American · Salads & bowls

Classic Cobb salad

Name: Classic Cobb salad
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 large eggs; 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces; 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded 3/4 inch thick; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided; 1 small shallot, finely minced; 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1/2 teaspoon honey; 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small head romaine, chopped and thoroughly dried; 2 cups watercress or mixed baby greens; 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced; 1 ripe avocado, diced; 3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled; 2 tablespoons chopped chives

Chicken, crisp bacon, avocado, tomato, egg, and blue cheese arranged over mixed greens with a sharp red-wine vinaigrette.

About 55 minTotal

About 45 minActive

$$$Cost

ModerateDifficulty

Makes 4 servings

Equipment

Use another covered 12-inch oven-safe skillet or transfer before the oven finish.
Best large covered skillet
All-Clad D3 12-Inch Fry Pan with Lid · 41126
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use another covered 12-inch oven-safe skillet or transfer before the oven finish.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the twelve-inch footprint, fitted lid, tri-ply heat distribution, 600°F oven and broiler rating, current model 41126 and UPC, ownership burden, and exact Amazon identity. Kwilt has not cooked with this pan.
All-Clad D3 12-Inch Fry Pan with Lid · 41126: Its twelve-inch cooking surface gives rice, shrimp, meat, and vegetables room to cook evenly, while the fitted lid and 600°F oven rating cover both the lidded stovetop method and the shepherd's-pie oven finish. Trade-off: It is a premium-priced pan, food can stick without sound preheating and fat control, and the long handle plus lid need more storage room than a basic skillet.
Another workable path: Use another oven-safe 12-inch skillet with a well-fitting lid; if the handle has a lower heat limit, transfer oven-finished food to a suitable baking dish.
Sources
All-Clad model 41126 specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 4 servings

4 large eggs
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded 3/4 inch thick
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 small shallot, finely minced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small head romaine, chopped and thoroughly dried
2 cups watercress or mixed baby greens
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 ripe avocado, diced
3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Instructions

Cover eggs with cold water, bring to a boil, cover, remove from heat, and stand 11 minutes. Transfer to ice water, peel, and quarter.
Cook bacon in a 7 to 9 minutes until crisp; transfer to paper towels and leave 1 tablespoon fat in the pan. Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook 5 to 7 minutes per side until 165°F. Rest 10 minutes, then dice.
For the vinaigrette, let shallot stand in vinegar 5 minutes, then whisk in Dijon, honey, remaining salt, remaining pepper, and olive oil until emulsified.
Toss romaine and watercress with just enough vinaigrette to coat lightly. Spread on a platter, then arrange chicken, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, avocado, and blue cheese in distinct rows.
Spoon a little more vinaigrette over the arranged toppings, finish with chives and pepper, and serve the rest of the dressing alongside. Tossing every rich topping in advance muddies both color and texture.

Los Angeles, CaliforniaAmerican restaurant cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Cobb salad emerged at Hollywood's Brown Derby in the 1930s and became an American main-course salad defined by greens, tomato, bacon, chicken, egg, avocado, blue cheese, and tart vinaigrette.

Cobb salad emerged at Hollywood's Brown Derby restaurant in the 1930s and became a model for the American main-course salad. Its remembered formula is greens, tomato, bacon, chicken, egg, avocado, blue cheese, and a tart vinaigrette—sometimes recalled through the initials EAT COBB. Ordered rows are not merely decoration; they let diners balance rich and fresh bites themselves. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Follow the highly rated classic formula, borrow bacon fat only for savory chicken browning, and preserve the composed presentation because it materially protects texture and diner choice.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe