This Chicken Caesar Salad is a flavorful main dish salad that’s loaded with marinated chicken, garlic herb croutons, cherry tomatoes, avocado and crisp romaine, all tossed in my creamy homemade caesar dressing.
Make The Best Chicken Caesar Salad, at Home
We’ve been on a Caesar Salad kick lately, and I love adding chicken to it to make it a complete meal! This recipe is perfect for summer, when you can throw the chicken on the grill and assemble the rest of the salad components ahead of time. I’ve included directions for grilling, baking and pan-searing the chicken in the recipe below so you can choose which one works best for you.
The best part about this recipe is that you can make it completely from scratch, or take a little help from the store if you’re short on time. Either way, it’s simple to make and always so tasty! The recipe below includes everything you need, from my easy Homemade Croutons and Caesar Salad Dressing, to the best chicken marinade.
I think you’ll also love my Chicken Caesar Wrap!
How to Make Chicken Caesar Salad
You can do any (or all) of these ahead of time, just be sure to assemble the salads right before serving!
Marinate Chicken: I make a simple marinade with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Before adding the chicken breasts to the marinade, pound them with a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even ½-inch thickness. This helps the chicken to cook evenly and makes it more tender. Marinate the chicken in the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Make Croutons: Toss bread cubes with olive oil, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spread them out on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 12-16 minutes, until golden brown and crunchy.
Make Dressing: Mash minced garlic and salt together to make a paste, then mix in mayonnaise, olive oil, freshly grated Parmesan, fresh lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, anchovy paste, and black pepper.
Cook the Chicken: You can grill it, bake it, or cook it in a skillet on the stove. Directions for all are in the recipe card below. You can also air fry it, using my Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe.
Assemble Salads: Toss the dressing with the chopped lettuce. Then add the tomatoes, avocado, sliced chicken, croutons and shaved Parmesan and toss briefly to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Use a different protein. Try Grilled Shrimp, Pan Seared Salmon or Grilled Steak.
- Make a kale caesar with massaged kale or swap half of the romaine with arugula.
- Add sliced Hard Boiled Eggs.
- Add pasta! This is a fun twist for a dinner salad, especially in the summer. Cooked penne works great.
- For a classic chicken caesar salad, you can leave out the tomatoes and avocado in this recipe.
More Main Dish Salads
- Cobb Salad: Super satisfying and flavorful.
- Taco Salad: Perfect for a quick dinner.
- Salmon Salad: With spinach, avocado, goat cheese and blueberries, this combo is so good.
- Grilled Chicken Salad: A go-to for us in the summertime.
- Chinese Chicken Salad: The tangy, gingery dressing makes every bite full of flavor!
Made this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Chicken Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Chicken
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 2 pounds
Garlic Herb Croutons
- 6 cups 1-inch bread cubes, from a French baguette, French bread, thick country bread, or similar (day old bread is best)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Caesar Dressing
- 2 small cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup good quality mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon anchovy paste, optional, see note
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Remaining Salad Ingredients
- 3 romaine hearts or 1 large head romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped or torn, about 12 cups
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 large avocado, diced
- ½ cup shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined. Place the chicken breasts in a zip-top plastic bag and pound them using a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are an even thickness, about ½-inch thick. Pour the marinade into the bag with the chicken, seal the bag, and place it in a baking dish (in case of leaks). Turn the bag to coat all parts of the chicken. Marinate chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 2 hours.¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Make the Croutons:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add the bread cubes and stir them together with the oil and seasonings until evenly coated. Spread them out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-16 minutes, until golden brown, flipping them over half way through the bake time.6 cups 1-inch bread cubes, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Make the Dressing:
- Place the minced garlic in the bottom of a medium bowl. Pour the salt onto the garlic and use the back of a small spoon to mash the garlic and salt together into a paste.2 small cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Add the mayonnaise, olive oil, freshly grated Parmesan, fresh lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, anchovy paste (if using), and black pepper. Whisk until fully combined.½ cup good quality mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ¾ teaspoon anchovy paste, freshly ground black pepper
- Taste and add more salt and/or pepper, if needed. If the dressing is too thick, you can whisk in a little water, a teaspoon at a time, to thin it out.
Grill the Chicken (see note for other cooking methods)
- Clean the grates of a gas or charcoal grill (or use an indoor grill pan). Oil the grill grates and heat the grill to medium high (375-450 degrees F). Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard extra marinade. Grill chicken for 5-8 minutes per side, until cooked through. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165°s F. For the best grill marks and juicy chicken, begin cooking the chicken on a hotter part of the grill for a few minutes and then move it to lower heat to finish cooking through. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes, then slice into strips.
Assemble Salad
- Place the chopped lettuce in a large bowl. Drizzle on dressing, a little at a time, tossing it with the lettuce until the salad is dressed to your liking. Then add the tomatoes, avocado, chicken, croutons and Parmesan and toss briefly to combine. Serve immediately.1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, 3 romaine hearts or 1 large head romaine lettuce, ½ cup shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese, 1 large avocado
Notes
- To Cook Chicken on the Stove: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy skillet (such as a cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan (work in batches if needed) and cook chicken breasts for about 5-8 minutes per side (cook boneless chicken thighs for 8-10 minutes per side), or until chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165° F. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- To Bake Chicken: Preheat oven to 425° F. Place chicken in a baking dish, discarding used marinade. Bake chicken breasts according to their size: bake 5-6 ounce breasts for 13-16 minutes, bake 8 ounce breasts for 16-19 minutes, bake 11-12 ounce breasts for 22-26 minutes. Chicken is done when it reaches 165° F in the thickest part of the meat.
- Make Ahead: It’s best to store each component separately and then assemble the salad right before serving. Croutons can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Caesar salad dressing can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Cooked chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Anchovy Paste: Chopped anchovies or anchovy paste are a traditional ingredient in Caesar dressing. If you prefer not to use the anchovy paste, the Worcestershire sauce in the dressing brings a similar flavor profile.
- Nutrition estimate assumes all marinade will be consumed which it won’t be. I also usually have some leftover dressing, and nutrition info assumes you will use it all.
