Say hello to my favorite chicken Caesar salad recipe! In fact, this salad is very good. The chicken is tender, juicy, and flavorful, the croutons are crunchy, and the dressing is out of this world. You will want to do this again and again!
We love Caesar salad around here, and this chicken Caesar salad recipe has quickly become a family favorite! It’s a perfect take on a super flavorful and juicy marinated chicken, my favorite Caesar salad dressing, and these easy homemade macroutons.
This is a popular salad, perfect for dinner, for sure! We’ve made it several times lately, and I can’t wait for you to try it. For other favorite salad recipes, check out this white bean salad with prosciutto, an easy Italian chopped salad, and our balsamic strawberry salad.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: Our Greek chicken marinade infuses the chicken with incredible flavor. Tangy, herby, and a little garlicky, it makes it perfect for a chicken Caesar salad! Use chicken breast or chicken thighs, and marinate for at least an hour, or 8 hours for maximum flavor. The marinade includes honey, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, dill, oregano, and Greek yogurt.
- Lettuce and Kale: I love romaine lettuce in a Caesar salad (kale is great too). You can tear the leaves or chop them. Romaine lettuce tends to brown on the cut edges over time. This is why I chop before serving or simply tear off the leaves.
- Anyanini: This addition was inspired by the restaurant’s chicken Caesar. They always put thinly sliced (almost shaved) onions in their salad, and it’s so good!! So, if you want to try it, do your best to cut your onions as thin as possible (a mandoline is amazing for this).
- Parmesan: I add parmesan cheese to my salad and to my homemade dressing.
- My home clothes: You can make my Caesar dressing up to one day in advance. I usually make them by hand with a whisk, but a blender or food processor works well, too. My favorite recipe (linked to recipe below) uses raw egg yolk for that classic richness. If you prefer to avoid raw eggs, check out this delicious egg-free Caesar dressing.
- Croutons: Buy your favorite croutons or make your own. We have two easy recipes for homemade croutons. I love them both. In our video and recipe, I recommend these simple croutons, but you can also try these garlic croutons.
How to Make Chicken Caesar Salad
To make my favorite chicken Caesar, I start with chicken. I like to marinate for an hour or so (if I have time). You will mix the marinade ingredients, add your chicken, and let it sit in the fridge until you are ready to cook the chicken.
If you are happy with how long your chicken has been in the marinade, you can start on the other ingredients of the salad. I bake my croutons at the same oven temperature as my chicken. I toss cubed bread with olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs, then bake until golden and crisp.
Then, as the croutons bake, I start cooking my chicken on the stove to get a little color (I like to use a grill pan). When both sides have some color, I transfer the chicken to the oven to finish cooking in the middle.
While the chicken finished in the oven, I prepared the salad. Trim and wash the lettuce and kale, halve the onion, grate or grate the parmesan cheese, and make the dressing. Once everything is out of the oven and ready to eat, I toss it together and dig in. It tastes great!
Perfect Chicken Caesar Salad
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PREP
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COOK
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TOTAL
4 Services
You will need it
Chicken
1 teaspoon of olive oil
2 spoons of honey
1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of lemon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
½ teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ pounds (680g) chicken breast or thighs
For the salad
2 hearts of romaine lettuce
1 bunch of kale
Medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
Parmesan cheese shavings
1 cup homemade Caesar dressing, 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup
4 cups torn or cubed day bread, about 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, or Italian seasoning, optional
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Marinate the Chicken
1Combine olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, dill, oregano, yogurt, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl large enough to hold the chicken.
2Add the chicken, turning them in the marinade to coat well. Marinate covered in the refrigerator for 1 to 8 hours.
- Make croutons with chicken
1Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, one for the croutons and one for the chicken.
2Brush the bread with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl. Add the dried herbs, if using, and toss well.
3Transfer to a baking sheet. Bake, stirring once, until crispy and lightly golden around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside.
4While the croutons are baking, heat a grill pan over medium heat. A little oil, and put the chicken in the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until grills appear, but do not cook until cooked through. Be careful that your heat is not too high during this step, as the honey can burn.
5Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet and spoon over any marinade left in the dish.
6Bake until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 165°F, about 15 to 25 minutes, depending on how thick your chicken is. Rest for 5 minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces ready for salad.
- Make a Salad
1Chop the romaine lettuce. Remove the leaves from the hearty kale stems and cut or separate them. Rinse the lettuce and kale under cold water, then pat or toss to dry.
2Toss the lettuce, kale, and sliced onions with several tablespoons of the dressing. If the salad seems dry, add more dressing. Spread over a few handfuls of croutons and finish with parmesan cheese shavings and chopped chicken.
Tips from Adam and Joanne
- Other ways to cook chicken: You can grill, bake, or cook the chicken in a skillet or grill pan. My favorite option is to broil the outside for color and finish in the oven. Since the honey is in the marinade, it will darken a bit so watch the heat when searing your chicken. You can skip the grill pan and go straight to the oven. You will still get a little color. If you’re using an outdoor grill, use our grilled chicken recipe for tips.
- The nutrition facts given below are estimates. We used chicken breasts and 2 tablespoons of dressing per serving.
Food Per Serving
Serving Size
1/4 of the recipe
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Calories
624
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Perfect Oils
34.5g
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Saturated Fats
5.3g
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Cholesterol
168.8
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Sodium
1148mg
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Carbohydrate
29.5g
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Dietary fiber
2.5g
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Total Sugar
7.2g
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Proteins
52.3g
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