The Very Best Chicken Ceasar Salad
My Son-In-Law is quite a good cook and he made us the best chicken Caesar salad for Annie’s bridal shower this past weekend.
I followed him around with my pen and paper and did my best to get things exactly as he didn’t measure anything.
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I consider myself to be a pretty good “traditional” Ceasar salad maker and most of our ingredients are the same.
The difference was that he processed his in a food processor (or blender) while I just whisk my ingredients together. Blending the ingredients creates a very creamy dressing. I will be making mine this way from now on.
We started with grilling some chicken breasts that were just rubbed with a bit of olive oil. We then seasoned them with seasoning salt and cayenne pepper.
When I’m home I grill or bake with oil and cajun seasoning. A chicken breast takes about 20 minutes at 350 degrees in the oven. After the breast is baked or grilled, it can sit, tented with foil.
If you just want Caesar Salad as a side dish for another meal just leave out the chicken part.
While the chicken breast was cooking we cut the ends off of two heads of romaine. Then rinsed and set to dry on a paper towel.
Then we prepared the dressing and tossed all the ingredients together.
Chicken Caesar Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Bake or Grilled Chicken Breast
- 4 chicken breasts
- olive oil
- cajun seasoning (to taste & optional)
- salt & pepper (to taste & optional)
Salad Dressing
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 can 10 oz. anchovies, drained (can use less or eliminate if you like)
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salad
- 2 heads romaine lettuce
- 1 cup croutons
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan Cheese divided in half
Instructions
- Brush chicken breast with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with cajun seasoning (Optional)
- Bake chicken breast in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until cooked through. Let chicken rest.
Dressing
- While chicken is cooking; In a small mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic, egg yolk, and spices.
- Add anchovies to a food processor and add a little bit of lemon juice mixture. Pulse until almost smooth and then add the remainder of the lemon juice mixture and pulse again.
- When this mixture is well combined, with the processor on, slowly add the olive oil until a creamy dressing consistency. If necessary, add a bit more oil.
Putting Salad Together
- Tear or chop up the lettuce and add to a large bowl with croutons and 1/2 of grated cheese. Add dressing and toss until completely coated.
- Serve salad topped with chicken and additional parmesan if preferred
Chicken Ceasar Salad is such a great summertime meal. We don’t like our chicken warm from the oven or grill. It’s a great cold lunch or dinner on a hot day.
I’ve been on the search for new recipes. While this is new to us the dressing is different. I just loved the creaminess of it. This is also a 30-minute meal. If you make the dressing and prep the lettuce while the chicken is baking, you have a meal in under a half-hour. Serve with some crusty french bread and a cold glass of Pinot Grigio or Rose wine. Enjoy!
If you’re looking for another 30-minute or less meal then you might also like this incredibly easy chicken recipe. You can find it HERE
Peace,
I will definitely have to try this! So I know you use Cajun seasoning, I was wondering if you had a substitute? Or what goes into your Cajun seasoning?The dressing sounds perfect and this would be an easy meal that would be wonderful for a group as well! Thanks so much for sharing!
I just love Cajun Chicken Ceasar Salad. I actually buy Cajun Seasoning already prepared in the spice aisle at the grocery store but I have made it before. I will look for my recipe and email it to you.
This sounds delicious! I cannot wait to make it!
Chicken Ceasar Salad is one of my absolute favorites so having something a little different than what I always do is refreshing. I don’t measure anything so I’m sure my version will end up being a little different.
Adding that bit of mustard is a great idea for this dressing Lynn! I will add this dressing recipe to my collection! Thanks for sharing! Pinning!
I always used dijon mustard but he used regular yellow so I might switch it up now and then.
Sounds perfect! Can’t wait to try this one!
It’s my new son-in-law’s recipe. I make a more traditional Ceasar but his creamy version is a nice change of pace.