This super easy grilled chicken Caesar salad is a seriously flavour-packed favourite. Full of protein, it’s substantial enough to enjoy as a main but still feels light and fresh. This will be your new simple weeknight go-to.
I think we’ve ALL had a disappointing Caesar salad. You know what I’m talking about – soggy iceberg lettuce swimming in watery dressing, with way too many tough croutons and not enough of anything else. It’s because of this I was always a bit wary of a Caesar salad. But done well, it’s SERIOUSLY good.
The salad has a bit of everything. It gets texture from the crunchy lettuce, crispy prosciutto and parmesan shards. Spring onions bring another fresh element, and that dressing is PACKED with umami flavour. It’s hard not to eat it with a spoon!
A classic Caesar salad includes crispy croutons, but I’m replacing them here with crispy prosciutto and parmesan shards. They bring that crunchy element that croutons provide in the original, plus a lot of lovely savoury flavour. To make the salad more of a meal, I love to add grilled chicken thighs. They’re juicy, and when paired with a simple lemon, garlic and herb marinade, it’s pretty hard to go wrong.
MAKE IT VEGETARIAN: Swap the crispy prosciutto for crispy chickpeas (toss a can of drained chickpeas with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika then bake on a lined oven tray for about 20 minutes at 180C/360F) and add grilled halloumi or tofu slices rather than the chicken.
Ingredients
The beauty of this salad is its simplicity – nothing is tricky to find here, and most of the dressing ingredients are pantry staples.
- Chicken thighs. I prefer using thighs because they’re juicier than chicken breast, but you can use breasts if you like. You can also use leftover roast chicken, or pre-shredded chicken or pick up a rotisserie chicken and use that! Always go free-range. I’m marinating them with lemon juice, rosemary and garlic, but you could sprinkle them with salt and pepper if you like.
- Romaine (cos) lettuce. This super sturdy, crunchy lettuce is best for this salad. You want something with a good level of crunch, so if you can’t find it, you could use Baby Gem or Iceberg.
- Parmesan cheese. Try to grate the parmesan yourself – the pre-grated stuff is coated in an anti-caking agent which impacts the texture. Plus, it’s often a lot cheaper to buy it by the block. You could also use Grana Padano or even Manchego.
- Prosciutto. Throwing slices of salty prosciutto in the oven is one of my favourite ways to jazz up a dish with a salty, crunchy hit. You could just use bacon if you can’t find prosciutto.
- The dressing. You’ll need aioli (try my easy vegan aioli), white miso paste (or use Dijon mustard), parmesan, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and salt. A classic Caesar salad uses anchovies, but because Worcestershire sauce has anchovies in it, I skip it here and it’s easier and quicker to make without having to chop them up finely.
How to make it
Start by mixing your chicken marinade ingredients, then add the chicken and toss to coat. Ideally, you want to marinate it for at least 30 minutes, but it’s fine to just leave it in the marinade while you prepare the rest of the salad ingredients.
Place the prosciutto on a lined oven tray, along with little piles of grated parmesan, then bake for 8 minutes at 180C (360F) until lovely and crispy. Let cool slightly then break both up into little shards.
Mix the aioli, grated parmesan, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, miso paste and salt in a small bowl and set aside while you prep the salad. I like to finely slice the lettuce so it’s easy to eat with a spoon, but you can chop it into larger pieces if you like. Get the lettuce into a large bowl, then chop your spring onions and add them, along with about three-quarters of the crispy prosciutto and parmesan.
Cook your chicken with a little oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side, until lovely and golden brown.
PRO TIP: Try not to move it around in the pan – you want those lovely charred spots!
Remove from the heat and let rest for a couple of minutes. Add three-quarters of the dressing to the salad in the bowl, and give everything a really good toss to combine. You want the dressing to coat all the lettuce and spring onion, so don’t be afraid to really mix it through. Slice your chicken, then serve on top with more crispy prosciutto and parmesan crisps. Drizzle more dressing on top if you like!
Got a question?
Caesar salad often gets a bad reputation for being loaded with calories, but this version truly is good for you. It’s not swimming in the dressing and packs a protein punch with the addition of grilled chicken. It’s a great all-rounder – protein, fat, and carbs all combine to make a satisfying meal that still feels nice and light.
I like chicken thighs because they’re a lot juicier, but breast still works well. If you’re using chicken breast, I like to use a rolling pin to bash it into an even, flatter layer. This makes it quicker and easier to cook and reduces the chance of it drying out.
Romaine or cos lettuce is most often used, and that’s what we’ll use here. You can really use any crunchy lettuce though – baby gem or iceberg would also work well.
You can prepare all the separate elements well in advance, then just mix when you’re ready to serve. The chicken can be cooked 5 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge, the lettuce and spring onion can be chopped 5 days in advance and kept in a container ready for the dressing. The dressing will last for at least 1 week stored in the fridge, and the parmesan crisps and crispy prosciutto will keep well for about a week.
Don’t add the dressing until you’re ready to serve – it will make the lettuce soggy otherwise.
Like this recipe? Here are some more salads you might enjoy
If you make this recipe, I’d love you to leave me a comment below! I always like to hear how you get on.
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Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
This super easy grilled chicken Caesar salad is a seriously flavour-packed favourite. Full of protein, it’s substantial enough to enjoy as a main, but still feels light and fresh. This will be your new simple weeknight go-to!
The creamy, umami-loaded dressing and crunchy fresh elements make it seriously delicious, you’re going to love it.
Remember, if you’re looking for US measurements, use the ‘Units’ section below and click on ‘US’.
Ingredients
For the chicken –
- 300g free-range chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
For the dressing –
- 6 tablespoons aioli (try my easy egg-free vegan garlic aioli)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon miso paste (or use Dijon mustard)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
For the salad –
- 3 slices prosciutto
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
- 1 large head of Romaine lettuce (or use baby gem, or iceberg lettuce)
- 3 spring onions
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. Add the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and the chopped rosemary to a bowl. Mix to combine, then add the chicken thighs. Turn the chicken to coat it well in the marinade, then cover and pop into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Make the crispy prosciutto and parmesan crisps. Heat your oven to 350F/180C fan. Line a large oven tray with baking paper, then lay out the prosciutto pieces on one side of the tray. Pile the grated parmesan into a couple of little piles on the other side, then press down to flatten them. Pop into the oven for 8 minutes, or until the prosciutto is looking crispy (and smelling delicious) and the parmesan is deeply golden. Remove the tray from the oven and leave to cool and crisp up further.
- Mix the dressing. Add the 6 tablespoons of aioli, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan, 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of miso paste, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a small bowl. Use a fork to mix it really well, breaking up the miso paste as your stir it through. Give it a taste and add a little more salt if you think it needs it (it will depend on the saltiness of your cheese and aioli). Set aside.
- Prepare the salad. Finely slice the lettuce – you basically want to shred it into small pieces that can be easily picked up with a fork. Put the lettuce into a large mixing bowl. Slice the spring onions and add them to the bowl. Break up half the crispy prosciutto and add to the bowl, then break up half the parmesan crisps and add to the bowl.
- Cook the chicken. Remove the chicken from the fridge and set a large pan or skillet over a high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Don’t be afraid to really get some good colour on the chicken. Colour = flavour! Once the chicken is looking golden, charred and delicious, remove it from the pan and set aside on a board or plate to rest for a couple of minutes before slicing.
- Assemble the salad. Once the chicken is cooked, add 3/4 of the dressing to the salad in the bowl and toss to combine through evenly. Divide the salad between plates, then top with the sliced chicken thighs and the remaining crispy prosciutto and parmesan crisps. Finish with a good grind of black pepper, and dig in.
Notes
PREP AHEAD: All the elements for the salad can be made in advance, then just mixed when you’re ready to serve. The chicken will keep for 5 days in the fridge, as will the chopped lettuce and spring onions. The dressing will be fine for at least 1 week in the fridge, along with the parmesan crisps and crispy prosciutto.
INGREDIENT NOTES: You can use chicken breast if you prefer – I like to flatten it with a rolling pin so that it cooks quicker and reduces the chance of it drying out. You can also make the salad without the chicken. Swap prosciutto for bacon.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: salads
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
Keywords: caesar salad, caesar salad recipe, best caesar salad, caesar salad with chicken
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