Nothing beats this fresh, crisp chicken Caesar salad recipe! Fresh romaine, parmesan cheese, croutons, bacon and juicy chicken tossed in a flavorful homemade Caesar salad dressing.
CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD
You can never go wrong with a fresh crisp chicken Caesar salad! This light yet hearty Caesar salad loaded with parmesan cheese, croutons, bacon bits, and juicy chicken breast all tossed in a homemade creamy, garlicky Caesar dressing. Make this salad for lunch, a side dish or meal prep it for work or school!
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Romaine– The key to a perfect Caesar salad is crisp, fresh romaine! You can use regular romaine, curly romaine, or even iceberg lettuce.
- Parmesan Cheese– For the best results, you want to use fresh parmesan, grated, shredded or chunks. I do not recommend using the pre-grated package parmesan for this fresh salad.
- Croutons– Either homemade or store-bought croutons can be used. You can also leave the croutons out if you want to keep this salad gluten free.
- Chicken– You can use grilled, baked, or fried chicken! Whatever chicken you like can be added to this recipe. I love to use crispy chicken cutlets.
- Flavor– To season the salad, just salt and pepper is needed. Most of the flavor will come from the homemade Caesar salad dressing.
- Dressing– The main ingredient for the best chicken Caesar salad is homemade dressing! You can also use your favorite store-bought dressing if you prefer.
HOW TO MAKE CAESAR SALAD WITH CHICKEN
This easy Caesar salad with chicken can be ready in no time!
- Cook the chicken according to the desired recipe. (I use crispy chicken cutlets for this hearty salad.)
- In a bowl or jar, combine the ingredients for the homemade Caesar salad dressing.
- Chop the romaine lettuce and add it to a large salad bowl. Add bacon bits, croutons, and parmesan cheese to the salad bowl.
- Once the chicken is cooked, slice or cube the chicken and add to the salad.
- Drizzle the Caesar salad dressing over the ingredients. Top with salt and pepper.
- Using tongs, toss the salad until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning and how dressed you want your salad.
- Top with additional parmesan cheese and serve immediately with desired dishes.
WHAT CHICKEN CAN I USE FOR CAESAR SALAD?
There are so many different types of chicken you can use for this salad! You can go lighter and use grilled chicken or for a crisp, use fried chicken! Here are some chicken recipes that go great in this salad:
- Crispy Chicken Cutlets
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Blackened Chicken
- Chipotle Chicken
- Popcorn Chicken
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
No! You can leave this a plain classic Caesar salad or swap the chicken for steak for a heartier salad. I like to add my Chipotle steak to this salad.
You can make chicken, bacon and dressing ahead of time. But for the best results, I recommend chopping the lettuce and tossing the salad right before serving to avoid soggy salad.
A classic Caesar salad consists of just romaine, parmesan and croutons. But you can totally add all your other favorite salad toppings. Like cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, etc.
Yes! You can make homemade Caesar salad dressing 2-3 days ahead of time.
This salad is best when eaten fresh to avoid soggy salad. I would not recommend keeping the leftovers.
Yes! Check out my chicken Caesar pasta salad recipe for the perfect pasta salad variation.
OTHER SALAD RECIPES-
If you love salads, give these delicious salad recipes a try:
Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Salad-
- 2 heads romaine chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 cup croutons
- 8 oz cooked bacon chopped
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups cooked chicken cubed or sliced
Caesar Salad Dressing-
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon Juice
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 Tbsp parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine mayo, olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Store in the fridge until ready to use. (You can make the dressing 2-3 days ahead of time.)
- Shred the romaine and add it to a large salad bowl. (Rinse and spin in a salad spinner.)
- Add the crispy bacon bits, cooked chicken, croutons and shredded parmesan cheese to the salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the salad dressing over the salad and toss until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning and add more dressing if desired.
- Serve immediately with desired sides.
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