If every restaurant has a grilled chicken Caesar salad, shouldn’t that be a sign it belongs on your weekly menu at home too? With crisp romaine, juicy chicken breasts, crunchy croutons and a delectable creamy dressing rich with umami flavor, a Caesar salad is always a crowd-pleaser.
As with most simple recipes, the ingredients and their preparation set masterful apart from lackluster. This grilled chicken Caesar salad goes the extra mile with an easy marinade. Marinating infuses the chicken breasts with tons of complementary flavors and helps keep them plump and juicy throughout the cooking process.
Don’t worry—this recipe doesn’t overcomplicate things (nor do these other 30-minute salad recipes). It still allows for easy shortcuts like store-bought croutons and your favorite bottle of high-quality Caesar dressing, but feel free to make your own dressing if you’re feeling ambitious. Caesar salad remains one of our favorite unfussy recipes for any season.
Ingredients for Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
- Chicken: No wonder there are so many salad recipes with chicken. It’s the perfect protein that comes in many forms, from different cuts of chicken to its preparation. Lean, juicy, white meat chicken breasts are ideal for Caesar salad. The secret to amazing grilled chicken for Caesar salad is marinating the chicken first to get as much flavor as possible into every bite.
- Marinade ingredients: Make this easy marinade with soy sauce (which complements the umami flavor of the anchovies in traditional Caesar dressing), red wine vinegar (for acidity), olive oil, and a blend of oregano, basil, parsley, garlic powder and pepper.
- Romaine lettuce: Crisp and mild in flavor, romaine is always a fantastic choice for salads. However, wash your salad greens properly to prevent foodborne illness since lettuce varieties, like romaine, have been prone to contamination.
- Croutons: Choose your favorite store-bought croutons, or make this dish extra special with homemade croutons.
- Tomatoes: While maybe not traditional in Caesar salad, tomatoes lend color and flavor to this simple salad recipe.
- Dressing: Caesar dressing gets its flavor from a combination of lemon, Parmesan, anchovies, garlic and eggs emulsified with olive oil, which results in a thick, rich and creamy dressing. You can make your own Caesar salad dressing or reach for your favorite bottle from the grocery store.
Directions
Step 1: Marinate the chicken
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the red wine vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, dried parsley flakes, basil, oregano, garlic powder and pepper to make the marinade. Add the chicken to the bag, seal it to close and turn it to coat. Refrigerate the marinating chicken for at least four hours.
Editor’s Tip: You can marinate the chicken up to 24 hours before cooking it. The longer it sits, the more flavor it will absorb and the more tender it will become since marinades work by breaking down the muscle tissue in the meat.
Step 2: Grill the chicken
Drain the chicken and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken, uncovered, over medium-low heat for six to eight minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 170°F.
Editor’s Tip: Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing it to allow the juices to redistribute through the meat. Slice too soon and the flavorful juices leak out, making your chicken taste dry. Resting is one of our top tips for making tough meat tender.
Step 3: Toss the salad
Combine the romaine, croutons and tomatoes in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Divide the salad among six plates, then slice the chicken and arrange it on top of each salad. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Recipe Variations
- Make homemade Caesar dressing: While store-bought dressing keeps this recipe simple, nothing beats homemade Caesar salad dressing.
- Try other greens: Romaine is traditional, but you can also make the grilled chicken Caesar salad with chopped kale, escarole, endive, iceberg or other sturdy leafy greens.
- Use precooked chicken: When we’re short on time, we love to use rotisserie chicken for a chicken Caesar. This salad can also be made with leftover shredded or grilled chicken.
- Add other flavors to the chicken: Try this recipe with other marinade recipes, or make a spicy Caesar salad by preparing Creole blackened chicken instead.
- Top with cheese: Parmesan is a popular addition to Caesar salads, so feel free to add a shower of shredded or shaved Parm to the top of your salad. Romano or Asiago also work nicely here.
- Wrap it up: Not into salads? Turn this recipe into Caesar chicken wraps or chicken Caesar pitas.
How to Store Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Like most dressed salads, it’s best to enjoy this Caesar salad immediately. Dressed lettuce, even crispy romaine, will wilt after a day. You can store the leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. When you want more salad, toss fresh lettuce in more dressing and top it with the chicken.
Can you make grilled chicken Caesar salad ahead of time?
You can make the marinated grilled chicken for Caesar salad two to three days before serving. When ready to enjoy, reheat the chicken or add it cold to the salads. To make restaurant-quality salads at home, prep the salad components up to 24 hours ahead and store them in separate containers. Toss the vegetables, croutons and dressing together just before serving.
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Tips
How do you keep the lettuce crispy in chicken Caesar salad?
Soggy lettuce may be the worst thing to happen to a Caesar since Brutus, so to avoid this common pitfall, use sturdy, fresh lettuce like romaine. Other salad prep tricks are to avoid overdressing the Caesar salad and to avoid dressing the salad too early, as moisture is the number one enemy of salad greens of all types.
What else can you serve with grilled chicken Caesar salad?
Our favorite pairing with a grilled chicken Caesar salad is a small cup of soup or freshly baked bread. Try one of these easy soup recipes or whip up a batch of these copycat Olive Garden breadsticks for a complete meal.
