions are grated carrot or cubed, cooked beetroot.
The croutons add a fantastic crunch to the salad and turn it into a more substantial meal. Other delicious crunchy additions to this salad include crispy onions, available in tubs in supermarkets, or crunchy bacon bits. Those adding the latter may wish to leave out the salt.
Finally, small dice of lightly flavored cheese can be added to the salad if desired – but nothing too strong as it could overpower the flavor of the smoky barbecue meat.
Conclusion
Whichever variation the cook prefers, BBQ salad is a great way of using up leftovers and a most enjoyable main course salad. The combination of flavors, textures, and colors makes this dish perfect for any summer gathering, picnic, or weekday lunch. So, the next time you have some leftover grilled meat, give this BBQ salad recipe a try and create a delicious, resourceful meal everyone will love.
