Have you heard of Portillo’s Restaurant Chopped Salad? My friend Diane made this for me last summer and I was hooked the first time I tried it!

It’s everything a chopped salad should be: fresh, easy, a little pasta, a little green, a lot of veggies, and delicious dressing. This salad also features bonus ingredients of grilled marinated chicken and feta cheese.

Portillo’s is a Chicago-based, vintage-inspired street food restaurant. They’re known for their iconic hot dogs, beef sandwiches, cheese fries, chocolate cake, and chocolate cake shakes.

Portillo’s is also renowned for their fresh Portillo’s Chopped Salad…

I’ve never been to Portillo’s until last summer. I did not even make the connection between this salad and the restaurant until after we visited the Gilbert, Arizona Portillo’s last summer.

Grant had a burger and I ordered a piece of chocolate cake in the drive-thru. I asked for a menu and then later that evening saw that they served “Chopped Salad.” WHAT??? It was too late to go back to Portillo’s, but I realized then that this was the same restaurant where the Portillo’s Chopped Salad originated!

Diane prepared this salad for a summer dinner at our home in 2023. Yes, Diane, who also shared her No-Fail French Bread recipe with me years ago. Diane actually got this recipe from Nan, who is the author of another ABK favorite, Nan’s Coconut Cake!

Five Reasons We Love Portillo’s Restaurant Chopped Salad Recipe:

1. Easy to make – just a little grilling, chopping, and boiling.

2. Perfect for make-ahead – all ingredients can be prepared days ahead and placed in individual containers to combine when serving. Which makes this perfect for a quick summertime (or anytime) meal.

3. Great salad for meal prep – prep ingredients early in the week, separate into containers, and add dressing when you’re ready to eat!

4. Travels well – an easy salad to make at home and bring to a potluck or party. The ingredients stay looking fresh for a long time.

5. Everyone loves Portillo’s Salad for gatherings! There is a reason Portillo’s boasts over 70 restaurants nationwide – they know what tastes great. This Italian salad will become a go-to for your next get-together.

Here’s what you need TO MAKE OUR HOMEMADE PORTILLO SALAD:

Ditalini pasta  

Tomatoes

Feta cheese

Romaine lettuce or a combination of romaine, cabbage, and spinach

Bacon

Chicken

Green Onions

Ingredients for marinade and salad dressing

We hope you love this make-at-home recipe for Portillo’s Restaurant famous chopped salad!

Portillo’s Restaurant Chopped Salad

Print Pin
Author: Si Foster
Course: Dinner, lunch, Main Course, Salad, side
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 – 10

Ingredients 

Marinade:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • ¼ cup dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Dressing:

  • 1 cup light olive oil
  • ⅓ cup red wine or white balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-2 teaspoons honey or sugar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

or

  • 1-16 ounce bottle Italian-style dressing

Salad:

  • 8 boneless, skinless, chicken breast tenderloins, or 2-3 chicken breast halves
  • 1 ½ cups Ditalini pasta
  • 10-12 cups romaine lettuce or a combination of greens, washed, drained and chopped
  • 2 cups tomatoes, chopped, or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
  • 6-8 strips bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
  • 1-2 bunches green onions, washed, and chopped

Instructions

For chicken and pasta:

  • Combine all marinade ingredients and marinate chicken in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours.
  • Grill chicken, chop, and set aside to cool. Discard marinade.
  • Mix all salad dressing ingredients together. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
  • Cook pasta according to package directions and drain, set aside.

For pasta and veggies:

  • Chop lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large serving bowl or platter.
  • Arrange cooked , cooled chicken, cooled pasta and veggies on top of greens on platter. Place in rows if desired (see photo). When ready to serve, toss or drizzle with dressing.

Notes

  • ⅓ cup lemon juice or ⅓ cup orange juice can be used instead of the lemon juice and orange juice in the marinade. 
  • For meal prep, place all ingredients in separate containers. Toss with dressing just before serving.

Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. I’d love to see a photo, tag @abountifulkitchen on Instagram!