Chicken Caesar salad is just like a traditional Caesar, but with extra protein, making it perfect for a lunch or light evening meal. Caesar salads are a family favorite. I like to make a batch of this creamy dressing on the weekend so we can use it throughout the week. While a traditional Caesar salad is just romaine lettuce, this dressing is delicious on iceburg or red leaf as well.

Who invented the “Caesar salad”?

While one would assume that “Caesar” salad was named after Julius Caesar, it’s actually named after Caesar Cardini. Cardini was born in Italy, and became a successful restaurateur in Southern California. During Prohibition, Cardini opened a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, just across the border from San Diego in order to sell alcohol to his customers. (This post was originally published on June 24th, 2015. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn commission on qualifying purchases)

His restaurant became popular with Hollywood celebrities, who. most likely helped make the Caesar salad “famous”. “According to legend, Caesar Cardini created the salad on July 4, 1924, when a busy holiday weekend had depleted his kitchen’s supplies.” He combined what ingredients he had on hand in the restaurant, and the Caesar salad was born! In spite of its south of the border heritage, this tangy dressing has become an American staple.

What’s in a Caesar salad?

Garlic, Parmesan cheese, garlic, anchovies, olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, and Worcestershire sauce are tossed in a large wooden bowl with crisp romaine lettuce, then topped with crunchy croutons and fresh black pepper.

Traditionally, raw egg yolks are used, however unless you know where your eggs are sourced, I recommend always coddling or tempering the egg yolks to be safe. Because of this extra step, I created this recipe to avoid the “raw egg” problem.

Over time, various chefs and restaurants have added their own adaptations to the classic Caesar salad recipe, adding other ingredients such as grilled chicken or sliced steak. I find this is an excellent way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken.

Caesar dressing ingredients, (without raw eggs)

This creamy Caesar salad dressing has all the components of a traditional Caesar dressing except the raw eggs. Since mayonnaise is made with egg yolks, using a few tablespoons, will give the dressing the creamy texture and aid in emulsification. I only use mayonnaise made from avocado or olive oil, (no seed, soy, or vegetable oils).

Use fresh lemon juice. This is no time to use bottled lemon juice. Actually, there really is no good time to use it.
Worcestershire sauce
While anchovy fillets are traditional, I use anchovy paste when I don’t want to open a whole tin. Although, these jarred anchovy fillets are great if you just need a couple.
Use real garlic cloves, again, this is no time to use jarred garlic, garlic powder, or garlic salt.
Dijon mustard. I keep a good quality Dijon on had for a variety of uses, but it’s key in a good vinaigrette dressing.
Parmesan cheese; if you can’t find Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, find a good quality parmesan cheese and grate it yourself.
Salt. I always use kosher, Himalayan or Real Salt, not table salt.
Black pepper

What kind of chicken is used in a chicken Caesar salad?

This is entirely up to you! Do you have leftover or rotisserie chicken? Maybe you grilled chicken the night before? Poached boneless skinless chicken breasts are also a good option! This simple Lemon Roasted Chicken makes the moistest chicken you’ll ever taste, and would be delicious in this salad. Or just use your favorite chicken recipe.

I would not recommend using chicken thighs though. I love chicken thighs, but feel that white meat chicken is the best option for this chicken Caesar salad recipe, and pretty much any chicken salad recipe! How you serve the chicken is also your choice. If the chicken is grilled, you might want to use chicken slices to show off the grill marks. If you’ve got a lot of small leftover pieces, dice or shred it.

Assembling chicken Caesar salad

Once you’ve got the homemade dressing ready, assembling the salad is a breeze. Homemade croutons take just a few minutes and are infinitely tastier than their store-bought counterpart!

In a food processor, pulse or blend the mayonnaise, anchovy fillets or paste, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt and black pepper.

Add crushed garlic and pulse a few more times.
Slowly add olive oil in a steady stream so that dressing will emulsify.

Store dressing in a jar, or airtight container, in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Toss the romaine leaves with about 1/2 cup in a large bowl just until coated.

Add the chicken and more salad dressing if needed.

Divide between four salad plates or bowls and garnish with additional anchovy fillets, parmesan cheese and croutons.

Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator in an airtight container.