Description

This easy Classic Chicken Caesar Salad is full of quick ideas for a simple and healthy meal that still feels like the best kind of comfort food. Juicy seasoned chicken with crisp romaine and golden croutons and creamy dressing comes together fast for weeknight dinner and meal prep and holiday lunch and potluck plates and brunch and party spreads. It is fresh and filling and very dependable.

Ingredients

2 large or about 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 large hearts romaine lettuce
3 cups rough cubes rustic bread
3 ounces shaved and grated Parmesan cheese
5 tablespoons divided olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 third cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 and 1 half teaspoons divided fine sea salt
1 teaspoon divided black pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Tear the romaine into bite size pieces with rough edges. Cut the bread into uneven cubes and shave some Parmesan while grating the rest. Measure the oil and lemon juice and mustard and Worcestershire and anchovy paste and mayonnaise and yogurt and garlic and salt and pepper. At this stage the food still looks raw and separate and bright.
Drizzle some olive oil and lemon juice over the chicken and then sprinkle on salt and pepper. Rub the seasoning over the cutlets until the surface looks lightly glossy with pepper specks clinging here and there. The chicken changes from plain and dry looking to coated and ready to cook. The coverage should look natural and not perfectly even.
Stir together the mayonnaise and Greek yogurt and Dijon and Worcestershire and anchovy paste and grated Parmesan and garlic and the remaining lemon juice in a white bowl. Add a little olive oil and keep mixing until the dressing turns thick and creamy. At first the mixture looks streaky and then it becomes smoother and richer with tiny flecks of cheese and garlic throughout. The surface should still look homemade and not perfectly glossy.
Toss the bread cubes with olive oil and the remaining garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper until the surfaces look lightly coated. Some cubes will absorb more oil than others and that gives the future croutons a natural look. The bread changes from dry and pale to lightly glossy and seasoned. The cubes are still soft inside and ready to brown.
Cook the seasoned chicken until it changes from pink and glossy to fully cooked and lightly firm. The outside develops golden brown patches and deeper color around the edges while the inside stays juicy. Let it rest briefly and then slice it into strips. The slices should show a cooked center and lightly browned surfaces with natural variation.
Cook the coated bread cubes until the outside turns crisp and golden with some deeper brown corners. A few pieces stay a little lighter and that uneven color makes them look real and homemade. The bread clearly changes from soft cubes to crunchy croutons with rough crisp surfaces. They should look browned and ready for the salad.
Place the torn romaine in a large white bowl and spoon some dressing over the leaves. Toss until the romaine changes from dry and crisp looking to lightly coated with creamy streaks clinging unevenly to the folds. Scatter in some shaved Parmesan and toss again just enough to partially mix it through the greens. The leaves should still look fresh and crisp with uneven dressing coverage.
Scatter the croutons over the dressed romaine and then lay the sliced chicken loosely across the top. Add more shaved Parmesan in a casual way so some pieces land on the chicken and some fall into the greens. The salad now looks layered and fuller with crisp greens and golden chicken and toasted croutons. The dressing should still peek through in uneven spots.
Transfer the salad to a wide white ceramic coupe plate and spoon a little extra dressing over a few areas rather than over everything. Finish with the last Parmesan and a light pinch of black pepper. The final dish looks fully cooked and ready to serve with juicy golden brown chicken and browned croutons and crisp romaine and rich creamy dressing visible in some places more than others. The textures and colors should vary naturally across the plate.

Notes

Pro Tips:

Use very cold romaine so the salad stays crisp after dressing.
Cook the chicken just until done so it stays juicy and tender.
Toast the croutons until golden with a few darker edges for better flavor.
Dress the greens lightly first and then add more only where needed.

Storage: Store the chicken and dressing and romaine and croutons in separate containers. The chicken keeps for up to 3 days and the dressing keeps for up to 4 days. Assemble just before serving for the best texture.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Lunch
Cuisine: American