A crispy and creamy Caesar Salad made from cos lettuce, grilled chicken and bacon, crunchy croutons, shaved parmesan and a homemade caesar dressing. You can serve this huge salad as a main meal for a family, or take along to a BBQ or shared dinner.
When a salad is packed full of this much protein and flavour, it totally makes for a substantial dinner choice.
My Chicken Caesar Salad is a twist on the classic with the addition of grilled chicken breast. Coated in my amazing homemade caesar dressing, you will love the big flavours in this amazing salad.
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Ingredient notes:
- Lettuce: I like to use cos or romaine lettuce in my caesar salad. But honestly, use what you have in the fridge whether it is iceberg or 'fancy' lettuce as New Zealand supermarkets call it.
- Bread: I used some plain dinner rolls to make my croutons as that's what I had in the pantry. You could also use pieces of toast bread.
- Parmesan: This is the one ingredient I absolutely can't make a caesar salad without! I shave pieces of parmesan using a potato peeler.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Cut bread rolls up into small pieces and coat in olive oil. Bake at 200°C fan bake for 12 minutes until golden and crunchy.
Place all the ingredients for the caesar dressing into a small jug and whisk to combine. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.
Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally so that you have 4 thin pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
Heat a frying pan to a high heat and cook chicken for 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Set aside to rest for a few minutes then cut into bite sized pieces.
In a large frying pan, cook the chopped bacon until crispy.
Wash and chop the lettuce. Place lettuce, chicken and croutons in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and mix to coat.
Pour the salad onto a large serving platter. Scatter over the crispy bacon then shave the extra parmesan over the top.
Recipe FAQs:
Cos or romaine lettuce, parmesan, croutons and caesar dressing. Many people add in bacon, chicken or anchovies too.
To be honest, it comes down to personal preference. I like diced chicken breast in my salad and prefer to use chicken thighs in a casserole or baked dish where the fat can get rendered nicely.
Storage:
All of the components for this salad could be made in advance, especially handy if you are taking the salad to a friend's house. Store all the separate ingredients in airtight containers in the fridge, then combine them and coat them in the dressing just before serving.
Leftover salad will keep well in the fridge until the next day.
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Chicken Caesar Salad
A crunchy chicken, bacon and cos lettuce salad with homemade croutons dressed in a creamy garlic dressing.
Ingredients
- 2 bread rolls
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 500g chicken breast
- 250g bacon rashers, chopped
- 2 medium cos lettuce heads
- 2 Tbsp parmesan, shaved
Caesar dressing
- 15g parmesan, finely grated
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup cream
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Cut bread rolls up into small pieces and coat in olive oil. Bake at 200°C fan bake for 12 minutes until golden and crunchy.
- Place all the ingredients for the caesar dressing into a small jug and whisk to combine. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.
- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally so that you have 4 thin pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
- Heat a frying pan to a high heat and cook chicken for 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Set aside to rest for a few minutes then cut into bite sized pieces.
- In a large frying pan, cook the chopped bacon until crispy.
- Wash and chop the lettuce. Place lettuce, chicken and croutons in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and mix to coat.
- Pour the salad onto a large serving platter. Scatter over the crispy bacon then shave the parmesan over the top.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 857Total Fat: 60gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 37gCholesterol: 213mgSodium: 1462mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 64g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Jwaa says
Wow!! Can't wait to whip this bad boy up for dinner tomorrow night... Looks delish!
Amy says
How long can you store the dressing for?
VJ cooks says
Hi Amy. The dressing should keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Make sure it is in a sealed container and give it a good stir before serving.
Christine says
This dressing is delicious !