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Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad is the perfect meal to enjoy all summer long.
Juicy blackened chicken breasts, crisp lettuce, and a shortcut Caesar salad dressing make this salad an easy favorite!
Enjoy this salad for lunch or dinner or even tuck it into a tortilla for a chicken Caesar wrap.
- Chicken Caesar salad is both easy and delicious to make at home!
- This salad can be prepared ahead and then tossed together right before serving.
- The chicken is great served hot or cold, while you’re cooking, grill extra chicken breasts to use in recipes all week long!
Ingredients for Grilled Chicken Caesar
- Chicken Breasts: Pound the chicken breasts to ½-inch thick so it cooks quickly and evenly, or use boneless chicken thighs in place. No time to prep and grill? Use a rotisserie chicken instead! Add a little spice and try this Cajun Chicken, or use leftover blackened chicken!
- Lettuce: Romaine lettuce is classic for Caesar salads, but kale Caesar salad is amazing too!
- Dressing: This is a quick shortcut caesar dressing, but if you’re short on time, use your favorite bottled brand and add a splash of lemon juice and some extra parmesan cheese to uplevel the flavors.
- Seasoning: Blackened seasoning has a smoky, bold flavor that complements the creamy Caesar dressing, but a mild lemon pepper or a southwestern fajita blend can work, too.
- Croutons: Buy them or make your own croutons. Crispy fried onions will also add crunch, or use bacon bits for a keto-friendly crunch!
- Variations: Grilled shrimp, garlic butter steak bites, or a scoop of buffalo chicken will make this salad new every time! Add your favorite pasta to make this hearty side dish. Or make grab-and-go grilled chicken wraps for energizing workday lunches!
How to Make Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
- Make dressing and chill in the refrigerator.
- Cook seasoned chicken breasts on a preheated grill and cook. Check the internal temp before removing breasts (as per the recipe below).
- Combine romaine, croutons, and 1/3 cup parmesan cheese.
- Add dressing and toss.
- Place slices of chicken on the salad and sprinkle extra parmesan cheese on top
- Serve immediately with a lemon wedge.
Tips for Perfect Caesar Salad
- For extra juicy chicken, remove chicken breasts just shy of 165°F as they’ll continue to cook a bit as they rest.
- Keep leftover grilled chicken separate from the leftover salad in covered containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Add fresh romaine and a few squirts of lemon juice to refresh the salad and pop chicken in the microwave for about 30 seconds, if desired.
More Main Dish Salads
Did you make this Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad? Leave us a comment and rating below!
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Make this easy grilled chicken Caesar salad for a filling and tasty summer dish!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning or to taste
Salad
- 2 heads romaine hearts torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup croutons
- ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
- lemon wedges for serving
Caesar Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste optional
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, garlic, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy paste, and dijon mustard. Season with salt and black pepper to taste and refrigerate until serving.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (400°F).
- Using the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound the chicken breasts to ½-inch thick. Drizzle with olive oil and season with Cajun seasoning.
- Place chicken on the grill for 7-8 minutes. Flip over and cook an additional 6 to 8 minutes or until no pink remains and the chicken reaches 165°F. Rest for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine romaine lettuce, croutons, and ⅓ cup parmesan cheese. Add dressing and toss to combine; you may not need all of the dressing.
- Slice the chicken, and place it on top of the salad. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
Replace the Cajun seasoning with your favorite blackened seasoning, chicken seasoning, or lemon pepper.
To maintain freshness, store leftover grilled chicken, lettuce, and dressing in covered containers in the refrigerator. They can be safely stored for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 517 | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 942mg | Potassium: 1256mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 27403IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 255mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad, Side Dish
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Excellent! A family favorite! Don’t change a thing-perfect as listed! Thank you!
why do I think anchovies are always part of a classic Caesar salad and wrong?
Hi Ron, they are. For this homemade Caesar dressing we use anchovy paste.
Made this last night. Fast, easy and delicious. Perfect for a summer supper.
So glad you loved it Val!
Best dressing ever. Make it all the time for my family.
This sounds super tasty, but is the Nutr. Info., as posted, for 1 serving, or for all 4? I’m asking b/c this sounds like a lot of calories, carbs, & sodium for only 1 serving. Thanks
Hi Angelina, the nutrition info is per wrap. You can reduce the calories and sodium by opting for light mayonnaise and low sodium alternative. Enjoy!
Thanks for this quick delicious recipe! First time making Caesar dressing and didn’t have anchovy paste, so I subbed fish sauce, after finding out it’s made from anchovies. It turned out great, and we thought it superior to store brands. I also subbed regular pita bread, and loved the flavor. Winning meal for the summer! Thanks!
Those sound like good substitutions Pra! So happy to hear this one is a winner for your family!
Would be useful to include recipe for chicken seasoning please
Any seasoning you enjoy would work perfectly. I usually combine the following:
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon seasoning salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Looks great! do you have advice for seasoning the chicken when using leftover rotisserie chicken?
I only made the dressing from this recipe. OMG! This dressing is so delicious I was literally licking the bowl!
I’m so glad you loved it, it’s one of our favorites too! :)
Looks selfish? What do you season the chicken with?
Autocorrect! Meant to say Looks DELISH!! ;)
I use either a blackened chicken spice or a Montreal Chicken Seasoning.
Looks so good! I want to try that homemade dressing. :)
It really is a perfect summertime dinner! Enjoy!
Thank you Dahn! I love a good grilled chicken salad!
Easy summer recipes are my jam! This is perfect for summer grilling!
I agree Lindsey, I’m all about the grill too!
That chicken looks AMAZING! I’ve never tried those wraps before – I’ll have to check them out.
Thank you Allison! You’ll love the wraps, they’re great grilled or wrapped!
I LOVE a good cesar salad! This recipe looks EPIC with the garlic parmesan flatbread. I need to make this soon!
Thanks Brandi! I’d be happy with a plate of the garlic parmesan flatbread and a bowl of dressing to dip it in! :)