Grilling the romaine halves cut-side down for a few minutes changes their character completely. The outer leaves wilt and pick up a slight char; the core stays crisp and juicy. The result in the bowl is both textures at once, wilted and raw, warm and cool, which adds a dimension that plain romaine never achieves. The chicken rests for ten minutes after coming off the grill pan so it stays juicy when cut into cubes. The dressing, with Parmigiano Reggiano stirred in at the end, goes over everything just before serving.
Every cook eventually develops their own Caesar. This one leans on the grilled romaine as its defining move, the whole wheat croutons for a nuttier crunch, and a dressing that is garlicky and sharp without needing anchovies beyond what the Worcestershire already provides. Two plates, one grill pan, and a Caesar worth choosing over the restaurant version.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
FOR THE SALAD
- Romain lettuce
- Chicken breast
- Whole wheat bread
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- Parsley
FOR THE DRESSING
- Mayonnaise
- Garlic
- Worcestershire sauce
- Dijon mustard
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
How to Make Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Step 1 – Make the dressing by mixing mayonnaise, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper. Keep in the fridge until needed.
Step 2 – Season the chicken. My spice mix consists of salt, pepper, cumin, coriander and paprika powder.
Step 3 – Cut the bread in cubes, place the cubes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper. Transfer the baking sheet in an oven (400°F) and bake for about 10 minutes.
Step 4 – At the same time, heat oil in a grill pan or cook the chicken on the grill until the internal temperature is 165°F. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes, so it can retain the juices.
Step 5 – Cut the romaine lettuce in half (keep the core attached and quickly grill the lettuce halves in the same grill pan or on the grill. Since there is still oil in the grill pan, no need to add more. Grill just a few minutes on each side. You will see the end of the leaves wilting, but the core of the lettuce remain juicy.
This step will add some dimension to the salad, as you end up with grilled/wilted as well as raw pieces. It also means that you could use more Romain lettuce without overloading your plate.
Step 6 – Cut the Romaine lettuce in bite-sized pieces, and the chicken in cubes. Transfer lettuce, chicken and the croutons to a salad bowl. Add the grated cheese to the dressing and drizzle the dressing over the salad and mix. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Alternative and Substitutes
- Any type of lettuce can replace the Romain, but Romain will be typical for a Caesar Salad.
- Instead of whole wheat bread for the croutons, white bread will do as well.
- Want to add anchovies, go ahead, but we aware that Worcestershire sauce already contains anchovies.
- Alternative cheeses could be Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano or Cotija cheese. The flavor of the Grana Padano is closest to Parmigiano. I would like to suggest to pick a hard cheese, not a melting one or a Feta or Mozzarella, as that totally changes the salad.
Other Salad Recipes with Chicken to Try
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
For the Salad
- 2-3 heads Romain lettuce
- 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- parsley, finely chopped
For the Chicken
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika powder
- salt & pepper
For the Croutons
- 2 slices whole wheat bread (NOTE 1), cut in cubes
- 1.5 tablespoon olive oil
- salt & pepper
For the Dressing
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste (NOTE 2)
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Make the dressing by mixing mayonnaise, garlic paste, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper. Keep in the fridge until needed.
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander and paprika powder.
- Heat oil in a grill pan or cook the chicken on the grill until the internal temperature is 167 degrees F. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes, so it can retain the juices.
- At the same time, preheat an oven to 400°F and cut the bread in cubes. Place the cubes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper. Transfer the baking sheet into the oven and bake for about 10 minutes.
- While the chicken rests, cut the Romaine lettuce in half (keep the core attached and quickly grill the lettuce halves in the grill pan or on the grill grate. Just a few minutes on each side. You will see the end of the leaves wilting, but the core of the lettuce remain juicy.
- Cut the Romaine lettuce in bite-sized pieces and transfer to a bowl.
- Cut the chicken in cubes and add to the lettuce as well as the croutons.
- Add the grated cheese to the the dressing and drizzle the dressing over the salad and mix. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
- ENJOY !
Notes
- If you don’t have whole wheat bread, you can use any type of white bread that has some texture to it.
- You can use 1/2 clove of garlic instead of garlic paste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.