Cobb salad
- Yield
- 4 servings
A Cobb is a chopped salad laid out in rows, so every forkful can be a little different. It's a good way to practice several small jobs, each done well, that come together on one platter: chicken poached gently enough to stay juicy cold, bacon rendered crisp, eggs cooked just firm, and a vinaigrette you taste and set yourself.
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Ingredients
Batches and reset
4 servings · US measures · 1 batch
Batching
Cook one base batch of chicken in each 4-quart wide pot so the breasts lie in one layer, and the bacon in batches that fit the skillet without crowding; for a larger yield, cook a second batch. Poaching, egg and bacon times follow the same cues; cooking times do not multiply with ingredient quantities.
Original recipe: 4 servings.
The bay leaf, sugar and the extra salt, oil and vinegar added to taste are left out of the nutrition estimate. Nutrition is incomplete: the vinaigrette is partly served alongside, so the share eaten is not established, nor are the salt the chicken absorbs from the poaching water or the cooked weight of the bacon.
Before you start
- Read through the recipe before the first burner goes on. Gather the wide pot, saucepan, skillet, thermometer, salad spinner, bowls, whisk, slotted spoon, paper towels and platter. If your kosher salt is the dense, fine-grained kind, use about half as much.
Directions
Read through and gather
For the whole recipe
Read through the recipe, noting where the burners overlap, then gather the equipment and use the ingredient lines to prepare and measure everything. Fill the large bowl with ice water for the eggs, and keep the washed greens chilled, loosely wrapped in paper towels. Everything is prepared and measured before the first burner goes on.
Poach the chicken gently
For each batch
Poach 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a single layer in a 4-quart wide pot: cover them with cold water by 1 inch, add 1 tbsp flaky kosher salt and the bay leaf, if using, and heat over medium heat until bubbles appear here and there at the edges. Lower the heat to hold it there and cook until the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes. Move the chicken to a board to cool.
Cook the eggs until firm
For each batch
Cook the eggs on a second burner: cover them with cold water by 1 inch in the saucepan, bring to a full boil over high heat, then cover the pan and take it off the heat. Let the eggs stand until the yolk and white are firm, about 11 minutes; cool one under cold water and cut it open to check. Chill the eggs in the ice water.
Cook the bacon until crisp
For each batch
Cook 8 oz thick-cut bacon in the cold skillet over medium heat, stirring now and then, until the fat melts out and the bacon is deep golden and crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes. If the edges darken before much fat melts, turn the heat down a notch. Drain the bacon on paper towels.
Whisk the vinaigrette
For each batch
Whisk 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, the garlic, 1/2 tsp flaky kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1/2 tsp sugar, if using, in the medium bowl until the salt dissolves. Whisk in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a thin stream until the vinaigrette is thick and cloudy.
Dip a leaf and taste the vinaigrette
For each batch
Dip a piece of romaine in the vinaigrette and taste it. Aim for bright, sharp and salty, not pucker-sour. If it tastes flat, add flaky kosher salt to taste; if it is too sharp, whisk in extra-virgin olive oil to taste; if it tastes oily or dull, add red wine vinegar to taste. Whisk after each addition and taste again on a fresh leaf. The vinaigrette tastes bright and balanced.
Dice and dress the toppings
For each batch
Dice the cooled chicken into 1/2-inch pieces and toss it with 2 tbsp of the vinaigrette. Peel and chop the eggs and crumble 4 oz Roquefort cheese. Dice the tomatoes, then the avocados last so they stay green. Each topping is cut and ready.
Toss the greens and arrange the salad
For the whole recipe
Toss 12 oz romaine lettuce and 4 oz watercress leaves and tender stems with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette in the large bowl until lightly glossy, and spread them on the platter. Arrange the chicken, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, cheese and avocado in rows on top and sprinkle with 2 tbsp fresh chives. Serve right away to make 4 servings, giving each plate a share of every row, with the vinaigrette left in the bowl alongside. Keep leftovers cold and refrigerate them within two hours. The salad is arranged in rows and served.
About this recipe
Research preview: these details come from our sourced research and haven't been reviewed by our chef yet.
Why it works
Several small jobs, each done well, come together on one platter: chicken poached gently enough to stay juicy cold, bacon rendered crisp from a cold pan, eggs cooked just firm, and a mustard vinaigrette tasted and set on a leaf. Laying the toppings in rows lets every forkful be a little different.
Associated with
American (Hollywood restaurant cooking)
The salad is usually dated to 1937 at a Hollywood restaurant, where it was assembled late at night from kitchen leftovers and named for the owner; rival tellings credit the restaurant's chef earlier. Newspaper searches find related salad names in the late 1930s and the name Cobb salad in print by 1947.
Taste
- Sweet
- Sour
- Salty
- Bitter
- Savory
- Heat
A bright, sharp vinaigrette, salty but not pucker-sour., Salty blue cheese and bacon against peppery watercress and buttery avocado. · crisp greens, juicy chicken and crisp bacon, firm egg, creamy avocado and crumbly cheese · cold
Skill level
Some practice
Several small jobs with overlapping burners, each simple and with a clear cue; the skill is in timing them so everything is ready together.
Allergens
Contains: milk, egg.
Mustard is in the vinaigrette; it is not a US major allergen, so US labels may not warn about it. Check the vinegar for sulfites, and flavored bacon or prepared mustard for gluten.
Diets
Vegetarian: Doesn't fit as written Vegan: Doesn't fit as written Pescatarian: Doesn't fit as written Dairy: See the allergen lines Egg: See the allergen lines Gluten: See the allergen lines
Occasions
Main-dish lunch or dinner
A composed salad that works as a full meal; no source ties it to a holiday.
Serving and keeping
Best served: Right after the greens are dressed On a platter in rows, with the rest of the vinaigrette alongside
Make ahead: Refrigerate each part covered. Dice the avocado and dress the greens only right before serving.
Storage: Keep the undressed chicken and egg components refrigerated, covered, and use within 3 to 4 days; whole hard-cooked eggs keep about a week. Dressed greens do not keep, and the salad should not be frozen.
Leftovers: Store undressed leftovers in the refrigerator within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days; once dressed, the greens wilt.
Food safety
- Poach the chicken until the thickest part reads 165 °F (74 °C) on an instant-read thermometer.
- Cook the eggs until the yolk and white are firm, then chill them in ice water.
- Keep raw chicken and raw bacon away from the greens, tomatoes and avocado, which are eaten raw; use separate boards and wash hands after handling raw meat.
- Roquefort is made from raw sheep milk and is served uncooked here. Young children, older adults, pregnant people and anyone with a weakened immune system should choose a blue cheese made from pasteurized milk.
- Do not leave the salad out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90 °F (32 °C).
We make no statement about cross-contact in your kitchen or in packaged ingredients. Check the cheese, vinegar, mustard and bacon labels.
Nutrition notes
The blue cheese and bacon carry most of the salt. Using less of each, choosing a milder blue cheese, and skipping the salt in the chicken poaching water keep it lower.
The chicken and eggs bring protein, and the avocado, romaine and tomato bring fiber.
Swap notes
boneless, skinless chicken breasts · pescatarian
Use: Canned salmon or tuna
What changes: Leave out the bacon too.; Fish is its own allergen.
Not a swap: —
boneless, skinless chicken breasts · vegetarian
Use: Chickpeas
What changes: Leave out the bacon.; Use a blue cheese made with microbial rennet.
Not a swap: —
Roquefort cheese
Use: A blue cheese made from pasteurized milk, such as a domestic blue
What changes: Milder; taste before adding salt to the dressing.
Not a swap: Fresh mozzarella: too mild and wet, it disappears.
thick-cut bacon · halal
Use: Halal beef or turkey bacon
What changes: Use halal chicken, cider vinegar, a halal-certified mustard and a microbial-rennet blue cheese.; Check turkey bacon labels: some contain pork.
Not a swap: Pancetta or prosciutto, which are pork.
garlic
Use: Garlic-infused olive oil for part of the oil
What changes: Keep the avocado to a small portion per plate, and use romaine in place of the watercress.
Not a swap: —
These notes don't change the amounts, allergens or nutrition shown for this recipe.
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- Recipe url
- https://isthebestrecipe.com/salads/cobb-salad
- Name
- Cobb salad
- Servings
- 4
- Recipe yield
- 4 servings
- Recipe ingredient
- 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 tbsp flaky kosher salt for the poaching water, 4 whole large eggs, 8 oz thick-cut bacon cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips, 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic small, finely grated, 1/2 tsp flaky kosher salt for the vinaigrette, 1/4 tsp black pepper freshly ground, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 4 oz Roquefort cheese crumbled, 2 whole medium tomatoes cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice, 2 whole ripe avocados cut into 1/2-inch dice just before serving, 12 oz romaine lettuce cut into bite-size pieces, washed and spun dry, 4 oz watercress leaves and tender stems washed and spun dry, 2 tbsp fresh chives finely chopped
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- Copy recipe and estimated nutrition
Sources
- Bob Cobb (David Hourin and Dan Taylor) (Society for American Baseball Research, 2025-04-06)
- Cobb salad (Wikipedia)
- Cobb Salad (Barry Popik) (barrypopik.com (The Big Apple), 2007-11-06)
- FoodData Central: Cheese, roquefort (FDC ID 171250) (USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central, 2019-04-01)
- Food Allergies: What You Need to Know (major food allergens under FALCPA and the FASTER Act) (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026-03-11)
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II: Substances or products causing allergies or intolerances (legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives) copy of the EU regulation text, 2014-02-19)
- Cold Food Storage Chart (FoodSafety.gov, 2023-09-19)
- Bacon and Food Safety (USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service)
- FoodData Central: Pork, cured, bacon, unprepared (FDC ID 168277) (USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central, 2019-04-01)
- FoodData Central: Chicken breast, raw (FDC ID 171077) (USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central, 2019-04-01)
- Sodium in Your Diet (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
- FoodData Central: Avocados, raw, California (FDC ID 171706) (USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central, 2019-04-01)
- FoodData Central: Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw (FDC ID 169247) (USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central, 2019-04-01)
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Nutrition Values
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