This go-to meal, ready in less than 20 minutes, has all the elements of a classic chicken Caesar salad—but instead of tossing them together, we celebrate each on its own. We believe this is the only Caesar dressing you'll ever need. We stir in a little grated Parmesan and use it as a dip, too. Roasting romaine hearts intensifies their flavor: you get a slight pleasantly bitter note and a not-so-slight sweetness from the caramelization process. (We love the charred edges!) Small crunchy toasts make a heartier stand-in for croutons, and we cook the chicken breasts, tossed with a touch of mustard and thyme, until they just hit 160°F to ensure they are moist and tender.
Ingredients
4 servings
Caesar Dressing:
For the salad:
Preparation
Step 1
Position one oven rack 4 to 5 inches below the heat source (leave the other rack in the center of the oven) and preheat the broiler. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.
Step 2
Make the Caesar dressing: Combine the mayonnaise, anchovy paste, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil.
Step 3
Brush the cut sides of the romaine hearts with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Place them, cut side up, on the sheet pan. Broil the romaine hearts until they are slightly wilted and lightly browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Step 5
Toss the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the mustard, and thyme. Place the breasts and the bread slices on the sheet pan and roast in the center of the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the center of the chicken registers 160°F and the bread is toasted, 8 to 9 minutes.
Step 6
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Let it rest 5 minutes before cutting it across into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the chicken and toasts on the platter with the romaine; drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
How would you rate Deconstructed Chicken Caesar Salad?
Leave a Review
Reviews (5)
Back to TopThis was so DELICIOU!!! I grilled romaine on my George Forman grill. Salad dressing was Perfect & Delicious. Really enjoed will be making again & again!!! Did not have chicken so I ate it as is. Will be making without chicken.
Anonymous
trenton nj
3/3/2022
My rating is for the dressing only. Will be my go-to Caesar dressing. I used a splash of fish sauce (maybe 3/4 tsp?) instead of anchovies. I make in a wide mouth mason jar, with an immersion blender. Quick and delicious.
lizaveta
San Diego
5/6/2020
This was even better than it sounded, which I didn't think possible. And so incredibly easy--even easier than a classic Caesar salad, which I always love. I used anchovy paste instead of whole anchovies, which made it even easier. I also used far more garlic than the recipe called for, which I usually do. A whole wheat baguette worked very nicely for this, and I added olive oil to the tops of the bread slices before putting them in the oven with the chicken which gave them a nice golden coating. I also browned the romaine halves in a pan on top of the stove rather than under the broiler, which worked very well. I cannot wait to make this again!
Anonymous
New York City
2/4/2020
This was a delicious and easy way to make a salad a meal. Dressing is out of this world delicious!
Rellhtx
Texas
6/30/2019
Yes! Yes! Yes! This is one to try and keep! This dish is absolutely delicious! I made this with salmon instead of chicken. I used the “Lemon Salmon” recipe from this app and paired it with the charred romaine. I sprinkled a little sea salt on the Romaine after brushing it with olive oil. The STAR was the dressing! OH MY Goodness…it is absolutely glorious! The dressing stands on its own as a solid pop of flavor for any dish. The deconstructed concept makes it a fun dish for entertaining. It is the modern lighter main course to follow an amazing charcuterie board. This recipe has earned a spot in my weekly menu rotation. #TotalFan
JOY2COOK
Granite Bay
2/20/2024
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