Description
Give the smash taco trend a chicken Caesar salad twist and thank me later! I’m talking a lemony chicken topping, smashed onto mini tortillas, pan-fried until golden, and topped with a crunchy, umami Caesar salad (plus extra Caesar dressing for dipping!) Perfect for busy weeknights or a crowd-pleasing party bite.
Ingredients
For the salad topping -
- 14oz/400g can of chickpeas, drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 slices of streaky bacon
- 1 Romaine lettuce, shredded
- 3 scallions (spring onions), finely sliced
For the Caesar sauce -
- 1/2 cup aioli or mayo
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus extra to serve)
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon white miso paste
- Black pepper
For the tacos -
- 1lb/500g ground chicken
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- Handful of chives, finely chopped (plus more to serve)
- Black pepper
- 12 mini tortillas
Instructions
- Make the crispy chickpeas (optional). I love adding these to the salad itself for some crunch, but you can skip them if you like. Heat your oven to 430F/220C fan and line an oven tray with baking paper. Add your drained chickpeas to the lined tray, then pour over 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika. Mix to coat the chickpeas, then pop into the oven for 15 minutes, or until they’re golden and crispy on the outside. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Cook the bacon. Add the chopped streaky bacon to a frying pan set over high heat, and cook until super crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Make the Caesar sauce. Add 1/2 cup of aioli ,1/4 cup grated parmesan, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of white miso paste and a very good grind of black pepper to a small bowl and mix well to combine into a cohesive sauce.
- Toss the salad. Add the shredded Romaine, half the crispy chickpeas, crispy bacon, sliced scallions and half of the Caesar dressing to a mixing bowl and toss to combine.
- Mix the chicken topping. Add the ground chicken, lemon zest and juice, crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of dried thyme and a handful of chopped chives to a mixing bowl. Combine well, so that the seasoning is evenly dispersed throughout the chicken.
- Top the tacos. Spread a heaped spoonful of the chicken mix onto each mini tortilla, and spread it into a thin, even layer.
- Cook the tacos. Set a large frying pan or skillet over high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Place a topped tortilla, chicken side down, into the pan. Use a fish slice (or similar) to press the tortilla firmly into the pan. This will help it cook quickly and stick to the tortilla when you flip it over. Cook for four minutes, then flip and cook for another minute on the other side. PRO TIP: Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to cook several tacos at once.
- Garnish and serve. Spread a little of the reserved Caesar sauce on top of each taco, then top with the salad. Finish with the extra grated parmesan, chives, crispy chickpeas and an extra dollop of Caesar sauce, then enjoy.
Notes
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Any leftovers will keep for 3 -4 days, stored in the fridge. They will be soft after storing them in this way, but they’ll still be delicious. You can crisp up the bottom of the tacos on the stovetop for a few minutes if you like!
PREP AHEAD: You can prepare the individual elements in advance, then just top and cook the tacos when you’re ready. The chicken mixture will keep for 3 days in the fridge. If you make the salad topping ahead of time, don’t mix the dressing through until you’re ready to serve, just to keep it nice and crunchy. You can top the tacos with the chicken 24 hours in advance, then store them in the fridge if you like. If you do, make sure you separate the tacos with parchment paper so they don’t stick.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I like to serve the tacos with more of the Caesar salad on the side (and definitely the extra Caesar sauce for dipping!) You could also pair them with crispy oven fries, loaded potato wedges, crispy skin-on roast potatoes or garlic butter potatoes.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: fakeaways
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 tacos