A flavorful copycat recipe of the famous Portillo’s Chopped Salad- packed with crisp romaine lettuce, savory bacon & diced chicken , juicy cherry tomatoes, green onion, Gorgonzola cheese, and bits of ditalini pasta all covered in an easy creamy sweet and tangy dressing.
What is Portillo’s?
Portillo’s is a fast casual restaurant that originates from Chicago, but now has locations all over the U.S. Walking in the interior adorned with red leather, chrome, neon lights, and a delicious scent wafting in the air gives the feel of an old-school diner.
On their menu you will find Chicago-style hot dogs, Hot Italian Beef Sandwiches, Cheese Fries, Chocolate Cake, and a fan-favorite since 1990 -the famous Chopped Salad covered in their House Dressing.
If you’d like to try one for yourself, you can now find locations in Illinois, Florida, California, Arizona, Wisconsin, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, and Texas.
Why You’ll Love It:
- Copycat Recipe– we’ve all had it happen- a craving strikes for a particular food from a particular restaurant, but for whatever reason you can’t make it there to enjoy it. That’s where a copycat recipe has your back. Craving satisfied from the comfort of your home.
- Homemade Dressing– this dressing. Even if you don’t make the salad, make this dressing! It’s creamy, herby, tangy, and slightly sweet. Perfectly balanced and out-of-this-world good.
- Crowd Pleaser– making it great for family dinners, potlucks, and BBQs.
- Side or Main Dish– this salad is a great side dish for a meaty main, but is also hearty enough it can be eaten on it’s own.
Ingredient Notes:
- Chicken– any kind of chicken works for this salad. Diced grilled chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken from last night’s dinner are all great options. If serving this as a side dish, feel free to leave out the chicken to lighten it up.
- Bacon– the fat in thick cut bacon gives this salad a crisp savory decadence.
- Ditalini Pasta– a small tubed-shaped pasta, that gives this salad a wonderful variety in texture and catches the dressing nicely.
- Gorgonzola– very similar to blue cheese, with a strong salty, tangy flavor and creamy soft texture. It pairs well with the savory bacon and sweet dressing in this recipe.
- Lettuce– the original Portillo’s salad uses a combination of Romaine lettuce, iceberg, and red cabbage, but for this recipe I’ve used a combination of Romaine and slaw mix. This mixture is fresh, crisp, and crunchy but use whatever mix suits your texture preference.
Substitutions & Variations:
- Instead of thick cut bacon– a thin cut bacon or baked prosciutto can be used for an even crispier crunch. To save some time, substitute for pre-cooked real bacon bits.
- Instead of Gorgonzola– blue cheese, feta cheese, or goat cheese can be used.
- Instead of ditalini pasta– any short-cut pasta can be used such as orzo or mini elbow pasta.
- For a pop of color– use red wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar in the dressing. It gives it a lovely pink-ish hue.
- Instead of Homemade Dressing– a pre-made sweet Italian dressing can be used.
- Gluten Free– use a gluten-free ditalini or other short cut pasta such as Le Veneziane Italian Gluten Free Corn Pasta. (Affiliate)
- Vegetarian– leave out the bacon and chicken and add white beans and/or crispy chickpeas for a bit of protein.
- Optional Additions– sliced red onion, diced avocado, or chopped hard boiled egg are all great additions to this recipe.
Tips & Recipe Notes:
- Salad Leftovers (tossed in dressing) can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a day in an airtight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap. After 24 hours, the lettuce and bacon become too soggy.
- If making ahead, store salad & dressing separately. Toss in dressing just before serving.
- Leftover dressing can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Shake dressing before pouring. (It can also be used as a dip for cut veggies!)
- Boil the pasta in generously salted water. This helps keep the pasta from sticking together and infuses flavor.
More Salad Recipes You Will Love:
- Roasted Broccoli, Butternut Squash & White Bean Salad
- Grilled Sweet Pepper Panzanella Salad with Whipped Feta
- Mediterranean Pasta & Kale Salad with Garlic Basil Dressing
- White Bean & Couscous Tabbouleh Salad
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Portillo’s Chopped Salad
A flavorful copycat recipe of the famous Portillo's Chopped Salad- packed with crisp romaine lettuce, savory bacon & diced chicken , juicy cherry tomatoes, green onion, Gorgonzola cheese, and bits of ditalini pasta all covered in an easy creamy sweet and tangy dressing.
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick cut bacon cooked and chopped
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
- 3 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 1/2 cup red cabbage or slaw mix chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
- 1 cup cooked chicken chopped
Dressing
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp minced garlic 2-3 cloves
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1.5 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to directions on the package. Once cooked, drain pasta and allow to cool some before mixing into salad.
- Make Dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Combine: all salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss until well combined.
Notes
- Chicken– any kind of chicken works for this salad. Diced grilled chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken from last night’s dinner are all great options. If serving this as a side dish, feel free to leave out the chicken to lighten it up.
- Ditalini Pasta– a small tubed-shaped pasta, that gives this salad a wonderful variety in texture and catches the dressing nicely. Instead of Ditalini- any short-cut pasta can be used such as orzo or mini elbow pasta.
- Gorgonzola– very similar to blue cheese, with a strong salty, tangy flavor and creamy soft texture. It pairs well with the savory bacon and sweet dressing in this recipe. Instead of Gorgonzola- blue cheese, feta cheese, or goat cheese can be used.
- Instead of thick cut bacon– a thin cut bacon or baked prosciutto can be used for an even crispier crunch. To save some time, substitute for pre-cooked real bacon bits.
- Instead of Homemade Dressing– a pre-made sweet Italian dressing can be used.
- Gluten Free– use a gluten-free ditalini or other short-cut corn pasta.
- Vegetarian– leave out the bacon and chicken and add white beans and/or crispy chickpeas for a bit of protein.
- Optional Additions– sliced red onion, diced avocado, or chopped hard boiled egg are all great additions to this recipe.
- Salad Leftovers (tossed in dressing) can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a day in an airtight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap. After 24 hours, the lettuce and bacon become too soggy.
- If making ahead, store salad & dressing separately. Toss in dressing just before serving.
- Leftover dressing can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Shake dressing before pouring. (It can also be used as a dip for cut veggies)
- Nutritional Information is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients and amounts used.
Nutrition
Calories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 27.8gProtein: 54.3gFat: 28.9gSaturated Fat: 11.1gFiber: 3.6gSugar: 7g
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