Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (Easy Make-Ahead Meal)

Name: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (or boneless skinless thighs); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; 1 clove garlic (finely minced or grated); ¼ teaspoon anchovy paste; ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard; ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed); ⅓ cup mayonnaise; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan cheese; ⅛ teaspoon black pepper (or more/less, to your taste); ⅛ teaspoon salt (or more/less, to your taste); 8 cups romaine lettuce; 5 ounces croutons; ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese; cracked black pepper (to your taste)

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This grilled chicken Caesar salad comes together easily on a busy weeknight and it’s hearty enough to keep everyone satisfied. Prep it ahead and dinner is basically done before the week even starts.

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A bowl of Caesar salad with grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, croutons, and shaved Parmesan cheese on a light-colored surface.

I’ve always been obsessed with Caesar salad — the crunchy croutons, parmesan cheese and creamy Caesar salad dressing are just irresistible!

But many store-bought croutons, marinades, and dressings are loaded with sugar and ingredients I can’t pronounce. This is exactly why I started making my own version at home.

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Why This Recipe is a Family Favorite

Everything in this recipe is made from scratch, from the chicken marinade and croutons, to the dressing. It’s the best way to ensure that there are no hidden sugars or ultra-processed ingredients.

It’s also a great chicken meal prep recipe. Make it up to a week ahead and you’ll have enough of the chicken Caesar salad to enjoy for multiple meals during the week!

In addition to being great for lunch, it’s also a light but filling dinner.

What Readers Are Saying

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Oh my goodness! This is soooooooooo goooood! I’ve never made caesar dressing before but I’m gonna have to from now on, it was unreal. The marinade, the dressing, everything, amazing! 15/10 will make again.
–Debbie

A bowl of Caesar salad with sliced grilled chicken, croutons, romaine lettuce, shaved parmesan, and Caesar dressing on a light-colored table.

Happy Kitchen Secrets

Here are my important mom-tested cooking tips for making this recipe! I’ve made this countless times to save you from a failed attempt.

Pound the chicken breast to an even thickness. This ensures it cooks evenly on the grill and doesn’t dry out in the thinner spots.
Don’t skip the rest time. Pull the chicken off the grill at 163°F and let it rest. It will continue cooking and reach a safe 165°F on its own.
Dress the salad right before serving. Caesar dressing will wilt the romaine quickly, so wait until you’re ready to eat before tossing.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Ingredients for chicken Caesar salad are arranged on a countertop, including chicken breasts, romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan, mayonnaise, olive oil, and various seasonings.

For the chicken, boneless skinless chicken breasts work best here, but if you’re not planning to grill, you can use pulled rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken breasts from another recipe. If you prefer dark meat, go ahead and use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead.

I know anchovy paste isn’t something you probably have lying around, but it’s worth picking up. You can find it in a small tube in the canned fish aisle. It doesn’t taste fishy in the finished dressing at all; it just makes everything taste so much better.

Use a good quality, full-fat mayonnaise for the dressing base so it comes out nice and creamy. And when it comes to romaine lettuce, look for firm, crisp heads with bright green leaves. It holds up under the dressing without wilting, which is exactly what you want in a Caesar salad.

How to Make the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

This is a summary of the steps. For the full instructions, see the recipe card! ⬇️

Jump to Recipe

Raw chicken breast in a plastic bag next to a metal meat tenderizer and a plate with another piece of raw chicken breast on a light surface.

Two raw, seasoned chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag, surrounded by bowls of salt, garlic powder, olive oil, and a pepper grinder on a light surface.

Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before marinating. This helps them cook evenly on the grill so you don’t end up with dry edges and an undercooked center.

Whisk together the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken, turning to coat. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes. The longer it marinates, the more flavor you’ll get.

A seasoned chicken breast is cooking on a grill, showing grill marks and some flames visible below the grates.

Two cooked, seasoned chicken breasts on a white plate, photographed from above against a light-colored background.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and grill the marinated chicken for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through. When the internal temperature reaches 163°F, take it off the grill.

Let the chicken rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing. This keeps all those juices inside where they belong.

Don't have a grill?

No problem. You can use a grill pan on your stove top! Or, to skip the cooking altogether, use a rotisserie chicken. Make air fryer chicken breasts for a similarly crispy result. Poached, steamed, or Instant Pot shredded chicken all work great too.

A person pours oil from a small bowl into a glass mixing bowl with batter while holding a whisk.

Sliced grilled chicken breast on a bed of romaine lettuce with croutons, shaved parmesan, and Caesar dressing.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients, drizzling in the olive oil slowly so it emulsifies into a thick, creamy dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

Divide the romaine, croutons, and parmesan among your bowls, top with sliced chicken, and finish with cracked black pepper and a drizzle of dressing.

A bowl of chicken Caesar salad with a fork resting in the bowl.

Meal Prep Tips

When I meal prep this salad, I keep all the components stored separately so nothing gets soggy.

The chicken can be sliced and stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days, and the dressing keeps well in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days — just give it a good shake before using.

When you're ready to eat, just assemble, toss with dressing, and you're good to go!

Chicken Caesar Salad FAQs

Do I have to marinate the chicken?

I always recommend marinating chicken breasts for at least 30 minutes to an hour. You can skip this step if you're short on time, but I find unmarinated chicken breasts to be bit blah in the flavor department. This marinade adds a lot of flavor, so if time allows, you should definitely marinate your chicken.

Planning to make this recipe?

After you make it, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how it went!

2026 Update: This recipe is still a favorite of ours! It's been updated to simplify the cooking instructions and include extra cooking tips. We hope you love it as much as we do!

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