Recipe: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
We throw the chicken and the romaine on the grill in this salad
Who doesn't love Caesar salad? After all, crunchy romaine covered with a garlicky dressing and shaved Parm is a recipe for success in our book. So we amp up this classic salad for summer by throwing the whole thing on the grill. The romaine is charred to add both sweetness and smokiness to the still-crunchy leaves, while slices of sourdough bread get roughly torn to make the grilled "croutons."
But that's the easy part. Quite often people have the most difficulty with the dressing. Making an emulsion can be tricky, which is what we're going for with this thick, creamy topper. Make sure the blender is on low when you stream in the oil, letting it emulsify completely before adding more. If the dressing breaks, don't worry. Just slowly whisk it into a bowl with a few additional drops of olive oil, and it will come together.
Check out some of our favorite chicken recipes.
Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
- For the Dressing
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 olive oil-packed anchovy fillets
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 large egg yolk
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- For the Salad
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 romaine hearts, halved lengthwise
- 2 thick slices sourdough bread
- Caesar dressing
- Shaved Parmesan, for garnish
- Lemon zest, for garnish
- Chopped chives, for garnish
- Make the dressing: In a blender, combine all the ingredients, except the olive oil. Purée until smooth, then with the motor still running, slowly pour in the olive oil until a thick dressing forms.
- Make the salad: Light a grill. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken breasts with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the garlic, salt and pepper. Grill, flipping once, until charred and cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a board and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice into thick pieces.
- Meanwhile, brush the romaine and sourdough with the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the romaine cut-side down until charred, 4 minutes, and sourdough, flipping once, until charred and crisp, 5 minutes.
- On a platter, arrange the grilled romaine and top with the grilled chicken. Roughly tear the sourdough into croutons and scatter over top. Drizzle with dressing and garnish with Parmesan, lemon zest and chives, then serve.
| Calories per Serving | 1,223 |
| Total Fat | 82.0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12.3 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 247.2 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 49.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 8.1 g |
| Total Sugars | 6.5 g |
| Sodium | 1,596.4 mg |
| Protein | 74.0 g |
