Corn, avocado and chicken salad Recipe Inspired by Jamie Oliver
I have admired Jamie Oliver's relaxed, generous way with food for years, so this was exactly the sort of recipe I wanted to cook for friends around the barbecue. This Corn and chicken salad feels abundant rather than fussy: it fills a platter, feeds six, and turns familiar ingredients into something much more interesting through careful charring and layering. The chicken is smoky from paprika and golden from the hot grill, while the corn is sweet and lightly charred after steaming inside its wet husks. Cool cucumber, buttery avocado and tender lettuce soften those grilled flavors. Then the yoghurt dressing brings lemon, English mustard, Tabasco, Cheddar and fresh herbs together in a creamy coating with tang, warmth and a savory edge. Popcorn scattered over the top gives every serving an unexpected crisp finish. The most useful lesson for me was to respect the order of the barbecue work. Soaking intact corn husks keeps the kernels protected during their 15 minutes over fierce heat. Resting the chicken after its short cook keeps the slices succulent, and popping the second kind of corn in the chicken drippings captures flavor that would otherwise be left on the griddle. The lettuce needs only a one-minute sear on its cut face; any longer and its fresh crunch starts to disappear. I like serving the salad as soon as it is assembled, with the dressed vegetables spread below the sliced chicken and the popcorn added last. That timing preserves the contrast between creamy dressing, juicy produce and crisp topping. It is substantial enough for a summer lunch or dinner, and the broad platter makes the different colors and charred edges easy for everyone at the table to appreciate.
Foodmitrecipe
Per 1 serving (one-sixth of the recipe)
Nutrition for Corn, avocado and chicken salad
- Saturated fat
- 3.8 g
- Fiber
- 2.4 g
- Sugars
- 5.3 g
- Sodium
- 360 mg
Estimated values. Nutrition values are approximate. More precise calculations will be added in a future update.
How to make Corn, avocado and chicken salad
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Step 1
Soak the corn
Submerge the corn, still enclosed in its husks, in cold water for at least 30 minutes. The soaked leaves will help shield the kernels from the fierce barbecue heat. If the only cobs available have already been husked, leave out the soaking step and proceed with them as they are.
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Step 2
Heat the barbecue
Light every burner on the gas barbecue and set them to full power. Close the lid and let the barbecue heat until its gauge reads about 290°C. Have barbecue tongs, a hot griddle or slate surface, and a basting dome ready before the food goes on.
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Step 3
Char the corn
Lift the soaked cobs from the water and let the excess drain away. Set them on the hot barbecue with their husks still on and cook for 15 minutes, rotating them often so the outside chars on several sides while the kernels cook inside. Transfer the cobs to a board when the husks are well marked.
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Step 4
Grill and rest the chicken
Coat the chicken breasts evenly with the smoked paprika, then season with a pinch each of sea salt and black pepper. Cook on the hot barbecue surface for 7 minutes, turning after about 3½ minutes. Remove them to a plate once both sides are golden and the centers are cooked through, then leave them to rest while you continue.
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Step 5
Pop the second corn
Scatter the popping corn directly over the chicken drippings left on the slate. Cover it immediately with the basting dome, then cook for 3 minutes, shifting the dome around from time to time so the kernels move and heat evenly. When the popping has finished, tip the popcorn into a large bowl and give it a very small pinch of salt.
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Step 6
Mix the creamy dressing
Put the natural yoghurt, English mustard and Tabasco into a large serving bowl. Squeeze in the lemon juice, finely grate in all the Cheddar, and finely chop the mixed soft herbs before adding them. Stir thoroughly until the cheese and herbs are evenly distributed and the dressing looks cohesive.
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Step 7
Char the spring onions
Lay the spring onions on the hot barbecue and cook them for 5 minutes, turning as needed, until they have softened and picked up dark char marks. Trim away the roots, roughly chop the onions, and add them straight to the bowl of dressing so their warm surfaces take on its flavor.
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Step 8
Sear the lettuces
Halve both the romaine and Little Gem lettuces lengthwise. Place each half cut-side down on the hot surface for just 1 minute, only long enough to mark and lightly wilt that face while the rest stays crisp. Trim the bases, roughly chop the leaves, and fold them into the dressing with the spring onions.
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Step 9
Add avocado and cucumber
Peel and stone the avocado, then cut it into rough bite-size pieces. Roughly chop the cucumber to a similar scale. Add both to the serving bowl and turn them gently through the dressed grilled vegetables, taking care not to mash the avocado.
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Step 10
Assemble the platter
Pull back and discard the blackened corn husks. Stand each cob securely on the board and slice downward with a sharp knife, directing the kernels into the serving bowl. Toss the salad until the corn and dressing are evenly spread, then mound it on one large platter or divide it among bowls. Slice the rested chicken, arrange it over the salad, and scatter the popcorn on top at the last moment.
Use the largest serving bowl you have for mixing. The lettuces begin bulky, and the extra room lets you coat them with the dressing without crushing the avocado; transfer everything to the presentation platter only after the final toss.
Corn, avocado and chicken salad, ready to serve
Serving ideas for Corn, avocado and chicken salad
Choose a presentation that fits the occasion, from relaxed sharing to individual plates.
Generous sharing platter
Choose a broad, shallow ceramic platter so the dressed corn, cucumber, avocado and charred greens can form an even bed instead of a deep heap. Fan the warm chicken slices across the center in several loose groups, which makes six portions easier to judge while keeping the salad inviting. Carry the platter to the table before adding the popcorn, then scatter it from edge to edge at the last moment. This presentation suits a relaxed garden lunch or family dinner because everyone can see the smoky chicken and take a balanced spoonful of vegetables, dressing and crisp topping.
Individual wide bowls
For a seated meal, divide the tossed salad among six wide, low bowls, allowing the charred lettuce pieces and corn to remain visible rather than packing them down. Slice the rested chicken and distribute it evenly over each portion, then finish every bowl with its share of popcorn immediately before serving. The separate bowls keep the creamy dressing contained and ensure no guest misses the avocado or crisp elements. Set them out together while the chicken is still warm; the low shape gives the same layered view as the main platter but makes the salad easy to eat with a knife and fork.
Barbecue buffet centerpiece
Place the finished salad on a long oval platter near the start of a barbecue buffet, with a large serving spoon for the vegetables and tongs to lift the chicken slices cleanly. Keep the composition broad and low so guests can recognize the avocado, cucumber, charred greens and corn before serving themselves. Bring the popcorn to the table in its bowl and add it only when the buffet opens, preserving its dry crunch against the creamy coating. This arrangement makes the six-serving yield clear, looks substantial among other shared dishes, and keeps the chicken visibly on top rather than buried as the platter is passed.
Let’s cook Corn, avocado and chicken salad together
Check off your ingredients, follow each step, and start the timers when you are ready.
Get everything ready
Step-by-step with timers
Soak the corn
Submerge the corn, still enclosed in its husks, in cold water for at least 30 minutes. The soaked leaves will help shield the kernels from the fierce barbecue heat. If the only cobs available have already been husked, leave out the soaking step and proceed with them as they are.
Heat the barbecue
Light every burner on the gas barbecue and set them to full power. Close the lid and let the barbecue heat until its gauge reads about 290°C. Have barbecue tongs, a hot griddle or slate surface, and a basting dome ready before the food goes on.
Char the corn
Lift the soaked cobs from the water and let the excess drain away. Set them on the hot barbecue with their husks still on and cook for 15 minutes, rotating them often so the outside chars on several sides while the kernels cook inside. Transfer the cobs to a board when the husks are well marked.
Grill and rest the chicken
Coat the chicken breasts evenly with the smoked paprika, then season with a pinch each of sea salt and black pepper. Cook on the hot barbecue surface for 7 minutes, turning after about 3½ minutes. Remove them to a plate once both sides are golden and the centers are cooked through, then leave them to rest while you continue.
Pop the second corn
Scatter the popping corn directly over the chicken drippings left on the slate. Cover it immediately with the basting dome, then cook for 3 minutes, shifting the dome around from time to time so the kernels move and heat evenly. When the popping has finished, tip the popcorn into a large bowl and give it a very small pinch of salt.
Mix the creamy dressing
Put the natural yoghurt, English mustard and Tabasco into a large serving bowl. Squeeze in the lemon juice, finely grate in all the Cheddar, and finely chop the mixed soft herbs before adding them. Stir thoroughly until the cheese and herbs are evenly distributed and the dressing looks cohesive.
Char the spring onions
Lay the spring onions on the hot barbecue and cook them for 5 minutes, turning as needed, until they have softened and picked up dark char marks. Trim away the roots, roughly chop the onions, and add them straight to the bowl of dressing so their warm surfaces take on its flavor.
Sear the lettuces
Halve both the romaine and Little Gem lettuces lengthwise. Place each half cut-side down on the hot surface for just 1 minute, only long enough to mark and lightly wilt that face while the rest stays crisp. Trim the bases, roughly chop the leaves, and fold them into the dressing with the spring onions.
Add avocado and cucumber
Peel and stone the avocado, then cut it into rough bite-size pieces. Roughly chop the cucumber to a similar scale. Add both to the serving bowl and turn them gently through the dressed grilled vegetables, taking care not to mash the avocado.
Assemble the platter
Pull back and discard the blackened corn husks. Stand each cob securely on the board and slice downward with a sharp knife, directing the kernels into the serving bowl. Toss the salad until the corn and dressing are evenly spread, then mound it on one large platter or divide it among bowls. Slice the rested chicken, arrange it over the salad, and scatter the popcorn on top at the last moment.
The story behind Corn, avocado and chicken salad
Recipe notes by Sophie
Why this one caught my eye
I am always drawn to Jamie Oliver recipes that make a familiar meal feel more generous without turning it into a complicated project. When I read this one, the combination of a blazing barbecue, two kinds of lettuce and two completely different expressions of corn sounded clever but still practical. Cooking it confirmed that impression. There is enough going on to make the platter feel celebratory, yet each action has a clear purpose and most of the preparation happens while another ingredient is on the heat. I especially enjoyed that the final dish still looks recognizably like food made for sharing: broad pieces of green vegetable below, burnished chicken on top, and little flashes of popcorn across the surface.
The contrast in every serving
I expected a chicken and avocado salad to lean almost entirely soft and creamy, but this version never settles into one texture. The avocado is mellow, the cucumber stays juicy, and the grilled lettuces carry both tender edges and cool crunch. Sweet kernels cut from the cob sit alongside airy, toasted popcorn, so the repeated corn flavor feels deliberate rather than repetitive. I also liked how the dressing behaved. Yoghurt keeps it light enough to coat the large volume of leaves, Cheddar gives it depth, lemon and mustard sharpen it, and Tabasco leaves a warm note without hiding the herbs. Once the paprika chicken is sliced across the top, each person can take a little of every element instead of searching through the bowl for the best pieces.
What I learned at the barbecue
The recipe rewarded having everything measured and the serving bowl ready before the first ingredient reached the grill. At roughly 290°C, the work moves quickly once the soaked corn is finished. I kept the chicken breast pieces similar in thickness, turned them halfway through their seven-minute cook, and trusted the cooked-through center rather than extending the time merely for darker marks. Resting them while I popped the corn and charred the vegetables made the sequence feel calm. The lettuce was the one place where restraint mattered most: a single minute on the cut side gave it smoky color without collapsing it. I also kept the basting dome moving over the popping corn, as directed, which helped expose new kernels to the hot chicken drippings and contained them safely.
Serving it at its best
I assembled the salad only when everyone was close to the table. The dressed vegetables can wait briefly, and the chicken benefits from its rest, but the popcorn is at its best the moment it lands on the platter. Adding it last prevents the creamy dressing from softening it before the first helping is served. For advance preparation, I would measure the dressing ingredients, wash the vegetables and soak the husked corn, but I would still grill, chop and toss close to mealtime. Leftovers can be chilled promptly in a covered container, although the lettuce and popcorn will lose their original texture; I would treat that as a practical next-day lunch rather than expect the same crisp contrast.