Grill/Barbecue

Grilled and Chopped Chicken Caesar Salad

by:
October  4, 2022
4.4
5 Ratings
Grilled and Chopped Chicken Caesar Salad
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This is a simple chopped salad of greens, chicken, and bread, flecked with briny anchovy, flakes of cheese, and a generous squeeze of lemon. The result is crisp, fresh, and vibrant, and the flavor of the lettuce holds strong despite the bold flavors and textures. —Caroline Wright

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 2 romaine hearts, halved lengthwise with root intact
  • 2 chicken cutlets (about 1/2 pound total)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • two 1-inch slices fresh country bread
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 ounces pecorino cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
Directions
  1. Preheat grill to medium-high. Stir together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, and anchovy paste, and toss with romaine. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper and rub with 1 tablespoon oil. Brush bread with remaining tablespoon oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill lettuce, chicken, and bread alongside each other, turning each once, until lettuce has charred marks on its cut side (about 1 to 2 minutes total), bread is charred on both sides (1 to 2 minutes total), and chicken is cooked through (about 2 to 3 minutes per side).
  2. While chicken, lettuce, and bread cool, stir together lemon juice and mayonnaise in a large bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Slice chicken, lettuce, and bread into 1- to 2-inch pieces and transfer to bowl with dressing. Scatter pecorino over top of salad and toss. Serve salad in bowls with additional lemon wedges, if desired.
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  • mj.landry
    mj.landry
  • bgavin
    bgavin
Caroline Wright
Before her diagnosis, Caroline wrote a book on cakes called Cake Magic!. She started developing a birthday cake using her gluten-free mix found in that book. Check out other recipes she’s developing for her new life—and the stories behind them—on her blog, The Wright Recipes. Her next book, Soup Club, is a collection of recipes she made for her underground soup club of vegan and grain-free soups she delivers every week to friends throughout Seattle's rainy winter.

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2 Reviews

mj.landry
mj.landry September 18, 2014
I made this tonight. I did not like the grilled lettuce all that much, even with a slight char it seemed slimy…didn't care for the texture. LOVED the brushing the lettuce with olive oil, pimiento and anchovy. And to a comment below, the mayo mixed with lemon juice was really light & nice. I would make this again with a few tweaks and I know everyone's palette is different but for me I wouldn't grill the lettuce. I get what the author is saying about the cheesy dressing bomb one usually gets when ordering a caesar. I usually like just lemon juice and olive oil with a bit of shaved cheese when I make it. But I say try it…this is a good recipe.
 
bgavin
bgavin September 16, 2014
Mayonnaise in a Caesar? I don't think so. But I am flexible enough to appreciate the idea of grilled Romaine...but I think I will use a more traditional dressing.