Chicken Caesar Salad is such an easy, no-fuss weeknight meal. Add some smoky summer flavor by grilling the chicken and bread croutons!
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Caesar salad is a classic. Crunchy romaine, rich garlic dressing, crunchy croutons and the pungent taste of good Parmesan – they all come together to create a uniquely balanced salad.
The ingredients for Caesar salad
This salad is quick and easy to put together using simple ingredients, many of which you probably already have on hand. I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which stay juicier than chicken breasts and cook very quickly.
You can prepare the chicken ahead of time by either marinating it up to 24 hours in advance or grilling the chicken up to two days ahead and serving as a cold salad.
I use gluten-free sourdough to make my grilled croutons—which are basically slices of bread—but you can use any good crusty bread.
Stale bread is great for croutons as it gets nice and crispy. If yours is very fresh, that’s fine too. You get a crispy exterior with a softer interior. I usually serve this with 2 or 3 slices of grilled “croutons” per person.
How to time cooking
Make sure your grill is hot before you start grilling. Even a high BTU gas grill takes at least 10 to 15 minutes to build up heat. If you have a thermometer on your grill, make sure it reads at least 500oF.
I like to grill the bread first and then the chicken. That way I can watch each one of them and also make sure there is no cross-contamination between the raw chicken and the lightly grilled bread. The bread will only take a few minutes and the chicken will take about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the thighs.
More summer salads!
- BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
- Steak salad with miso vinaigrette
- Classic wedge salad with blue cheese dressing
- Curry Chicken Salad with Mango
- Farro salad with green beans, corn and cherry tomatoes
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
ingredients
For the grilled chicken
-
1/4 Cup olive oil
-
Zest from one lemon
-
2 cloves garlicfinely chopped
-
1/2 teaspoon Salt
-
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
-
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
For the grilled croutons
-
2 tablespoon olive oil
-
1 clove garlicchopped
-
1/2 teaspoon Salt
-
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
-
1 loaf crispy Baguettecut into slices about 1/2 inch thick
mount
-
4 heart Romaine lettuce hearts
-
1/2 cup (2 ounces) Parmesanthinly shaved
-
Freshly cracked black pepper
-
1/2 Cup Caesar dressingstore bought or homemade or more as needed
method
-
Marinate Chicken:
In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes and up to 24 hours.
-
Brush the bread with oil:
Combine olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush each side of the bread. Set aside on a tray.
-
Heat up the grill:
Preheat your grill on high heat to around 500°F with two zones for direct and indirect grilling.
-
Grill bread:
Grill the bread slices over direct high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and set aside while the chicken is grilled.
-
Grill chicken:
Grill the chicken, without disturbing it, on one side for 5 minutes, then flip and place on the cooler side of the grill. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
What is the temperature of cooked chicken?CONTINUE READING:
-
Finish the salad:
Tear the romaine hearts into bite-sized pieces and toss with the dressing in a large bowl. Divide the vegetables among plates and top with the grilled chicken, shaved Parmesan, and grilled croutons. Finish with freshly ground black pepper.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 992 | calories |
| 51g | Fat |
| 95g | carbohydrates |
| 50g | protein |
