Ultimate Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

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This homemade grilled chicken caesar salad is a level above those you might order at a restaurant. Set apart with juicy, grilled chicken thighs AND grilled sourdough bread that’s torn into croutons, atop crunchy romaine lettuce, creamy avocado, tomatoes, and cucumber. You could take it even one step further and grill the lettuce which adds delicious smoky flavor!

It’s refreshing and substantial at the same time, making it a great main dish salad on a warm summer night. I absolutely love all the textures and flavors; creamy, crunchy, juicy, salty, smoky, cheesy, and even a little sweetness from the cherry tomatoes.

If you haven’t tried grilling sourdough bread to make homemade croutons, you’re in for a real treat. The charred edges bring deeper, caramelized flavor into the slices that makes such a difference in this salad.

Grilled chicken thighs cook so much faster than chicken breasts, and have double the flavor.

Most chicken caesar salads are made with chicken breasts, but I make mine with boneless chicken thighs because that’s where extra flavor and juiciness is! They’re incredibly versatile and easier to cook as a beginner because they won’t dry out as fast because of the extra fat. Another bonus: they cook within 8 minutes on the grill because they’re not as thick as chicken breasts.

My tips for grilling boneless skinless chicken thighs:

Boneless chicken thighs cook on the grill very quickly! About 4 minutes on each side, and they’re done.

Because they are skinless, it’s very important to let them cook undisturbed, without trying to flip before they’re ready or the meat will stick to the grill.

To avoid the meat sticking, you are going to preheat your grill to medium high heat so that the sear happens quickly. Take your tongs and grab a hold of one of the thighs and if they don’t want to let go of the grates, let them cook for another minute and then try again.

Making homemade caesar salad dressing is easier than you think!

Over the years I’ve played around with several caesar dressing recipes, and I’ve come to the conclusion that you don’t the base to be made from egg yolks for it to be absolutely delicious.

Instead, I use high quality mayonnaise and then straight-forward ingredients that pack a lot of flavor like Worcestershire sauce, garlic, parmesan cheese, and anchovy paste. Everything is simply whisked in a bowl and that’s it!

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Juicy Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (w/ thighs!)

A fresh and delicious grilled chicken caesar salad with lots of flavor from cucumbers, avocado, tomatoes, parmesan, and grilled bread for croutons! An easy homemade caesar dressing elevates each bite. Chicken thighs rather than chicken breasts are used in this recipe for maximum juiciness and flavor.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time :30 minutes minutes

Cook Time :10 minutes minutes

Yield: 5 servings

Author: Amanda Paa

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 5 slices sourdough bread
• 2 heads of romaine lettuce, cut in half vertically then torn into bite size pieces
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 small Persian cucumbers, sliced into half moons
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced into thin strips or cubed
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large clove garlic or 2 small cloves, minced

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Instructions 

• For dressing: Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and store in a jar. Can be made 3 days ahead.
• For Salad: Preheat 2 burners of your grill to medium-high heat.
• Season both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Brush both sides of sourdough bread with olive oil.
• Place chicken and bread onto grill directly over burners. Let chicken and bread cook for 3-4 minutes per side.
• Check chicken at 4 minutes with a tong and if there is no resistance, flip the chicken. If there is resistance, let cook for another minute (to avoid meat sticking). Flip bread as well, and when it’s golden brown on both sides, move to side of grill that is off.
• Let chicken thighs cook for another 3-4 minutes, until chicken reaches internal temp of 160 degrees F.
• Move chicken and bread to a platter and let rest for 10 minutes. Then slice chicken into thin strips, and tear grilled bread into small pieces.
• Assemble the salad with romaine in the bowl, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, parmesan, grilled chicken, and grilled bread.
• Pour 1/2 of salad dressing over the top and toss to coat, then just before serving add more dressing to top of salad.