BBQ Chicken Salad Bowl (Paleo & AIP)

BBQ chicken salad bowl in white dish with all the toppings including avocado, roasted veggies and cauli rice. This dish is Paleo, AIP and GAPS diet.

BBQ Chicken Salad Bowl (Paleo & AIP)

If you love zippy, tangy-sweet, a little spicy BBQ sauce but miss it while avoiding nightshades, you'll love this wonderful sauce and fresh comfort food salad.

Course DInner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword aip, BBQ, caramel sauce, paleo, salad

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

Calories 1139kcal

Author Megan

Cost $9

Equipment

oven
blender

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken thighs cooked: See Recipe Notes; or use leftover chicken
2 cups BBQ sauce see BBQ Sauce recipe just below
1 large head romaine lettuce or 2 small heads, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 large sweet potato or 5-6 small, peeled and cut into 3/4" bite-size cubes; use winter squash for GAPS
2 large beets yellow, peeled and in 3/4" cubes, or 1 large head cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or preferred fat of choice such as avocado oil or melted lard
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar optional, omit for GAPS
2 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1-2 avocados chopped
3 cups cauliflower rice about, cooked

Paleo, AIP and GAPS 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
2/3 cup bone broth
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 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
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place sweet potatoes and cauliflower 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 30-35 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 1-1/2 cups BBQ sauce and lightly stir to coat. Use remaining BBQ Sauce to drizzle over bowls.
Assembly of BBQ Chicken Salad Bowls~ Place each ingredient in serving bowls separately, side-by-side, to create a composed salad bowl: romaine lettuce, roasted veggies with any pan drippings, cauli rice, BBQ shredded chicken, chopped avocado; garnish with probiotic dill pickles and/or plantain chips.

BBQ Sauce

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.

Notes

Best ways to cook chicken thighs~

How to Cook Shredded Chicken (The instructions in this recipe are for breasts, but the exact same rules apply to chicken thighs. If you use boneless, skinless thighs, they'll take less time to cook. If you use bone-in thighs, they'll take longer.)
How to Cook Chicken Thighs in the Instant Pot

Nutrition