Description
This BBQ Chicken Caesar Salad is a delicious twist on the classic Caesar salad, featuring grilled BBQ chicken breast, homemade garlic butter croutons, a creamy Caesar dressing with a hint of anchovy, and fresh avocado slices. Perfect for a light yet flavorful meal that balances smoky, tangy, and creamy elements.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 2-3 chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup (not packed) brown or demerara sugar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon anchovy paste
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Croutons
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 slices bread, cut into crouton-sized pieces
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Salad
- Your favorite BBQ sauce, for brushing grilled chicken
- 1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Parmesan cheese, shaved to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Butterfly the chicken breasts and cut them in half to create thinner cutlets that will cook evenly and quickly.
- Marinate the Chicken: Combine the marinade ingredients (brown sugar, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and lemon juice) in a large ZipLoc bag. Add the chicken, seal, and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to 2 hours to infuse flavor.
- Make the Dressing: In a bowl, mix together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy paste, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir well and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Make the Croutons: Slice bread into crouton-sized pieces. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat and add minced garlic. Fry the bread pieces in the butter and garlic for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy. Remove and set aside.
- Preheat the Grill: Oil the grill grate and preheat your BBQ grill to high heat. Once hot, reduce the temperature to medium-high for cooking.
- Prepare Salad Components: While the grill is heating, tear the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces, slice the avocado, and shave Parmesan cheese using a potato peeler or vegetable peeler.
- Grill the Chicken: Place the marinated chicken on the grill. Brush the top side with BBQ sauce and cook for about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken, brush the other side with BBQ sauce, and grill for another 4 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F/74°C).
- Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, toss the torn lettuce, homemade croutons, avocado slices, and shaved Parmesan cheese with the prepared Caesar dressing. Slice the grilled BBQ chicken and arrange it on top of the salad. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken longer (up to 2 hours) for deeper flavor.
- If you don’t have a grill, the chicken can be cooked on a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
- For a lighter dressing, you can reduce or omit the mayonnaise.
- Anchovy paste enhances the traditional Caesar flavor but can be omitted for a milder taste.
- Use day-old bread for croutons to achieve extra crispness.
- Make sure to oil the grill to prevent chicken from sticking.
