Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
A grilled chicken Caesar salad with every component made from scratch: chicken breasts rubbed with olive oil and grilled over medium-high heat to 74°C, a blender dressing built on mayonnaise and anchovy with lemon and Dijon, and baguette croutons toasted at 180°C until they rattle on the tray. It is 20 minutes of prep and about 15 minutes on the grill, and the salad is finished at the last minute so the romaine stays crisp. Making the dressing yourself takes a few minutes and is the single upgrade that matters most here.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 500 g
- 200 g
- 3 tbsp
- 2 cloves
- 100 g
- 1 tsp
- 2 tbsp
- 1 tsp
- 50 g
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
Process
Timers built in · swap anything · ask as you cook
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high, about 200°C, and let the grates come fully up to heat; a hand held just above them should be unbearable after a couple of seconds. Scrape the grates clean and oil them now, while the chicken is still on the board, so the first side releases without tearing.
Season the 500 g chicken breasts on both sides with salt and the 1 tsp black pepper, then drizzle over 1 tbsp of the olive oil and rub it in until every surface is glossy. Seasoning before the grill gives the salt a few minutes to sit on the surface, and the oil film keeps lean breast meat from sticking.
Grill for 6 to 7 minutes per side, turning once, until the chicken reads 74°C at the thickest point; thin breasts can overcook in as little as 4 minutes, so start checking early. Move the pieces to a board and rest them for 5 minutes, then slice across the grain into strips. The rest is what keeps the juices in the meat instead of on the plate.
While the chicken rests, toss the 200 g bread cubes with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and a pinch of salt and spread them on a baking tray in one layer. Into a 180°C oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges colour and the middles dry out — one layer is the trick, because piled-up cubes steam and stay chewy.
Blend the 2 garlic cloves, 100 g mayonnaise, 4 drained anchovy fillets, 1 tsp Dijon, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce and 50 g grated Parmesan to a completely smooth dressing. Keep the motor running and drizzle in the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil as slowly as you can; it should vanish into the dressing rather than slick the top. Finish with a few grinds of black pepper.
Toss the chopped romaine with about half of the dressing in a large bowl, using your hands or tongs so every leaf is thinly coated. Taste a leaf before you add more: extra dressing can go on at the table, but leaves that sit wet start to wilt and release water into the bowl.
Divide the dressed leaves among four plates, fan the sliced chicken over the top and scatter on the croutons so they land dry and stay crisp. Finish with the extra Parmesan, a few grinds of black pepper and a drizzle of the remaining dressing, and serve straight away while the chicken is still just warm.
Why this recipe works
A Caesar dressing is an emulsion, and mayonnaise is already one, which makes the blender method forgiving: the anchovy, garlic, Dijon and lemon blend into the base, then the last tablespoon of olive oil goes in as a slow, thin stream that the blades fold into the mixture instead of letting it pool on top. Drying the romaine matters as much as the dressing, because water on the leaves dilutes the coating and turns the bowl watery within minutes. Grilling over medium-high heat browns the surface before the centre overcooks, and resting the meat lets the juices redistribute so the slices stay moist.
Equipment
- Gas or charcoal grill, or a ridged griddle pan for indoor cooking
- Instant-read thermometer
- Blender or small food processor
- Baking tray for the croutons
- Large salad bowl and tongs
- Chef's knife and cutting board
- Measuring spoons and a small jug
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- Chill the washed romaine in the fridge rather than leaving it on the counter; cold leaves keep their snap under a heavy dressing, and a salad spinner or a clean tea towel gets them dry enough to dress.
- The dressing can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge, where it thickens; loosen it with 1 tsp of lemon juice or a spoonful of water before you toss the leaves.
- Croutons keep for up to 5 days in a sealed jar, so the crunchy half of this salad can be finished well before the chicken goes on the grill; if they soften, a few minutes in a warm oven revives them.
- Slice the rested chicken across the grain and on a slight angle: short fibres chew softer, and angled slices cover more of the plate than straight-cut bricks.
- Grate the Parmesan finely, on a microplane if you have one. Coarse gratings stay gritty in the blender, while fine ones melt into the dressing and thicken it.
Common mistakes
- Dry, sawdust chicken: carved the moment it left the grill, or cooked by the clock instead of by temperature. Rest it a full 5 minutes before cutting, and pull it at 74°C in the thickest part rather than letting it run the full 7 minutes per side.
- Dressing that is thin and runny: the last tablespoon of olive oil went in faster than the emulsion could take it. Drizzle it as slowly as you can manage with the motor running, and if the dressing still looks slack, work in 1 extra tsp of mayonnaise to pull it back together.
- A soggy salad: wet leaves, or a bowl dressed too early. Dry the romaine completely, toss it no more than 5 minutes before serving, and wait for the chicken to rest before it is sliced.
- Soft croutons: warm cubes tipped onto the salad, or bread pulled from the oven early. Give them the full 8 to 10 minutes at 180°C and let them cool right down before they join the salad; croutons straight from the tray steam the leaves and soften almost at once.
- Bland, flat dressing: the anchovies were left out, or it was never tasted. The anchovy is the savoury backbone and the Parmesan brings salt as it blends, so taste first and adjust after.
- Chicken that sticks and tears: wet meat on bare grates, or tongs that moved it too soon. Pat the chicken dry, oil the hot grates, and leave each piece alone until it releases on its own.
Serving suggestions
- Serve as a main course for four, with the chicken fanned over cold, crisp leaves, or plate smaller portions as a starter.
- Warm flatbread or a crusty roll alongside to mop up the dressing, with extra Parmesan and a peppermill on the table.
- A lemon wedge on each plate lets people sharpen their own portion; sparkling water, iced tea or barley tea are the kind of drink that suits it.
- For a buffet, set out the leaves, chicken, croutons and dressing separately and let people build their own plates — this salad is never better than in the first minutes after it is tossed.
Variations
- Charred romaine: halve the hearts, brush the cut sides with olive oil and grill them cut-side down for a minute or two before chopping; the edges wilt and pick up a smoky note that stands up to the anchovy.
- Sturdier greens: little gem or baby kale stands up to the dressing at least as well as romaine, though kale benefits from a brief massage with a little of the dressing before it is tossed.
- Smokier chicken: dust the breasts with smoked paprika and garlic powder along with the salt and pepper before grilling, for a warmer, more rustic flavour under the same dressing.
Refrigerator
- RefrigeratorKeep the chicken, leaves, croutons and dressing in four separate containers: the chicken and dressing last up to 3 days in the fridge, while the croutons stay crisp for up to 5 days in a sealed jar at room temperature. Chill the cooked chicken and the dressing promptly, within 2 hours, and never combine the salad until someone is ready to eat it.
- ReheatingWarm only the chicken, covered in an oven dish with a splash of water at 160°C for 10 to 12 minutes, or covered in the microwave on medium in 30-second bursts, until it reads 74°C. Fresh cold romaine and crisp croutons are what make the rebuilt salad taste close to new.
- FreezingFreezing does nothing good for the assembled salad or the cut romaine. The chicken and the dressing, though, both freeze for up to 2 months: thaw them overnight in the fridge, use the chicken cold or warmed through, and stir the dressing smooth again.
- Make aheadPrep everything except the last toss as far as 2 days ahead: cook and slice the chicken, blend the dressing, bake and cool the croutons, then stash each in its own airtight container with the croutons in their jar. Dress the leaves at the table and no one will guess when the work was done.
Updated:
How this recipe was developed
- FoodSafety.gov / USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures and leftovers guidance (all poultry, including chicken breast, 74°C; leftovers reheated to 74°C; refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours; keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer)
- Simply Recipes, Caesar salad with homemade Caesar dressing — romaine rinsed and patted dry, croutons from a day-old baguette brushed with olive oil, and a dressing built on anchovy, garlic, lemon and olive oil
- Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking, on emulsified dressings and the browning reactions that give grilled meat its flavour
Editorial references are kept internally for verification. This page makes no claim of external certification or professional testing.
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FAQ
The questions we get asked most
How can I tell when the chicken is cooked through without guessing?
Slide an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a breast; 74°C is the number to watch for. At medium-high grill heat that usually means 6 to 7 minutes per side, but a thin breast can overtake it in as little as 4 minutes, so start probing early. Clear juices and no pink at the centre confirm what the dial says.
My Caesar dressing is thin and runny — what went wrong?
Almost certainly, the last tablespoon of olive oil went in faster than the dressing could absorb it. With the blender running, drizzle it in as slowly as you can manage, and if the dressing is still slack, work in 1 extra tsp of mayonnaise: it is itself an emulsion and will pull everything back into a smooth, clingy dressing.
Is there a way to prep this salad in advance?
Yes, if everything stays apart: cook and slice the chicken, blend the dressing and bake the croutons up to 2 days ahead, then refrigerate each in its own airtight container. Keep the romaine out of the equation until serving time, when it gets a last-minute toss — otherwise the leaves wilt and the bowl turns watery.
How do I keep the salad from going soggy?
It is usually one of three things: wet leaves under the dressing, chicken carved before it had rested, or a bowl dressed long before the table. Spin the romaine dry, give the meat its 5 minutes, and toss at the very last moment.
Can I skip the blender and use a bottled dressing?
Yes: 150 g of a good bottled dressing will stand in. Give it a taste first, since brands swing wildly in salt and sharpness, and loosen it with 1 tsp of lemon juice if it clings too heavily to the leaves.
What about using frozen chicken or jarred anchovies?
Both are workable: thaw frozen breasts overnight in the fridge and dry them well before grilling, and use jarred or canned anchovies after draining and patting them dry. Frozen romaine, on the other hand, will not recover. Fresh or day-old bread makes the best croutons.
How long do the leftovers keep?
Stored separately in the fridge, the chicken and the dressing keep up to 3 days and the croutons up to 5 days in a sealed jar; the cut romaine is best used within a day, and the dressed salad wants eating straight away. Reheat the chicken gently and you can rebuild the whole plate in minutes.
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