chicken caesar salad with crispy chicken

this chicken caesar salad brings a crispy twist to a classic favourite, featuring golden, panko-coated chicken sitting atop a bed of fresh, crisp romaine and crunchy homemade croutons. dressed in a delicious, creamy sauce, and topped with a sprinkle of parmesan, make this chicken caesar salad for dinner for the perfect summer meal.

bring some crunch to a classic with this ultimate chicken caesar salad, featuring tender chicken pieces encased in a delightfully crisp panko coating and nestled between fresh romaine. add homemade croutons for a pop of garlicky crunch and a rich, creamy dressing for a zesty punch. finish with a touch of fresh parmesan for the most satisfying summer meal!

why you will love this easy chicken caesar salad recipe:

• really nice balance of flavours: this chicken caesar salad combines a bunch of different flavours and texture that just work so well together. you’ll love the mix of crunchy, creamy, tangy, savoury and light that comes with this salad.

• versatile and easy to customise – you can easily customise the flavours in the dressing and the chicken to your taste. you can add any extra vegetables that you like, or make a grilled chicken caesar salad instead of using crispy chicken if you want to keep it light. it’s also pretty versatile, so you can have this as it is, or switch it up a little and make something like a chicken caesar salad wrap or add pasta and make it a chicken caesar pasta salad!

• filling but still fresh and light – despite the crispy chicken and the croutons and the creamy dressing, this chicken caesar salad is surprisingly light and fresh. the dressing adds a lovely bright tanginess that works so well with the rest of the ingredients. would really recommend this for summer!

learn how to make this chicken caesar salad from scratch:

to make this chicken caesar salad at home, we’re going to start off with our chicken caesar salad chicken marinade. we’ll marinate the chicken in some spices and set that aside.

once the chicken is ready to cook, we’ll add an egg to the marinade, then dip each piece of chicken into breadcrumbs for a crispy coating. fry each piece of chicken in a small amount of oil until it’s crisp and golden.

then, we’ll make our croutons. to do this, cut bread into cubes, season, add melted butter, and air fry until golden and crispy.

for the dressing, we’ll blend together fresh garlic, lemon juice, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, black pepper, mayo and parmesan cheese. finish off with a tablespoon of olive oil to make it extra rich and smooth. (this is not an authentic, classic chicken caesar salad dressing, but i know that some people are not fans of the raw egg or the anchovies, so i decided to skip these ingredients for the dressing).

once you have everything ready, add the croutons, crispy chicken, some romaine lettuce and some extra parmesan cheese to a large bowl. top with the dressing, toss the salad, and we’re done!

chicken caesar salad ingredients:

• chicken – this chicken caesar salad recipe uses boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes.

• seasonings and spices – this recipe uses a mix of seasonings like salt, black pepper, red chilli powder, paprika, garlic powder and dried parsley. some of these will be used in the chicken marinade, and some for the croutons and dressing.

• dark soy sauce – i like to add a small amount of the dark soy sauce to the chicken marinade for some extra flavour.

• hot sauce – just a small amount of sauce in the chicken marinade adds some flavour without making the chicken spicy.

• vinegar – i like to use distilled white vinegar in the chicken marinade, as well as a small amount in the chicken caesar salad dressing.

• bread – you can use any kind of bread you like. i personally like to use a crusty bread but anything works! we’ll cut this into cubes to make croutons.

• butter – i like to add unsalted, melted butter to the bread for the best flavour. you can also use oil in place of this if you prefer.

• egg – we’ll be adding 1 egg to the chicken marinade and mixing it in before coating the chicken with breadcrumbs.

• breadcrumbs – i prefer my chicken caesar salad with crispy chicken over grilled chicken so i like to coat the chicken with panko breadcrumbs to make it extra crispy. but you can use any kind of breadcrumbs.

• oil – we’ll use a small amount of any neutral oil to fry the chicken – it’s not going to be deep fried, so you won’t need that much of it. i also like to add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the dressing.

• lemon juice – lemon juice adds a lovely tangy taste to the dressing.

• garlic- we’re going to use 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic to the chicken caesar salad dressing.

• mayo – i decided to avoid the raw egg in the dressing as i know that some people would prefer not use it, so mayo is used here in place of the egg.

• dijon mustard – just a teaspoon of dijon mustard adds a nice flavour to the chicken caesar salad dressing.

• Worcestershire sauce – this chicken caesar salad dressing recipe uses Worcestershire sauce instead of anchovies.

• parmesan cheese – mix some freshly grated or shaved parmesan into the dressing, and add it to the actual salad as well. you can also top your chicken caesar salad bowl with some extra parmesan before serving.

• lettuce – i’m just going to be using fresh romaine lettuce in this chicken caesar salad recipe.

tools:

• air fryer – this chicken caesar salad recipe uses an air fryer to make the croutons. alternatively, you can also make them in the oven if you are unable to use an air fryer.

• blender – you’ll need a blender or immersion blender to blend all of the dressing ingredients together until smooth.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: in a large bowl, add chicken, cut into cubes, and then add salt, red chilli powder, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, white vinegar, hot sauce and dark soy sauce. mix all of this into the chicken, and let the chicken marinate for about 15-20 minutes.

step two: once your chicken is ready to cook, beat an egg, then add this to your chicken mixture and mix it in.

step three: in a wide and shallow dish, add panko breadcrumbs. add each piece of chicken to the breadcrumbs until it is completely coated.

step four: heat up oil in a pan at medium-high heat. add the chicken pieces, making sure not to overcrowd the pan, and cook for 2-3 mins at medium heat. change sides, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. cook the chicken in batches and add a small amount of extra oil for each batch.

step five: once all of the chicken is cooked, make the croutons. cut slices of bread into cubes and place in a small bowl. add garlic powder, black pepper, salt, dried parsley and melted butter. toss the cubes of bread into the mixture until nicely coated.

step six: place the bread in your air fryer in a single layer and air fry until it becomes golden and crispy.

step seven: set the croutons aside while you make the dressing.

step eight: in a small bowl or jug, add mayo, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, black pepper, fresh garlic, lemon juice and parmesan cheese. blend everything together until smooth. .

step nine: add olive oil to dressing and stir it in with a spoon.

step ten: in a large bowl, add chopped romaine lettuce, the croutons, the crispy chicken and some parmesan cheese.

step eleven: pour the chicken caesar salad dressing on top, then toss the salad.

step twelve: top with some extra parmesan cheese, serve, and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• let the chicken marinate for at least 15-20 minutes. if you are able to marinate it for longer e.g. a couple of hours, that’s even better!

• adjust seasonings to your taste – you can reduce spices etc. in the chicken marinade depending on your preference. feel free to add salt and pepper to your taste, and adjust things like lemon juice in the dressing.

• use panko breadcrumbs for extra crispy chicken.

• make sure you heat the oil up over medium-high heat in a pan before you add the chicken in. you’ll know it’s ready when it starts to sizzle if you add a small piece of breadcrumb to the pan.

• when cooking the chicken, make sure not to overcrowd the pan. fry the chicken in batches if needed. we’re only going to be using a small amount of oil when frying the chicken instead of deep frying it, so you might need to add a small amount of extra oil (e.g. one tablespoon) for each batch of chicken.

• once the chicken is cooked, and looks crispy and golden, let it rest on a wire rack for a few minutes to drain any excess oil so that it remains crispy.

• cooking time for the chicken will depend on the thickness of the chicken, so make sure that they’re not too thick and are all consistent in size.

• if you want to make a lighter version of this chicken caesar salad, you can make it with grilled chicken over crispy chicken. just let the chicken marinate, skip the egg and breadcrumbs, and cook.

• use fresh parmesan cheese for the best texture and flavour.

• if you’re looking to make the croutons in something other than an air fryer, you can also make them in the oven. just add the seasonings and butter or oil, spread them out on a baking sheet, then bake them at 190°C (375°f) until golden and crispy, making sure to mix them around halfway through.

• you can also make the croutons in a pan over medium heat on the stove. just heat up oil or butter, add the seasoned cubes of bread, and cook until golden and crisp, making sure to stir as you cook.

• if you want to make this chicken caesar salad ahead of time to serve later, just keep the dressing, chicken and croutons separate until you’re ready to serve. this will ensure that everything stays fresh and crispy for when you decide to eat.

• add the croutons to the chicken caesar salad just before serving to ensure that they keep their crispy texture and don’t get soft.

frequently asked questions

1. what does chicken caesar salad taste like?

   – this chicken caesar salad is full of rich and savoury flavours, with a creamy, tangy dressing, crispy chicken and fresh and crisp romaine lettuce. the parmesan cheese adds salty and nutty notes and the dressing adds a lovely brightness. overall, there’s a really nice balance of salty, tangy and rich flavours.

2. can i make this chicken caesar salad recipe with chicken thighs instead of chicken breast?

   – yes, you can use whatever you like! just bear in mind that cooking times will vary depending on what you use. chicken thighs may take a bit longer to cook.

3. can i make this chicken caesar salad without chicken?

   – if you’re looking for a vegetarian alternative to the chicken in this chicken caesar salad recipe, i think something like crispy tofu would be work really well! you can also just omit the chicken if you like as this salad has some really great, strong flavours that work well even on their own.

4. what are some other substitutes for the anchovies instead of the Worcestershire sauce?

   – some popular options to use over anchovies in a chicken caesar salad are capers, fish sauce, or even miso paste. you could use any of these along with the Worcestershire sauce for some extra flavour, or use them instead of the Worcestershire sauce.

5. can i make the crispy chicken in an air fryer instead of pan frying them?

   – yes, you should definitely be able to make the chicken in an air fryer! just follow the steps as usual, coat the chicken in breadcrumbs, and preheat the airfryer to about 190°C (375°f). add the breaded chicken in a single layer to your air fryer, spray the chicken with oil, and cook the chicken for about ten minutes until golden and cooked through, making sure to change sides halfway through.

6. can i make this chicken caesar salad with a whole chicken breast instead of smaller chicken pieceS?

   – absolutely! if you want to keep this chicken caesar salad recipe easy and quick, you can stick to just marinating whole chicken breasts, breading them, cooking them and then slicing them up once they’re cooked. if you decide to do this, just be aware that cooking time will differ to what is stated in this recipe, as cooking a whole chicken breast will take longer than cooking smaller pieces of chicken. i’d recommend slicing the chicken breast thin so that it’s easier to cook through and not too thick.

7. do i have to use parmesan cheese in this chicken caesar salad recipe?

   – parmesan cheese is typically used in chicken caesar salad, but if you’re looking for an alternative, you could also use any kind of hard cheese, such as pecorino romano. if you’re looking for something with a different flavour profile, something like a sharp cheddar would also be pretty nice!

8. can i add other vegetables to this chicken caesar salad recipe?

   – you can definitely add anything else you like! i wanted to keep this chicken caesar salad easy and simple, so i stuck with the basics, but some additions like cucumbers, red onion, bell peppers or cherry tomatoes would work really great in this salad.

9. can i make this chicken caesar salad ahead of time?

   – if you want to make this chicken caesar salad ahead of time to serve for later, i’d recommend making all of the component separately, then assembling the salad just before serving to ensure that everything is crispy and fresh.

10. what sides can i serve with this chicken caesar salad?

    – there are a number of different sides that you could serve with this depending on what you’re feeling. some good options are a light soup, some garlic bread or you could even serve this chicken caesar salad with pasta. i also personally love a chicken caesar salad and fries!

recipe