Chicken Caesar Avocado Salad (Printable)
Grilled chicken paired with creamy avocado, crisp romaine, croutons, and a zesty dressing for a fresh dish.
# What You Need:
→ Salad
01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
04 - 2 large heads romaine lettuce, chopped
05 - 2 ripe avocados, sliced
06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
07 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1 cup croutons (use gluten-free if needed)
→ Caesar Dressing
09 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
10 - 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
12 - 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
13 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
15 - 2 anchovy fillets, minced (or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste)
16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper.
02 - Grill chicken for 6 to 7 minutes per side until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Parmesan, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, lemon juice, anchovies, salt, and pepper until creamy and smooth.
04 - Toss chopped romaine lettuce with half of the dressing until thoroughly coated.
05 - Arrange dressed romaine on a serving platter or individual plates. Top with sliced chicken, avocado, cherry tomatoes (if using), croutons, and extra Parmesan cheese.
06 - Drizzle remaining dressing over the assembled salad. Serve immediately.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It comes together faster than ordering takeout, and tastes like you actually planned your day.
- The combination of creamy avocado and tangy dressing makes every bite feel a little bit luxurious without any pretension.
- Grilled chicken means you can prep this on a weeknight and feel genuinely proud of yourself.
02 -
- Don't skip resting the chicken after grilling, even though it's tempting to slice it right away, because those five minutes are what keeps it from being tough and stringy.
- Make the dressing at least a few minutes before you need it so the flavors have time to get to know each other and become more interesting than just their individual ingredients.
- If you're making this ahead, dress the lettuce at the very last second, because even twenty minutes of sitting in dressing will turn it into a sad, wilted pile.
03 -
- Buy your avocados a couple of days before you plan to make this and let them sit on the counter, because they'll be perfectly ripe when you need them instead of rock hard or already brown inside.
- If you don't have fresh anchovies or anchovy paste, just skip them and add a tiny splash of fish sauce instead, which gives you that umami depth without the whole fish situation.