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Enjoy Paleo AIP BBQ Chicken Salad Bowl year round, or celebrate outdoor BBQs and potluck flavors with this salad each summer. A great main dish full of flavor and nutrition, this Paleo AIP main dish is also nightshade free.
AIP BBQ Sauce is a nightshade-free revelation!
And the salad — enjoy roasted veggies, vibrant romaine lettuce, cauliflower rice, probiotic dill pickles and avocado, topped with homemade BBQ shredded chicken!
This salad bowl is Gluten-free, Paleo, AIP and GAPS-compliant, with a savory-tart-sweet BBQ sauce that’s beyond delicious!
Jump to Recipe
Ingredients in Paleo AIP BBQ Chicken Salad
About six main ingredients make this salad:
- Nightshade-free BBQ Sauce — scrumptious and full of gentle fiber
- chicken — This can be leftover chicken (any cut), or make Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs for the easiest prep.
- root veggies or winter squash for roasting: Choose between sweet potatoes, winter squash and rutabaga.
- beets
- avocado
- romaine lettuce
Every ingredient is nutrient dense AND delicious, just like Paleo, AIP and GAPS are intended to be.
Optional toppings
After the initial six, it’s fun to also add a few garnishes that make this recipe even yummier, all of which take no or little prep:
- probiotic dill pickles
- plantain chips
- fresh cilantro
- sliced radishes
Make ahead meal prep option
If you enjoy the convenience of meal planning and batch cooking, you can prep the veggies that get roasted a day or two ahead. 
Also cook the chicken up to several days ahead, or use leftover chicken.
Make the BBQ sauce up to 5 days ahead.
See the photo above of my shredded chicken, cubed yellow beets and cubed sweet potatoes, which I prepped the day before — which makes this dinner come together very quickly and with ease.
BBQ Chicken Salad Bowl
Variations
Make this dish just a bowl or just a salad if you like. Easily leave off the lettuce and serve everything hot for a nourishing, warming bowl.
Or, in warmer months, pile the lettuce underneath and emphasize the salad with all the cold toppings: the BBQ chicken salad can be served cold, with lots of avocado, dill pickle slices, and cold cooked beets fanned to one side.
BBQ Chicken Salad Bowl (Paleo & AIP)
Equipment
- oven
Ingredients
- 2 cups Nightshade-free BBQ sauce see BBQ Sauce recipe just below
- 2 pounds chicken thighs cooked: Quick Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs, or use leftover chicken
- 2 large sweet potatoes or 5-6 small, peeled and cut into 3/4" bite-size cubes; use winter squash for GAPS; or choose rutabaga
- 2 large beets yellow, peeled and in 3/4" cubes, or 1 large head cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil or preferred fat of choice such as avocado oil or melted lard
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar optional, omit for GAPS
- 1 large head romaine lettuce or 2 small heads, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 to 2 whole avocados chopped
- 3 cups cauliflower rice , cooked
- 1 cup fresh cilantro and/or sliced radishes optional for garnish
- optional probiotic dill pickles and plantain chips for garnish
Nightshade-free BBQ Sauce (can be made ahead for quick assembly of dinner)
- 4 whole carrots roughly chopped
- 1 small beet roughly chopped
- 1 small onion peeled and roughly chopped
- ⅔ cup bone broth or Meat Stock
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup bacon fat optional, to add smoky flavor
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup or honey for GAPS
- 3 Tablespoons coconut aminos
- 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger grated then measured
- 1 Tablespoon blackstrap molasses , omit for GAPS
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
BBQ Sauce -- Begin this first.
- Place carrots, beets and onion in steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and cook until very tender, about 15 minutes.
- Place steamed veggies in high powered blender with the remaining ingredients (OR if using the Nomato Sauce option, use 2 cups Nomato Sauce in place of the steamed veggies and bone broth): bone broth (omit if using Nomato Sauce shortcut), apple cider vinegar, optional bacon fat, maple syrup, coconut amino acids, fresh ginger and garlic, sea salt and optional fish sauce and molasses. Blend on lowest speed, and increase as motor moves with ease. Blend on medium to medium-high speed for about 45 seconds until sauce is smooth.
Chicken and Roasted Veggie prep
- While sauce veggies steam: Preheat oven to 425℉. Place sweet potatoes and beets in large mixing bowl. Add olive oil, garlic and sea salt, stirring to coat. Spread veggies out onto one to two shallow baking pans, depending on their size. Roast until sweet potatoes are fork-tender, about 30 to 35 minutes; stir and turn over vegetables occasionally during cooking so dark bottoms get flipped. Drizzle with optional balsamic vinegar and keep warm in oven at lowest temperature until ready to serve.
- Place chicken in medium-size bowl and shred using two forks. Add 1-½ cups BBQ sauce and lightly stir to coat. Reserve remaining BBQ Sauce to drizzle over bowls.
Assembly
- Place each ingredient in serving bowls separately, side-by-side, to create a composed salad bowl; or, layer ingredients with romaine lettuce on the bottom and chicken on the top with other toppings around the sides: roasted veggies with any pan drippings, cauli rice, chopped avocado; garnish with probiotic dill pickles, fresh cilantro and/or plantain chips.
Nutrition
Pin Paleo AIP BBQ Salad Bowl here:
Sabrina says
You mention that chicken should not be eaten that often because of the omega 6. I have been vegetarian for a while but recently had to start eating meat again because of the health issues that a vegetarian diet was causing me. But I am still confused as to how much meat and of which types I should be eating. How often should one eat chicken?
Thank you! This recipe looks amazing. I’m new to the AIP diet but had to start practicing it because of digestive issues. So glad there are still such amazing recipes out there.
Megan says
Hi Sabrina, thank you and great questions. Over the years I’ve learned: one, to eat protein at every meal and two, everyone’s bodies are unique, so it’s okay if one person eats more red meat and another more chicken. Other issues are more important to “worry” about, like reducing sweeteners, being active and keeping a joyful mindset. I’m 45 and was a vegetarian, too, for 10 years. I had to start eating meat again with my pregnancies and learned of its importance during that time. Pasture-raised meats are the best, but also just do the best you can. When you see meat labeled “grass-fed”, it’s not always accurate to what we’re hoping for: Sometimes the farmers are using a lot of pesticides on that grass or the animals aren’t really raised humanely. So ideally we look for sustainable local farms so we know the meat’s being raised on sustainable grass and the animals are being cared for. I wrote this article sharing which chicken brands are the best: https://eatbeautiful.net/the-pros-and-cons-of-air-chilled-chicken-which-brand-is-best/
Cheryl Malik says
This looks absolutely STUNNING!
Megan says
Thanks Cheryl! 🙂
Catherine Baez Sholl says
Oh yum! What a great combination of flavors. That BBQ sauce looks sooo delicious.
tessadomesticdiva says
Your BBQ sauce is beautiful and sounds do delish!! SO darn creative!
Don Baiocchi says
Love colorful bowls like that! I’m not AIP but I still want that BBQ sauce.
Megan says
Thanks Don, that’s the goal, so I’m so glad. 🙂
imacri says
Love everything about that salad and thanks so much for the make ahead instructions and tips as I can see this being a regular lunch meal but would need to do some prep ahead of time.
Megan says
I love this as a regular lunch idea. Thanks for commenting, and you’re welcome. 🙂
Yang says
This is a bowl of goodness! Thank you for sharing. That BBQ sauce with carrots and beets sounds amazing!
Joni Gomes says
Sweet potato and yellow beets?? That combination sounds heavenly! Making this ASAP!
Real Food Real Deals says
This looks so delicious! I love the beet color.
whatggmaate says
Love a yummy and filling salad like this one! The colors are so gorgeous too.
B3 says
Any recommendations for a substitute for the fish sauce? (Or if it can be omitted completely) Fish allergy here 🙁
Megan says
Hi and yes, you can omit it. You can also replace it with 1 teaspoon of traditional miso paste (if you tolerate fermented soy) or an extra teaspoon of coconut amino acids. Thanks for the question.
Kelly Page, Health Coach, CTNC (@TastingPage) says
Oooo yes, love this salad. This is going to be a go to for me!
Renee D Kohley says
ooo what a FUN BBQ sauce – we aren’t AIP but I love the ingredients! Definitely trying this fun salad!
ChihYu says
Everything in the bowl is so delicious and I love it’s AIP friendly, too! Amazing!
Laura Duffy says
Yum, what a delicious way to combine nutritious ingredients! I’ll be using your recipe for BBQ sauce for sure since my son can’t eat tomatoes. He’ll be excited!
Kari says
These bowls looks incredible, and your BBQ sauce is a must try!
Hope says
This looks like a great bowl of nourishing goodness! I love colourful healthy bowls of food like this, they are perfect for lunch or dinner. Will be adding this to the menu this week!
STACEY CRAWFORD says
I like that BBQ sauce recipe! Would make a tasty lunch!
meredith says
What a delicious looking salad bowl! I can’t wait to add it to our warm weather salad rotation!
Mimi says
Fantastic salad that I can’t wait to try! I am so excited that it is Paleo and AIP. not to say that I am crazy about BBQ sauce! Delicious!
dietshokuji says
I’m really intrigued with the bbq sauce! Will make it tonight and let you know how it works for me! Looks super good 🙂