Born in 1937 at the legendary Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant, the Cobb Salad is a true California classic. Crisp greens are topped with neatly arranged rows of chicken, bacon, avocado, egg, tomato, and blue cheese, then dressed with a sharp red wine vinaigrette.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time40 mins
Servings4
Yield4 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 610 kcalCalories
- 48 gFat
- 13 gSaturated Fat
- 14 gCarbs
- 6 gFiber
- 5 gSugar
- 32 gProtein
- 890 mgSodium
- 820 mgPotassium
- 220 mgCalcium
- 3 mgIron
- 18 mgVitamin C
- 210 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 8 cups chopped romaine and iceberg lettuce mix
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz), grilled and diced
- 6 thick-cut bacon strips, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 2 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 2 ripe Hass avocados, diced
- 2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, snipped
For the Red Wine Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch sugar
Directions
- In a small jar or bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, shallot, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and sugar until emulsified; set the vinaigrette aside.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then grill or pan-sear over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Rest 5 minutes, then dice.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a cold skillet over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until crisp; transfer to paper towels and crumble once cool.
- Place the eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, then remove from heat, cover, and let stand 10 minutes. Cool, peel, and chop.
- Arrange the chopped lettuces in a wide, shallow bowl or platter as the base. In neat parallel rows across the top, add the diced chicken, bacon, hard-boiled egg, avocado, tomato, red onion, and blue cheese.
- Just before serving, drizzle about half the vinaigrette over the salad (or serve on the side), garnish with fresh chives, and season each row with a light crack of pepper.
Cook’s Notes
- For the most authentic look, arrange each topping in its own stripe across the greens rather than tossing; serve the dressing on the side so each diner can mix it tableside.
- Use cold, just-ripe avocados so the cubes hold their shape; toss them with a few drops of lemon juice to prevent browning if held for more than 15 minutes.
- The Brown Derby original used finely watercress plus lettuce, so feel free to swap in a handful of watercress or baby spinach for extra peppery flavor.
- Make the vinaigrette up to a week ahead and refrigerate; bring to room temperature and re-whisk before drizzling.
- Save the rendered bacon fat to fry the chicken for an extra layer of smoky richness.










