Crispy Chicken Salad drizzled with a dreamy creamy Caesar salad dressing – utterly addictive! Juicy chicken tenders in a crispy breadcrumb coating on a bed of fresh romaine, with Parmesan and a mouthwatering homemade dressing. Easy and delicious!
This is one hearty and tasty salad! Packed with great flavors and textures, it’s fresh while being utterly satisfying. A Crispy Chicken Salad to please even the hungriest of bellies. Crunchy chicken tenders cozy up with romaine lettuce, croutons, shaved Parmesan and are anointed with the most delicious homemade Caesar salad dressing – divine!
If you’re after other delicious salad recipes, why not also try my Avocado Mango Salad or my Shrimp Pineapple Salad.
Why you’ll love this Crispy Chicken Salad
- Fresh. Heaps of crunchy and vibrant romaine lettuce serve as a bed for perfectly breaded chicken tender slices – it’s satisfying but won’t weigh you down.
- A dreamy, creamy Casear dressing. Yogurt, mayo, mustard, lemon and a host of mouthwatering seasonings make this homemade salad dressing is insanely delicious!
- Will convert non salad lovers! Packed with textures and loaded flavors, this is a substantial salad that’ll please any omnivore.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Romaine Lettuce
- Croutons
- Shaved Parmesan Cheese
- Chicken Tenders
- Large Egg
- Lemon Juice
- Minced Garlic Clove
- Black Pepper
- Chicken Crust: Flour, bread crumbs, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, avocado oil spray
- Creamy Caesar Dressing: Mayo, plain yogurt, garlic, black pepper, salt, lemon juice, Olive Oil, Parmigiano Reggiano, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce.
How to make this Crispy Chicken Salad
- Make the dressing. Place all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Store in the fridge until you finish the remainder of the salad.
- Prepare your crispy chicken. Clean and remove skin from your tenders. In one bowl whisk your egg mix ingredient, in another bowl mix you breadcrumbs and seasoning. Dredge your tenders in the egg mix then in the bread crumb mixture. Place tender on a sheet pan.
- Bake. spray with avocado oil and bake for 20 mins, flipping halfway through.
- Assemble the salad. Chop your lettuce, then in a bowl toss with dressing. In a large dish, place the romaine lettuce on the bottom.
- Then add the chicken and croutons. Pour over some extra dressing if needed and top with shaved Parmesan cheese.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe notes and tips
- Make sure to wash your romaine lettuce thoroughly and to make sure it’s dried off, I use a rack or kitchen towel. You don’t want lots of water in your salad.
- Use a meat thermometer to take the out the guesswork. Tenders can vary slightly in thickness and therefore cooking times can change a little bit. You want to make sure your chicken tenders are thoroughly cooked a meat thermometer reading 165 degrees is the best way.
- Spray away with some avocado oil! Don’t skip on spritzing the tenders with avocado oil. As these are baked tenders and not fried they want that extra hit of oil to keep them crispy.
- Let the chicken sit for a few minutes before slicing into strips. This allows the juices to distribute throughout the chicken and not spill out.
- Invest in some tongs! If you don’t have any kitchen tongs it’s well worth a few buck. Tongs are much easier to flip the chicken with than spatulas, spoons or forks!
FAQ’S
Can I make this Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad ahead of time?
While dressed salad doesn’t sit well after it’s dressed you can certainly prep the dressing, chop the salad and make the crispy chicken tenders ahead of time, place in the fridge and assemble when ready. The prepped ingredients should keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How do I know when my Caesar salad dressing has gone bad?
You can tell if your creamy dressing is bad by smell; as soon as it starts to smell “off” it’s best to get rid of it. But with this delicious homemade dressing , I don’t think leftovers are going to be an issue!
What can I add to this Crispy Chicken Salad?
This easy chicken salad is delicious as it is, that said, it’s also totally customizable. Here are some popular add ins:
- Bacon
- Chopped hard boiled egg
- Tomatoes
- Avocados
- Anchovies
- Swap Parmesan for blue cheese or feta
- Swap the romaine for a peppery arugula.
Other delicious salads
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you including this delicious and simple Cripsy Chicken Caesar Salad. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it and share it with your friends and family!
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Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head large romaine lettuce washed and dried
- 1 cup croutons any kind
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shaved
Creamy Caesar Dressing
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ cup plain yogurt full fat
- 3 cloves garlic grated or finely minced
- ½ tsps black pepper freshly ground
- 3 tbsps lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt or more to taste
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- ⅓ cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 2 tbsps Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Chicken Tenders
- 8 strip chicken tenders remove filmy skin
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- ½ tsp black pepper
Crust
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- avocado oil spray
Instructions
Dressing
- Place all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Store in the fridge until you finish the remainder of the salad.
- Wash and clean the romaine lettuce well. Place on a rack or kitchen towel to dry while you prepare the chicken.
Crispy Chicken
- To prepare the chicken, clean off all filmy skin from the chicken. In one bowl, whisk together the egg, garlic, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Place in the chicken strip and coat well.
- In another bowl, mix together the crust ingredients. Dip in each strip seperately to coat very well and line them on a non-stick sheet pan (or use parchment paper).
- Spray generously with avocado oil and bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Flip over, spray and bake the other side for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool before cutting them into smaller pieces.
Assembley
- Cut the romaine lettuce and place in a bowl. Toss with half of the dressing.
- In a large dish, place the romaine lettuce on the bottom. Then add the chicken and croutons. Pour over some extra dressing if needed and top with shaved parmesan cheese.
- If you have leftover dressing, save in the fridge for later use. Can last up to 2-3 days.
Notes
- Make sure to wash your romaine lettuce thoroughly and to make sure it’s dried off, I use a rack or kitchen towel. You don’t want lots of water in your salad.
- Use a meat thermometer to take the out the guesswork. Tenders can vary slightly in thickness and therefore cooking times can change a little bit. You want to make sure your chicken tenders are thoroughly cooked a meat thermometer reading 165 degrees is the best way.
- Spray away with some avocado oil! Don’t skip on spritzing the tenders with avocado oil. As these are baked tenders and not fried they want that extra hit of oil to keep them crispy.
- Let the chicken sit for a few minutes before slicing into strips. This allows the juices to distribute throughout the chicken and not spill out.
- Invest in some tongs! If you don’t have any kitchen tongs it’s well worth a few buck. Tongs are much easier to flip the chicken with than spatulas, spoons or forks!
Love the recipe, will surely share this to others !!
Lucy,
Glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for the review.
Amazing
Thanks Weasam,
Glad you enjoyed the recipe.