Pan-Seared Chicken Caesar Salad
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Chicken Caesar Salad is a simple and classic recipe. Made with perfectly seasoned pan-seared chicken and the most delicious homemade Caesar dressing.
The dressing is the recipe behind this Chicken Caesar Salad. Without it, it’s literally just chicken, lettuce, cheese, and bread cubes. The dressing makes this recipe a real recipe. My version of chicken Caesar salad, from the dressing to the croutons, is not your average cafe entree. It’s flavor-packed in every bite and ridiculously easy to make.
Not your average Caesar Dressing
Fish sauce is one of my absolute favorite cooking ingredients. It can add such depth of flavor to many types of cuisines and the perfect substitute for anchovy paste. Anchovy is the chief component of fish sauce. Many recipes call for anchovy paste in Caesar dressing but I swap it out for fish sauce.
To make this simply delicious dressing I’m using prepared mayonnaise instead of raw egg and oil. This gives the dressing a creamier texture and more flavor because of the extra fat.
I use a food processor to combine all of the ingredients until smooth.
What you need to make Chicken Caesar Salad
Chicken breast
Romaine lettuce
Parmesan cheese
Caesar dressing
Croutons
Fresh cracked black pepper
A basic Caesar salad is made of romaine lettuce, good parmesan cheese shavings, croutons, and dressing. Many versions of this classic recipe exist which include some sort of meat. I’m using my Perfect Pan-Seared Chicken Breast recipe but Caesar salad can be served with any protein from steak to shrimp. A surf and turf Caesar salad sounds amazing right now actually!
How to build a Chicken Caesar Salad
Whether you toss the salad in advance or serve the dressing on the side, the layering order is the same. Chopped romaine sprinkled with cracked black pepper, followed by shave parmesan, then croutons, and finally the chicken. Serve with the amazing dressing on the side.
If you are pre-tossing the salad, coat only the lettuce in the dressing before building as described above.
Parmesan Cornbread Croutons
Make this Caesar salad extra special with a batch of parmesan cornbread croutons made from my delicious Parmesan Cornbread recipe.
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Parmesan Cornbread Croutons
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast 4-4 oz cutlets
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 3 heads Romain lettuce chopped
- 4 oz shaved parmesan
- 2 c seasoned croutons or parmesan cornbread croutons
Dressing
- 3/4 c mayo
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
Instructions
Dressing
- In a blender, pulse together the mayo, olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic, worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, and black pepper until smooth. Store in a bowl with cover and refrigerate until needed.
- Season the chicken breast with the salt and pepper and coat with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat a skillet over medium heat until smoky. Lay the chicken breast in the smoking hot skillet to sear on both side for 3-5 minute each depending on the thickness of the chicken. Use a thermometer to check for 165 internal temperature. Rest to slightly cool before slicing.
- Build the salad by layering the lettuce sprinkled with black pepper, followed by parmesan cheese, croutons, and cooled sliced chicken breast. Serve with the dressing on the side.