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Chicken Caesar Salad for Two

By Lawman Johnson

Published on July 2, 2024

Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Chicken Caesar Salad for Two

Ingredients

2 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed1 teaspoon table salt, divided¾ teaspoon pepper, divided1½ ounces ciabatta, cut into ½-inch cubes (1½ cups)½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided2 garlic cloves, minced, divided1 large egg yolk 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced1 ounce Parmesan cheese, ½ ounce grated (¼ cup) and ½ ounce shaved¼ cup all-purpose flour 1½ romaine lettuce hearts (9 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces

Before You Begin

Grate the Parmesan on a rasp-style grater or the fine holes of a box grater. To prep the romaine hearts, cut off the cores, halve the hearts lengthwise, cut the halves in half lengthwise, and then cut them crosswise into 1-inch pieces. You can substitute 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise for the egg yolk.

Instructions

  1. Place chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound to even ½-inch thickness. Pat cutlets dry with paper towels and arrange in even layer on large plate. Sprinkle cutlets all over with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, stir bread cubes, 2 tablespoons oil, half of garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in cold 12-inch nonstick skillet until evenly combined. Toast bread cubes in skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer croutons to small bowl; set aside. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.
  3. Form damp dish towel into ring shape on counter. Set large bowl in ring to stabilize. Add egg yolk, lemon juice, Worcestershire, mustard, anchovies, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper, and remaining garlic to bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in ¼ cup oil until dressing is smooth and creamy. Whisk in grated Parmesan. Reserve 2 tablespoons dressing in second small bowl for serving.
  4. Spread flour in shallow dish. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until just smoking. Dredge cutlets in flour, shaking gently to remove excess, and place in skillet. Cook cutlets until spotty brown on first side, about 3 minutes. Flip cutlets and cook until second side is spotty brown and cutlets are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
  5. Add lettuce, croutons, and shaved Parmesan to bowl with dressing and toss gently to combine. Divide salad between 2 serving plates. Slice chicken on bias and arrange over salad. Spoon reserved dressing over chicken. Serve.
Chicken Caesar Salad for Two
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Elle Simone Scott.

Chicken Caesar Salad for Two

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Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1 teaspoon table salt, divided
¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
1½ ounces ciabatta, cut into ½-inch cubes (1½ cups)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, ½ ounce grated (¼ cup) and ½ ounce shaved
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1½ romaine lettuce hearts (9 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces

Ingredients

2 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1 teaspoon table salt, divided
¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
1½ ounces ciabatta, cut into ½-inch cubes (1½ cups)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, ½ ounce grated (¼ cup) and ½ ounce shaved
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1½ romaine lettuce hearts (9 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces

Ingredients

2 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1 teaspoon table salt, divided
¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
1½ ounces ciabatta, cut into ½-inch cubes (1½ cups)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, ½ ounce grated (¼ cup) and ½ ounce shaved
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1½ romaine lettuce hearts (9 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted to create a Caesar salad for two topped with chicken. We started by pounding boneless, skinless chicken breasts to a ½-inch thickness. Then we salted them for 15 minutes before cooking to season them thoroughly and help them stay juicy. A dredge in flour before cooking promoted browning. For the croutons, we cut ciabatta bread into bite-size pieces and tossed the pieces with extra-virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. We then toasted them in a skillet until golden brown. For a flavor-packed dressing, we whisked together an egg yolk, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and anchovies and then slowly whisked in olive oil until the dressing emulsified. A little grated Parmesan stirred into the dressing enhanced the savoriness, and shaved Parmesan tossed with the romaine and croutons reinforced it.

Before You Begin

Grate the Parmesan on a rasp-style grater or the fine holes of a box grater. To prep the romaine hearts, cut off the cores, halve the hearts lengthwise, cut the halves in half lengthwise, and then cut them crosswise into 1-inch pieces. You can substitute 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise for the egg yolk.

Instructions

  1. Place chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound to even ½-inch thickness. Pat cutlets dry with paper towels and arrange in even layer on large plate. Sprinkle cutlets all over with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, stir bread cubes, 2 tablespoons oil, half of garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in cold 12-inch nonstick skillet until evenly combined. Toast bread cubes in skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer croutons to small bowl; set aside. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.
  3. Form damp dish towel into ring shape on counter. Set large bowl in ring to stabilize. Add egg yolk, lemon juice, Worcestershire, mustard, anchovies, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper, and remaining garlic to bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in ¼ cup oil until dressing is smooth and creamy. Whisk in grated Parmesan. Reserve 2 tablespoons dressing in second small bowl for serving.
  4. Spread flour in shallow dish. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until just smoking. Dredge cutlets in flour, shaking gently to remove excess, and place in skillet. Cook cutlets until spotty brown on first side, about 3 minutes. Flip cutlets and cook until second side is spotty brown and cutlets are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
  5. Add lettuce, croutons, and shaved Parmesan to bowl with dressing and toss gently to combine. Divide salad between 2 serving plates. Slice chicken on bias and arrange over salad. Spoon reserved dressing over chicken. Serve.

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