Blackened Chicken Caesar Salad
Blackened Chicken Caesar Salad is a delicious combination of spicy chicken with creamy Caesar dressing and crisp homemade croutons for a delicious and hearty salad. Serve it with some crusty bread for a dinner your whole family will love.
This Blackened Chicken Caesar Salad is a new favorite in my house. Crisp romaine hearts are drizzled with creamy Caesar salad dressing and topped with tender pan-fried chicken coated in a homemade blackened seasoning. The sweet-spicy flavor of the chicken is a perfect complement to the creamy and tangy dressing. Simple homemade croutons add a delicious crunch. Use store-bought caesar dressing to keep this weeknight friendly, or whip up your own homemade Caesar dressing if you have the extra time!
Serve this with some crusty bread for a hearty salad that can stand on its own for dinner. Or roll it all up in a tortilla for blackened chicken caesar wraps!
For more delicious Caesar salad recipes, try my arugula Caesar salad with crispy BBQ chickpeas.
You Will Love This
- This is a perfect dinner salad – it’s fresh and delicious to make, but hearty enough for big appetites.
- Using chicken tenders makes this salad easy and quick – the chicken cooks in only about 8 minutes.
- This is a great recipe to make ahead for meal prep. See the recipe notes for prep ahead instructions.
Ingredients
To make this salad, you will need the following simple ingredients (exact measurements are in the recipe card below).
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken tenders: Feel free to substitute boneless skinless chicken breast in this recipe if you prefer. If you do, I recommend cutting the chicken breasts into strips or large cubes so they have more surface area for the blackening seasoning, and so that they cook faster.
- Romaine lettuce: I like to buy the pre-washed and separated romaine leaves to quicken up prep.
- Blackening seasoning: This seasoning may be somewhat mild compared to other recipes. We love this spice mix because it’s very flavorful, but not too spicy for the kids. If you prefer a spicier option, you can up the cayenne pepper to 1/2 teaspoon. You can also substitute a store-bought blackening seasoning mix if you prefer.
- Caesar dressing: Use your favorite dressing, or try my easy homemade greek yogurt caesar dressing!
Instructions
Storage and Meal Prep
To prep this recipe in advance, prepare all the ingredients but do not assemble the salad. You will want to store all of the ingredients separately to keep the salad fresh Store the chopped romaine and cooled chicken in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator until ready to use. Store the homemade croutons in an airtight container in a cool dry place that is out of direct sunlight (like the pantry). When ready to serve, dress and assemble the salad and enjoy!
Blackened Chicken Caesar Salad
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon basil
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
For the croutons
- 3 cups cubed French bread
- Extra virgin olive oil spray
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the salad
- 7 ounces romaine lettuce chopped
- ¼ cup Caesar dressing plus more to taste
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- Optional: cherry tomatoes and avocado
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a small bowl, with all of the blackening spices for the chicken and the brown sugar. Stir well to form a paste.
- Pour the blackening seasoning paste over the chicken tenders and stir until the tenders are well coated.
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken tenders. Allow the tenders to cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes on the first side. Flip, and cook for 3-4 minutes on the second side, until fully cooked through. Set the cooked chicken aside.
- Put the cubed bread on a baking sheet. Spray with olive oil spray and season with salt and pepper. Bake the croutons in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.
- While the croutons are baking, chop the romaine lettuce (and avocado and cherry tomatoes if using).
- Add the dressing to the lettuce and toss to coat.
- Top with the cooked chicken, croutons, parmesan cheese, avocado, cherry tomatoes and extra dressing if desired. Enjoy!
This was delicious! The buffalo chicken was a great addition with the caesar flavor.