How to make a Chef Salad
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You can never beat a classic Chef Salad that is loaded with lettuce, sliced meats and cheese, hard-boiled eggs and more then topped with your favorite dressing! It’s the perfect light meal and or great for serving to guests!

You can skip the restaurant and make the best chef salad at home! Meat, cheese, crispy bacon, eggs, and fresh vegetables piled on lettuce is a salad you can serve as a main course. It’s super filling and full of fresh flavors.
I love to make this salad for my friends when we have a girl’s dinner or as a light lunch or dinner for the family. The kids don’t get super excited about salad normally, but a chef salad has a lot of things they love like hard-boiled eggs, bacon, and cheese. Oh, and adding ranch dressing makes everything better for them!
The best part about this chef salad recipe is that it’s easy. You can cook the eggs and bacon ahead of time, so all you have to do is assemble it and serve!
What’s in a Chef Salad?
Lots of delicious things! There are variations but here are the classic chef salad ingredients:

- Lettuce – We love romaine hearts because it’s crisp and sturdy enough to hold up all the other ingredients
- Tomatoes – Grape tomatoes are great or you can dice bigger tomatoes.
- Cucumber – I like to use an English cucumber because it’s a little less bitter and doesn’t have a lot of seeds.
- Red onion – thinly slice it!
- Deli meat – I love to use sliced or cubed deli turkey and ham.
- Cooked and crumbled bacon – I cook bacon in the oven to make it easy!
- Cheese – you can use your favorite! I like cubed Swiss and cheddar cheese.
- Hard-boiled eggs – cook your eggs on the stove, in your Instant Pot, or in your air fryer!
- More topping ideas – Croutons, black olives, hot peppers, and green peppers are optional toppings you might like to try, too!
Don’t forget the dressing – we love Thousand Island or ranch dressing, but you can use your favorite!
What kind of cheese goes in a chef salad?
Usually a cheddar or Swiss cheese goes in Chef Salad, but any type of cheese that is in your refrigerator can work like blue cheese, provolone, American etc.
Swaps for Chef Salad Ingredients
- Leafy Greens – Romain hearts or iceberg lettuce can be used. A mixture of both is also popular. Another great option is mixing spring greens in with it.
- Meat – The most popular meat is turkey, but ham and bacon are great additions.
- Cheese – Pick Swiss, Cheddar, Provolone, American etc. or a mixture.
- Vegetables – Broccoli, carrots, celery, peppers, tomatoes, avocados, red onions or cucumbers.
- Toppings – Olives, Pepperoncini, croutons, hard- boiled eggs, etc.
- Dressing – Popular dressing options are ranch, thousand island, blue cheese, Italian, honey mustard, chipotle ranch, and avocado ranch.





How to Make a Chef Salad
Start with the lettuce. You can tear it into bite-sized pieces or use a knife to chop it. Place the lettuce on your serving platter.
Take your other ingredients and arrange them on top of the lettuce. I like to create rows with each one to make a pretty presentation. Here’s the order I do:
- Cubed Swiss cheese
- Sliced deli turkey
- Sliced onions
- Halved eggs
- Sliced cucumber
- Cubed ham
- Crumbled bacon
- Tomato wedges
- Cubed cheddar cheese
Be sure to use tongs or salad serving utensils to make it easy for everyone to make their own plate. I like to serve the dressing on the side so everyone can have the amount they want.
Chef Salad Presentation
There are a few different options for presenting a chef’s salad. This Chef’s salad is arranged on a platter with a blasé of leafy greens, then each ingredient is presented individually. This option lets each guest choose which ingredients they want in their salad when you serve it.
Another option is to layer the salad by starting with leafy greens then topping it with meat, vegetables, croutons, dressing etc. Toss it together to mix it up.
Chef Salad Recipe FAQ
The Chef Salad has been around a long time, in fact you can trace salads all the way back to Roman rule times. People would gather nuts, fruits, vegetables and greens and create dishes out of them.
Louis XIV in Versailles had beautiful table spreads loaded with greens and topped with cheese, meats, nuts, and vegetables.
Louis Diaz, the chef at the Ritz Carlton in New York often times is tied to the Chef’s Salad in history in the 1940s, but historians believe Victor Seydoux at Hotel Buffalo or Jacques Roser at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City created it.
No matter where it came from or who created the Chef Salad one thing is true, it’s delicious!
They are similar, but a cobb salad is usually made with chicken, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, eggs, and a vinaigrette dressing. It is also made with several kinds of lettuce. Cobb salad has deli meat, cheese, eggs, bacon, veggies and is served with a variety of dressings.
A Chef’s Salad usually included ingredients like leafy greens, hard-boiled eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and meat.
An Antipasto Salad usually included ingredients like meat, cheese, peppers, olives, and artichokes.
The biggest difference between these two salads is that the Chef Salad included leafy greens and the Antipasto Salad does not.
You can but I wouldn’t make it more than a few hours in advance. Also, don’t add the dressing until you serve it. If you do make it ahead, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and keep in in the refrigerator.
Sometimes I add some tomato soup to go on the side. Or, add some homemade breadsticks – they’re great, too!
How long do the leftovers keep?
They will keep for a few days as long as you keep the dressing in a separate container.

Doesn’t this homemade chef salad just look like a plate of deliciousness?! I just love all the colors and textures – the flavors are great, too! Make this the next time you want something light but filling – I know you will love it!
More Easy Salads
- Antipasto Salad is a fresh and fast Italian-style salad with salami, prosciutto, cheese, and a tangy dressing.
- Lettuce Frito Salad is the best salad for a potluck! Crisp lettuce, crunchy Fritos, and bacon with a lemon poppyseed dressing is a quick and easy salad to make.
- Mediterranean flavors combine to make the best Greek Salad that’s fresh and full of flavor!
MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE!
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- Mud Cups
- Cheesy Hamburger Dip
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Love this? I know you will! Be sure and comment below and rate this recipe – it’s just delicious!
If you snap a photo, please be sure to tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your amazing dish!!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

Chef Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head lettuce your favorite, we used romaine hearts
- 2-4 medium tomatoes or grape tomatoes sliced or wedged
- ½ English cucumber sliced thinly or 2 small cucumbers
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ lb ham cubed or sliced
- ¼ lb turkey cubed or sliced
- 4 strips bacon cooked and crumbed
- ¼ lb cheese your favorite, we used Swiss and Cheddar, cubed
- 4 hard boiled eggs peeled and cut in half or quarters
- Croutons optional
- Black olives optional
- Hot peppers optional
- Green peppers optional
- Thousand Island or Ranch dressing
Instructions
- Clean and prep all ingredients.
- Wash and dry the lettuce. Tear into bite size pieces. Begin by adding the lettuce to a large platter or bowl.
- Top with remaining ingredients.
- Serve immediately with your favorite salad dressing and additional toppings if you like.
- Store leftovers in refrigerator.
Tips
They are similar, but a cobb salad is usually made with chicken, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, eggs, and a vinaigrette dressing. It is also made with several kinds of lettuce. Cobb salad has deli meat, cheese, eggs, bacon, veggies and is served with a variety of dressings. Can you assemble it ahead of time?
You can but I wouldn’t make it more than a few hours in advance. Also, don’t add the dressing until you serve it. If you do make it ahead, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and keep in in the refrigerator. How long do the leftovers keep?
They will keep for a few days as long as you keep the dressing in a separate container.
Malinda says
This was a very tasty and satisfying salad!! Perfect for these hot summer days when I don’t want heavy foods.
Danielle says
I love that I can bring the restaurant styled salad home! It’s so light, refreshing and very filling! Thanks!
Alison LaFortune says
Love the presentation of this salad! It’s a show-stopper. Love the tips to prep in advance.