Best Chicken Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons
Truly THE BEST ever. With crispy, seasoned croutons, grilled chicken and an easy dressing!
Ingredients
for the croutons
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups ciabatta bread cubes
for the chicken
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
for the dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the salad
- 2 heads romaine, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Cast Iron Grill Pan
Instructions
for the croutons
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, parsley and garlic; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Stir in olive oil mixture and gently toss to combine. Place into oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 13-15 minutes; set aside.
for the chicken
- In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and olive oil mixture; marinate for at least 2 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat.
- Add chicken to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4-5 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.
for the dressing
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
for the salad
- To assemble the salad, place romaine in a large bowl; top with chicken and croutons. Pour the dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine. Top with Parmesan.