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
- Make the dressing and chill it. No raw eggs required.
- Marinate the chicken, and grill it. You could also broil the chicken if you don’t want to light the grill.
- 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.
