Mason Jar Cobb Salad

on Feb 03, 2025

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Say goodbye to boring lunches and hello to this flavorful mason jar cobb salad! Layered with juicy chicken, crispy bacon, hardboiled eggs, fresh veggies, and a creamy ranch dressing, it’s a perfect balance of taste and texture. Not only is it packed with protein and nutrients, but it’s also an easy, grab-and-go meal that stays fresh for days. Just shake, pour, and enjoy—no more sad desk lunches! Whether you’re meal prepping for the week or need a quick, satisfying bite, this salad has you covered.

Two mason jars packed with a vibrant cobb salad, featuring layers of lettuce, chicken, cherry tomatoes, crispy bacon, and creamy avocado. A rich dressing awaits at the bottom for a delicious shake-and-enjoy experience.

Simplify lunchtimes with this easy mason jar cobb salad recipe. With crispy bacon, tender chicken, vegetables and a creamy dressing, it’s always satisfying.

More mason jar delights to try soon are chicken zoodle soup, oatmeal chocolate chip cookie mix, and these fun mason jar cocktail gift sets.

Cobb salad layered in a mason jar with crisp lettuce, cherry tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and zesty dressing. Three jars are elegantly arranged on a rustic wooden surface.

Why You’ll Love It

Easy to make: Simply whip up the dressing and add that and the other salad ingredients to a mason jar.
A portable meal: You can bring it with you to work or wherever you’re heading.
Perfect for meal prep: These keep for 5 days so you can make your lunches for the whole week ahead.
So delicious: Cobb salad is always delicious and this recipe includes all the classic cobb salad ingredients.
Time-saving: When you meal prep a batch of these, all you have to do at lunchtime is tip the salad out on to a serving plate!
Gluten-free: There’s no gluten in Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix or in the other ingredients.

A bowl of mason jar Cobb salad brimming with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, boiled eggs, diced chicken, and bacon drizzled in a creamy dressing. A blue-handled fork rests inside the bowl. Jars of salad are in the background.

Chicken Cobb Salad in a Mason Jar Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Chicken: Use grilled, roasted or shredded cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken.
Bacon: So good with the juicy chicken. I like mine extra-crispy!
Salad veggies: Cucumber, cherry tomatoes and romaine lettuce add crunch and color.
Hard boiled egg: Adds more protein.
Avocado: Offers a nutty creaminess that contrasts with the salad vegetables.
Buttermilk: The main ingredient in the dressing.
Mayonnaise: For creaminess.
Sour cream: Adds a tasty tang.
Ranch dressing mix: I like the Hidden Valley brand. You can choose from the regular one or the buttermilk variety.

Ingredients for a mason jar Cobb salad arranged on a white surface include cooked chicken, avocado, cheese, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, bacon, lettuce, and a creamy dressing.

How to Make Cobb Salad in a Jar

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Make the dressing: Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the salads: Divide the dressing between four mason jars (I used these!) and then add the cucumbers, tomatoes, eggs, chicken, bacon, and avocado to each, in that order. Next add the romaine lettuce on top.
Seal and store: Put the lids on the mason jars and keep them refrigerated until serving.

Two mason jars filled with a delightful Cobb salad feature layers of lettuce, chicken, bacon, cherry tomatoes, and sliced eggs, all topped with dressing at the bottom. Each mason jar has a blue-handled fork neatly inserted for easy dining.

Substitutions and Variations

Vegetarian proteins: Replace the chicken and bacon with chickpeas and black beans for a plant-based version.
Vegetables: Sometimes I like to add thinly sliced green onion.
Bacon: You can use beef bacon or turkey bacon instead of regular bacon.
Add cheese: Add crumbled blue cheese or shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
Spice it up: Make the ranch dressing spicy by adding a tablespoon of buffalo sauce or sriracha.
Include grains: Add a layer of cooked farro, couscous or quinoa.
Ranch dressing: Include onion powder or garlic powder for a different flavor, or use bottled ranch dressing to save time.
Different lettuce: Change up the salad greens with spinach, kale or your favorite variety.

Mason jar Cobb salad with layers of dressing, cherry tomatoes, eggs, chicken, and lettuce topped with a white lid, set on a wooden board with avocado and another jar in the background.

Serving Suggestions

With bread: Pair the salad with crusty baguette slices, garlic breadsticks, cheese twists, or warm rolls.
With soup: Tomato soup, chicken stellini soup, lentil soup, or minestrone soup would be good with this salad.

A delightful mason jar Cobb salad featuring chopped lettuce, cherry tomatoes, corn, grilled chicken, and a creamy dressing for a perfect on-the-go meal.

How to Store a Cobb Salad Jar

Store: Store the assembled salads in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Keep the jars upright in the fridge to maintain the layering.
Freeze: Salad isn’t suitable for freezing.

Mason jar Cobb salad with layers of lettuce, chicken, bacon, and eggs topped with dressing. Halved avocado and cherry tomatoes sit enticingly on a wooden board beside it.

Top Tips

Prevent avocado browning: You can toss the diced avocado in lime or lemon juice to prevent browning.
Wide mouth mason jars: It’s easier to add ingredients to wide mouth jars.
Shake before serving: Shake the jar lightly before pouring your cobb salad into a bowl to distribute the dressing evenly.

A bowl of salad with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, chicken, bacon, and creamy dressing sits on a marble surface next to a fork. Nearby are mason jars filled with chopped veggies for a DIY Cobb salad experience and a pepper grinder.

Easy Mason Jar Cobb Salad FAQs

Do I have to add the ingredients to the jars in the order specified?

It’s best to do that. Always start with dressing at the bottom of the jars to keep the other ingredients fresh and prevent the lettuce from wilting. Layer with the heavier vegetables first (cucumbers and tomatoes) and then the rest.

Can I thicken or thin the dressing?

You can change the dressing consistency by adding more buttermilk for a thinner dressing or more mayonnaise and/or sour cream for a thicker one.

Mason jar Cobb salad featuring layers of lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, eggs, and dressing neatly stacked on a wooden surface.

Best Mason Jar Cobb Salad Recipe

A mason jar sits on a wooden board, wide-mouthed and empty except for some diced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes at its base, ready to become a refreshing Cobb salad. Nearby, a bowl brims with more fresh ingredients waiting to join this colorful ensemble.

Mason jar salads are ideal for lunch or dinner and you can make several in advance. The correct layering and keeping them refrigerated ensures your mason jar cobb salad stays fresh and delicious until it’s time to eat. If cobb salad is one of your favorite salads, you’re definitely going to want to try this tasty recipe – and soon!

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Bella Bucchiotti

Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.

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