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Hearty Main-Course Salads
Recipe
1 hr

Caesar Salad with Chicken

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Caesar Salad with Chicken
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Recipe By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 15, 2025

Crisp romaine, creamy dressing, and magical garlicky "crunchewy" croutons? Your Caesar journey starts here.

Time

1 hr

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Why This Recipe Works

A combination of extra-virgin olive oil and canola oil gave our Caesar Salad dressing a neutral base. We used a rasp-style grater to turn garlic into pulp, then steeped it in lemon juice. To get all of our recipe’s ingredients to emulsify, we beat the yolks, anchovies, and Worcestershire sauce into the lemon juice and garlic, then slowly whisked in the oil and half of the cheese. For our Caesar salad’s croutons, we used ciabatta. Sprinkling the bread cubes with a little water and salt preserved their moistness and ensured they were perfectly tender at the center and browned around the edges after we toasted them. To make this a heartier meal, our easy pan and steam chicken breast works great, though you could top it with the protein of your choice.



Ingredients

Salad

¾ teaspoon garlic paste from 1 large clove
2 - 3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
6 anchovy fillets, patted dry with paper towels, minced fine, and mashed to paste with fork (1 tablespoon)
2 large egg yolks
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1½ ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (¾ cup), divided
Ground black pepper
2 - 3 romaine hearts, cut crosswise into ¾-inch-thick slices, rinsed, and dried very well (8 to 9 lightly pressed cups)

Chicken

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
⅔ cup water

Croutons

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic paste from 1 medium clove
½ - ¾ loaf ciabatta, cut into ¾-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. PREPARE CHICKEN: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken on first side until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip chicken, carefully add ⅔ cup water, and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board to cool. Dispose of poaching liquid and wipe out pan. Do not wash pan.
  2. PREPARE CROUTONS: Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and garlic paste in small bowl; set aside. Place bread cubes in large bowl. Sprinkle with water and salt. Toss cubes, squeezing gently so bread absorbs water. Place remaining 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and soaked bread cubes in now-empty skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.
  3. Remove skillet from heat. Push croutons to sides to clear center. Add garlic mixture to clearing and cook with residual heat of pan, about 10 seconds. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan; toss until garlic and Parmesan are evenly distributed. Transfer croutons to clean bowl.
  4. PREPARE SALAD: Whisk ¾ teaspoon garlic paste and 2 tablespoons lemon juice together in large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.
  5. Whisk Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, and egg yolks into garlic/lemon juice mixture. Whisking constantly, drizzle vegetable oil and extra-virgin olive oil into bowl in slow, steady stream until emulsified. Add ½ cup finely grated Parmesan and pepper to taste, and whisk until incorporated.
  6. Cut cooled chicken crosswise into ½-inch thick slices.
  7. Add romaine pieces to dressing and toss to coat. Add croutons and chicken. Mix gently until evenly distributed. Season with up to 1 tablespoon remaining lemon juice. Serve, passing remaining ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan.

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Caesar Salad with Chicken

Recipe By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 15, 2025

Time

1 hr

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Caesar Salad with Chicken

Ingredients

Salad

¾ teaspoon garlic paste from 1 large clove2 - 3 tablespoons lemon juice½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce6 anchovy fillets, patted dry with paper towels, minced fine, and mashed to paste with fork (1 tablespoon) 2 large egg yolks 5 tablespoons vegetable oil5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil1½ ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (¾ cup), dividedGround black pepper2 - 3 romaine hearts, cut crosswise into ¾-inch-thick slices, rinsed, and dried very well (8 to 9 lightly pressed cups)

Chicken

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breastSalt and pepper1 tablespoon vegetable oil⅔ cup water

Croutons

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil½ teaspoon garlic paste from 1 medium clove ½ - ¾ loaf ciabatta, cut into ¾-inch cubes (about 5 cups) ¼ cup water¼ teaspoon table salt2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. PREPARE CHICKEN: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken on first side until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip chicken, carefully add ⅔ cup water, and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board to cool. Dispose of poaching liquid and wipe out pan. Do not wash pan.
  2. PREPARE CROUTONS: Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and garlic paste in small bowl; set aside. Place bread cubes in large bowl. Sprinkle with water and salt. Toss cubes, squeezing gently so bread absorbs water. Place remaining 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and soaked bread cubes in now-empty skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.
  3. Remove skillet from heat. Push croutons to sides to clear center. Add garlic mixture to clearing and cook with residual heat of pan, about 10 seconds. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan; toss until garlic and Parmesan are evenly distributed. Transfer croutons to clean bowl.
  4. PREPARE SALAD: Whisk ¾ teaspoon garlic paste and 2 tablespoons lemon juice together in large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.
  5. Whisk Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, and egg yolks into garlic/lemon juice mixture. Whisking constantly, drizzle vegetable oil and extra-virgin olive oil into bowl in slow, steady stream until emulsified. Add ½ cup finely grated Parmesan and pepper to taste, and whisk until incorporated.
  6. Cut cooled chicken crosswise into ½-inch thick slices.
  7. Add romaine pieces to dressing and toss to coat. Add croutons and chicken. Mix gently until evenly distributed. Season with up to 1 tablespoon remaining lemon juice. Serve, passing remaining ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan.
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