Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad – Immaculate Bites

Enjoy an incredibly crispy, filling, and refreshing lunch with my grilled chicken Caesar salad. The words healthy and comfort food don’t usually go together, but this recipe gives you the best of both worlds. What I love even more is the creamy dressing and the simplicity of throwing it all together.

Iceberg lettuce may not have many calories, but neither is it exciting, nor does it have much flavor. What makes a good salad different is Romaine lettuce with its refreshing crunchiness, dark green color, and slightly bitter yet pleasant earthiness.

Now top that salad with grilled chicken, and you have a real healthy treat. Now it’s becoming popular to grill the lettuce, too. I have included instructions on how to grill Romaine lettuce if you’d love to try it.

Why Fire Up the Grill

Doesn’t grilling make everything taste better? Whether it’s chicken, beef, fish, or vegetables, the high heat creates that gorgeous Maillard reaction, adds a delicious smokiness, and cooks it faster than the oven. That sounds like a winner recipe to me.

If you feel brave enough to grill the lettuce, it also adds a smokiness and caramelizes the natural sweetness. You’ll want to take it off the grill before the lettuce completely wilts, and you’ll have a pleasantly warm and crispy salad to top with your chicken.

How to Make Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

1. Make the dressing and chill it. No raw eggs required.

1. Marinate the chicken, and grill it. You could also broil the chicken if you don’t want to light the grill.

1. Let the chicken rest while slicing the French bread, brushing it with olive oil and garlic, and toasting it on the grill or in the oven. Or make croutons and toast them in the oven. Optionally, grill the Romaine lettuce, chop it into bite-sized pieces, and enjoy.

Recipe Tips & Variations

• Assemble the salad right before serving for nice, crunchy lettuce.
• Grilled shrimp is a wonderful substitute for chicken.
• Don’t feel you have to limit yourself to Caesar salad dressing. This incredible salad goes well with blue cheese, ranch, and poppy seed dressing. And store-bought dressing also works in a pinch.
• If you eat gluten-free, replace the croutons with a gluten-free version.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

I love grilling a double or triple batch of chicken because it will last 4-5 days in the fridge or 3-4 months in the freezer, and the dressing will last a week or more in the fridge. Having my salad mix ready means fast assembly for a quick and healthy lunch.

You can store leftover Caesar salad in the fridge for up to 3 days; the lettuce will be a little wilted, but it still tastes good.

What Pairs With Chicken Caesar Salad

The perfect salad deserves the perfect accompaniment. Focaccia is absolutely heavenly with a salad or anything else you want to pair it with. If you’re looking for soup and salad vibes, my French onion soup is ideal.

More Fantastic Salad Recipes to Try

This blog post was originally published in May 2021 and has been updated with additional tips and tantalizing new photos.

Looking for more recipes? Follow on…

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

Fusion, Italian

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

The Dressing

• In a medium bowl, whisk the anchovies, garlic, salt, black pepper, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan, and optional sugar continuously until fully combined.

• Taste and adjust seasonings and thickness to your liking. Chill the dressing in the fridge until ready to serve.

Grilled Chicken

• In a medium bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, black pepper, rosemary, and minced parsley. Whisk it well to combine thoroughly.

• Add chicken to the bowl and toss to coat the chicken with the marinade thoroughly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.

• Fire up the grill, drain the marinade and discard it, then place the chicken on the grill for 4-5 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reads 165℉ (74℃) on an instant-read thermometer. If using thicker breasts, cooking time will increase.

• Optionally, cut the Romaine lettuce in half lengthwise and place it cut-side down on the grill for 1-2 minutes per side, flip, grill for another minute, and set aside. If you prefer not grilling your lettuce, simply cut it into bite-sized pieces and set it aside.

• Transfer the grilled chicken to a cutting board, let it rest for 5-10 minutes, and slice it into small strips (about 3 inches). Set it aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

• Mix the olive oil and garlic, then slice and brush the French bread with the olive oil and garlic mixture. Either toast it on the grill or in the oven. Or cut the slices into cubes, toast them, and use them like croutons.

• Chop the Romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place them on a serving platter, top with sliced chicken, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Top your salad with a little of the dressing and serve the remaining dressing on the side for those who like drowning their salads.

• Serve with the toasted French bread or croutons.

• Let the grill preheat for at least five minutes. You may have a good flame, but it still takes a little time to heat the metal grates of the grill.
• An instant-read thermometer will verify the meat is done and has reached the recommended 165℉ (73℃).
• Flatten the chicken breasts with a food mallet or butterfly them for faster and more even cooking.
• Marinating your chicken overnight will deepen the delicious flavor.
• Letting the chicken breasts rest for 5-10 minutes allows the juices time to reabsorb into the meat.
• You can make all the parts ahead, then assemble right before serving for a quick lunch option.
• Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Serving: 300g| Calories: 673kcal (34%)| Carbohydrates: 12g (4%)| Protein: 44g (88%)| Fat: 50g (77%)| Saturated Fat: 11g (69%)| Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g| Monounsaturated Fat: 19g| Trans Fat: 0.1g| Cholesterol: 135mg (45%)| Sodium: 1478mg (64%)| Potassium: 953mg (27%)| Fiber: 3g (13%)| Sugar: 4g (4%)| Vitamin A: 9550IU (191%)| Vitamin C: 14mg (17%)| Calcium: 373mg (37%)| Iron: 3mg (17%)

Course: Lunch, Main, Salad

Cuisine: Fusion, Italian