Chicken Caesar Salad

This classic Chicken Caesar Salad with tender seasoned chicken, crunchy bacon, salty parmesan cheese, cos lettuce, boiled eggs, and croutons is all tossed in the ultimate homemade Caesar dressing. This salad is anything but boring!

Chicken Caesar salad is a delicious variation on the classic Caesar salad recipe, combining seasoned chicken breasts with the traditional boiled eggs, cos lettuce and of course, that incredible creamy dressing.

This is one of those simple salad recipes that is ALWAYS a crowd-pleaser, whether you bring it out at a family gathering, summer BBQ or serve it as midweek family dinner.

Like my chicken and mango salad, halloumi salad and broccoli and bacon salad, this impressive looking salad is packed with flavour in every bite, and SO simple to make!

Why You're Going To Love This Recipe

• Easy recipe - this chicken salad takes just 15 minutes to prepare, and is ready to serve in less than half an hour!
• Packed with flavour - no boring salads allowed here! With crispy lettuce, pops of crispy bacon, juicy sautéed chicken, salty parmesan, and crunchy croutons, all lightly coated in that creamy Caesar dressing, every mouthful is bursting with flavour.
• Versatile - use bbq chicken instead of the chicken breasts, leave out the bacon, swap cos lettuce for iceberg... you can really make this salad your own!
• Perfect for entertaining - chicken Caesar salad is ideal for a lazy lunch, weekend dinner, Christmas, and summer parties, as well as being the tastiest easy family dinner.
• Conventional and Thermomix - instructions for both methods are written at the end of the post.

What You Need 

Although the ingredients list for this Caesar salad with chicken and bacon looks long, most of the ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen!

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

For The Chicken

• Chicken breasts - use skinless chicken breasts for ease.
• Olive oil - regular olive oil is fine to use.
• Lemon juice - adds extra flavour to the chicken. You can use either freshly squeezed lemon juice or bottled lemon juice.
• Garlic - either use a clove of fresh garlic and mince it yourself, or for convenience use a teaspoon of store bought jarred minced garlic.
• Salt and pepper - to season.

For The Homemade Caesar Dressing

• Mayonnaise - I recommend using whole egg mayo as it has the richest and creamiest flavour and texture. Use a good quality brand such as Heinz, Hellman's or Praise.
• Parmesan cheese - I recommend using a block of parmesan cheese and finely grating it yourself for the smoothest dressing.
• Milk - helps thin the dressing to the ideal consistency without losing any of that creamy flavour.
• Dijon mustard - this adds a tangy flavour to the dressing. If you aren't a fan of mustard don't worry, it's not a distinctive flavour here.
• Worcestershire sauce - a little adds a rich taste to the dressing.
• Lemon juice - as with the chicken, use fresh lemon juice or bottled lemon juice.
• Garlic - again, you can use a clove of fresh garlic and mince it yourself, or a teaspoon of store bought minced garlic.
• Anchovies - you can use either anchovy fillets or anchovy paste in this recipe. Once blended with the dressing you cannot taste the anchovies (not even the kids will notice!) however it adds a distinctive subtlety to the flavour of Caesar salad. If you really don't like anchovies though, you could omit them.
• Salt and pepper - to season.

For The Salad

• Cos lettuce - either 1 large or 2 medium cos lettuce. You can substitute with Romaine lettuce, or iceberg lettuce, if you prefer.
• Streaky or middle bacon - diced and cooked until crispy.
• Eggs - I use size large eggs, which weigh approx 60g (2 oz).
• Parmesan cheese - you can use either grated or shaved parmesan.
• Croutons - use store-bought croutons or make your own. 

Equipment Required 

No special equipment required to make this delicious Caesar salad with chicken!

All you need is a:

• Rolling pin and two sheets of baking paper - for flattening the chicken.
• Frying pan - for cooking the chicken and frying the bacon.
• Two bowls - one for seasoning the chicken and another for dressing the lettuce.
• Food processor or Thermomix - for blending the dressing.
• Serving bowl - for serving the finished chicken Caesar salad.

Step By Step Instructions

Have this incredibly tasty chicken bacon Caesar salad on the table in just 25 minutes!

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

Step 1 - Cook The Chicken

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of baking paper then pound the chicken with a rolling pin until the fillet is about 1cm thick.

Place the flattened chicken breasts into a bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and season with salt and pepper. Mix to coat the chicken in the seasonings.

Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan. Cook the chicken over a medium heat in batches, until piping hot in the centre and cooked through. Chop into bite-size pieces and set aside.

Step 2 - Prepare The Caesar Salad Dressing

Place the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, milk, garlic, parmesan cheese, anchovies and salt and pepper into a food processor (or Thermomix).

Mix on high speed, scraping down the bowl halfway through, until combined.

Step 3 - Prepare Other Salad Ingredients

Chop the cos lettuce and place into a large bowl.

Note: Make sure the lettuce leaves are dry, if they are damp the dressing will not coat them well and cause the lettuce to go limp.

Cook the diced bacon in a frying pan until crispy. Place on a plate lined with paper towel.

Simmer the eggs until hard boiled. Drain, and then cover with cold water. When cool, peel and cut eggs into quarters, and set aside.

Add the cooled chicken and crispy bacon pieces to the bowl of cos lettuce.

Step 4 - Dress The Salad

Pour half a cup of the Caesar dressing over the lettuce, chicken and bacon.

Note: Add the dressing and assemble the salad close to serving.

Toss to coat, adding more dressing if needed (the amount of dressing you'll need will depend on the amount of lettuce used). 

Step 5 - Place In A Serving Bowl And Add Toppings

Place the dressed salad ingredients into a serving bowl, and top with the quartered boiled eggs and grated or shaved parmesan.

Add crispy croutons just before serving your chicken Caesar salad.

Expert Tips

• Cos lettuce - ensure the lettuce leaves are completely dry before using. If the lettuce leaves are still slightly damp, they will become limp and the dressing wont stick. I recommend using a salad spinner to remove any liquid, or dab with paper towel.
• Vegetarian option - omit the chicken and bacon entirely. Or replace with cooked or smoked salmon.
• Anchovies - once blended in to the dressing you cannot taste the anchovies yet it adds a distinctive subtlety to the flavour of Caesar salad. However, if you really don't like the flavour of anchovies, you can omit them.
• Boiling the eggs - lower the eggs gently into the water using a slotted spoon so that they do not crack.
• Serving - add the dressing and assemble the salad close to serving. 
• Dressing - start by adding just ½ cup of the homemade dressing and coating the lettuce. Check and add more dressing if needed. The amount of dressing you need will depend on the size of the lettuce used.
• The salad should be lightly coated but not dripping in dressing.
• Croutons - add the croutons just before serving to ensure they stay crispy.
• Storing - chicken Caesar salad is best eaten immediately after adding the dressing and assembling. It will last 1-2 days in an airtight container in the fridge, but once the dressing has been added, the lettuce and croutons will not remain fresh and crispy.

FAQs

Related Recipes 

For more easy and delicious chicken dinner recipes that are sure to please all the family, have a look at these other popular chicken recipes:

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