Extra Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad

There’s a handful of salads I’d consider to be ‘dinnerworthy’, and this one probably comes out on top. Follow me…

Parmesan Croutons

The only thing better than homemade croutons? Homemade parmesan croutons. For two reasons:

Flavour – parmesan adds heaps of flavour to the croutons. Texture – the parmesan creates an ultra-crisp exterior.

What kind of bread should I use?

I recommend using ciabatta, but French bread/sourdough also works just fine. In all cases, I recommend using bread that’s a day old so the croutons turn out more crisp/crunchy.

What kind of parmesan should I use?

Freshly grated works best here as it melts and crisps up really nicely. The packet/powdered stuff can sometimes be temper-mental. Process shots: dice bread (photo 1), coat in oil and seasoning (photo 2), spread out parmesan on parchment paper (photo 3), add bread (photo 4), bake then leave to cool (photo 5).

Crispy Breaded Chicken

Now, you could make a grilled chicken caesar salad, but we’re going for ‘crispy’ here, and grilled chicken just doesn’t cut the mustard.

What cut of chicken to use?

I recommend using boneless skinless chicken breast. That way you can divide each breast in two to create 4 even-sized chicken breasts (1 per serving). This will also allow the chicken to cook faster and more evenly.

Panko Breadcrumbs

These are great because they’re fairly big and airy, meaning they crisp up beautifully. They’re Japanese breadcrumbs and can be found in most stores in the Asian section. Process shots: add chicken to chopping board (photo 1), slice (photo 2), coat in flour (photo 3), coat in egg (photo 4), coat in breadcrumbs (photo 5).

For speed and crispiness, we’re going to shallow fry the chicken. This essentially just means pan-frying in enough oil to cover half of the chicken (much easier than deep frying with similar results!).

Can I bake the chicken instead?

You can, it just takes a little longer and requires an extra step of pre-toasting the breadcrumbs (more on this in the recipe card notes below). Process shots: add chicken to hot oil (photo 1), fry both sides (photo 2).

Caesar Salad

Crispy croutons ✅ Crispy chicken ✅ Let’s talk salad… For a classic caesar salad you’re looking for romaine lettuce, but baby gem lettuce also works just as well. Then we’re also going in with some bacon, because, well, bacon.

Homemade Caesar Dressing

Now you could use store-bought (no judgement here), but homemade is very satisfying to make. It’s a ‘cheats’ version as it uses mayonnaise as the base, but it’s delicious nevertheless.

Can I make the dressing ahead of time?

You sure can. Leaving it to rest will allow the flavours to mingle together. Just tightly store in the fridge until needed (3-4 days, longer at your discretion). Process shots: add dressing ingredients to food processor (photo 1), blitz (photo 2), add lettuce & dressing to bowl (photo 3), toss (photo 4), add croutons and bacon (photo 5), toss (photo 6).

Serving Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad

Once you’ve made the salad, serve up individual portions with the crispy chicken sliced on top. You can also drizzle over a little extra dressing if you fancy! For more caesar salad goodness check out my Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, Caesar Chicken Flatbreads and Caesar Salad Parmesan Cups! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this crispy chicken caesar salad shall we?!