Chicken, Italian, Main, Salads

Grilled Chicken Caesar

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Sometimes a simple classic is all you need. Recently, The Husband requested Grilled Chicken Caesar. 

No problemo, Husband.

I like having this at home because you can control the amounts. In restaurants, it’s often drenched and who knows where the dressing came from.

I use Lidia Bastianich’s Caesar Salad Dressing recipe. It’s my go-to. You don’t need to use the whole amount of dressing for this dish. Just store the remaining dressing for use later in the week. Lidia recommends a blender or food processor for making the dressing. I always use my food processor. 

The chicken is easy to prepare. Just marinate in thyme and fresh lemon juice and olive oil. That’s it.

Super simple!

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
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Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Recipe by Susan LeiserCourse: Main, SaladCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

50

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

  • For the grilled chicken

  • 2 lbs. thin cut chicken breast (about 10-12 slices)

  • 1 tsp. dried thyme

  • 1 tsp. garlic powder

  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon

  • 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • For the salad and dressing from Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen

  • Romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped (about 6 cups)

  • Croutons (optional)

  • 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, plus more for dressing the salad

  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 4 anchovy fillets

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, or as needed

  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

  • 1 hard-boiled egg yolk

  • 1/2 tsp. salt

  • 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

  • For the chicken
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together thyme, garlic powder, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Place chicken in bowl. Massage marinade into chicken breasts so that all are evenly coated. Set aside in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes and up to 4 hours.
  • Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in batches (be sure to not overcrowd the pan). Grill on each side about 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside in a covered dish to keep warm. Repeat until all chicken pieces are grilled.
  • For the dressing
  • Combine 2 Tbsp. vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and anchovies in a blender or the work bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth smooth, adding some of the 1/3 cup olive oil if there isn’t enough liquid to move the mixture around the blender jar. Add the mustard, hard-boiled egg yolk, salt, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and remaining olive oil if any. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste the dressing; if it’s a little too tangy, pour in a splash or two of olive oil and blend until incorporated. 
  • Place romaine leaves in a large bowl, add enough dressing to coat the leaves. Add a splash of extra vinegar if you would like the dressing thinner. Toss with a few handfuls of grated cheese. Season with pepper if desired.
  • To serve: Top each plate with prepared romaine leaves. Top each salad with two slices of chicken and croutons if using.
  • To make homemade croutons: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat with 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Add 2 cups cubed crusty bread. Season lightly with salt and pepper and garlic powder if desired. Toss until lightly toasted and coated in oil and seasonings.

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