The ULTIMATE Healthy Chicken Caesar Salad featuring zesty lemon grilled chicken, homemade crunchy garlic croutons, freshly grated parmesan cheese, all drizzled with a lighter Greek yogurt dressing!
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Who loves a classic Caesar salad? 🖐🏼 Now, who enjoys the heavy fat and calorie load that typically accompanies it? Not here! This healthier chicken Caesar salad is crafted with succulent lemon grilled chicken, crisp romaine lettuce, crunchy homemade garlic croutons, and a lighter dressing made with protein-rich Greek yogurt instead of mayo or eggs. It’s delicious and far better for your well-being!
Why You’ll Adore This
- A wholesome update to your beloved classic Caesar salad!
- This lighter Greek yogurt dressing helps to lower the fat and calorie content while being immensely flavorful.
- The homemade croutons are crisp, garlicky, and made with whole grain bread for added nutritional benefits.
- You’ll savor the taste of the lemon garlic grilled chicken added to this salad!
Ingredients You’ll Require
- romaine lettuce – I prefer using classic romaine for this Caesar salad, but feel free to explore other leafy greens.
- grilled chicken – I employed my lemon chicken recipe as its flavors elevate this Caesar salad, but pre-cooked rotisserie chicken is also fantastic, or you could pair it with other proteins like steak, shrimp, or fish.
- caesar dressing – our healthier Caesar dressing utilizes Greek yogurt instead of mayo or eggs and can double as a marinade for the chicken if you whip up a bit more.
- croutons – these simple homemade croutons are crispy, garlicky, and the ideal finishing touch for this salad! You can use gluten-free bread to create croutons suitable for those with gluten sensitivities.
- parmesan cheese – freshly grated parmesan cheese is the ultimate way to top off this salad; just ensure you select a quality cheese for the best taste.
Healthy Caesar Dressing
This nourishing Caesar dressing covers all the bases! It’s creamy, tangy, and crafted with fresh ingredients that far surpass store-bought versions in flavor. Utilizing Greek yogurt instead of mayo or eggs not only boosts the protein but also eliminates excess fat and calories. Moreover, this dressing can serve as an excellent marinade for the chicken if you have some leftover! Store it in a sealed, airtight container (or mason jar) in the fridge for as long as a week.
How to Serve
This chicken Caesar salad stands alone beautifully as a meal, but it can also be served as a side dish alongside other meals:
Prepping this Salad in Advance
The wonderful aspect of this salad is that all its components can be easily prepared ahead of time and kept separate until ready to combine.
- The chicken can be made 3 to 4 days in advance and tastes delicious both warm or cold on the salad. Leftover or shredded rotisserie chicken works wonderfully too.
- Homemade croutons can be kept for up to 2 weeks in a sealed, airtight container at room temperature.
- The Caesar dressing can be refrigerated for up to a week in a reputable mason jar or container. When you’re ready to use it, shake well to reblend.
- romaine lettuce can be washed and stored in a container in the fridge until you’re set to prepare the salad.
More Salads You’ll Adore
I hope you relish this Healthy Chicken Caesar Salad! If it brings you as much joy as it does us, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram with #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing your delightful recreations!
For the Chicken:
For the Salad:
For the Chicken
In a small bowl or jar, blend together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken breasts in a shallow dish or a sealable plastic bag, icing the marinade over the chicken. Position in the fridge and marinate for no less than an hour.
Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat, brushing the surface with oil to avoid sticking. Grill the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until fully cooked and no longer pink inside (the internal temperature should reach 165 degrees). Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
For the Salad
To put together the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl, topping with the chicken and croutons. Drizzle the dressing over the greens, tossing to combine, and finish with fresh parmesan cheese.
Serving: 14/th of salad | Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.6g | Protein: 33.8g | Fat: 11.9g | Saturated Fat: 3.2g | Sodium: 580mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 3.3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.