Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
This made-from-scratch grilled chicken Caesar salad is easy to make for a weeknight meal, and hearty enough to keep the whole family satisfied.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 630kcal
Equipment
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
Caesar Dressing
- 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
Salad and Toppings
- 8 cups romaine lettuce
- 5 ounces croutons
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- cracked black pepper to your taste
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken Breasts
- Put ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts inside a Ziploc bag or between two sheets of parchment paper. Gently pound the chicken using a meat tenderizer or heavy rolling pin until it's even in thickness. Repeat for the other ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts. Place the chicken in a gallon size Ziploc bag, or a shallow glass or ceramic dish and set it aside.
- Whisk together the marinade ingredients (2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder). Pour the marinade over the chicken, turning to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, or in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.
- Turn your grill to medium heat and let it preheat. Add the chicken breasts to the grill, cooking for about 6 minutes on each side. When the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165℉, remove chicken from the grill and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Make the Dressing
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 clove garlic (minced), ¼ teaspoon anchovy paste, ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and ⅓ cup mayonnaise until smooth.
- While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in 3 tablespoons olive oil until the dressing thickens, emulsifies, and becomes creamy.
- Whisk in the 1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan cheese and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Taste and adjust with additional lemon juice or ⅛ teaspoon salt if desired.
- Use immediately or refrigerate for 20–30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Assemble the Salad
- Divide 8 cups romaine lettuce, 5 ounces croutons, and ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese among four large bowls. Top each salad with 4 ounces chicken and cracked black pepper. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
The dressing ingredients shown are enough to lightly dress 4 chicken Caesar salads. If you like a lot of dressing, make my homemade Caesar salad dressing recipe, which yields 1.5 cups of dressing.
To prevent the Romaine from becoming soggy, wait until just before serving to toss the salad with dressing.
To save time, you can use any fully cooked chicken you already have in your fridge, or shred or slice a rotisserie chicken.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 salad | Calories: 630kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1404mg | Potassium: 732mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 8345IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 229mg | Iron: 3mg
