Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

5 from 7 votes

A flavorful marinade creates the most delicious Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad topped with easy homemade focaccia croutons. This is a salad you will crave on a regular basis!

Prep Time18

Cook Time12

Marinating Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Dish, Salad

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings:

Calories: 611kcal

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

For the Grilled Chicken Marinade

½ of a lemon juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

For the Focaccia Croutons

½ pound focaccia ¾-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil

For the Caesar Salad

1 head romaine chopped
½ cup shredded Parmesan
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 recipe Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing or your favorite store brand

Instructions

Grilled Chicken

Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk it well to combine.
Place the chicken in a zippered plastic storage bag. Pour the marinade over the top. Press out as much air as you can and seal the bag. Use your hands to move the chicken around in the bag until it is well coated with marinade. Refrigerate for at least an hour or for up to 8 hours.
Grill the chicken on your outdoor or stovetop grill for approximately 4 to 5 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F when checked with an instant read thermometer. If using thicker pieces of chicken, cooking time will increase. If preferred, the chicken can be cooked in a little olive oil heated in a skillet on the stove.
Transfer grilled chicken to a cutting board and slice into small strips (approximately 3-inches or so). Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Focaccia Croutons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
While the chicken is on the grill, spread the cubed focaccia out over a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and use your hands to mix the bread until lightly coated with oil. Bake for 5 minutes and then toss with a spatula. Continue to bake for an additional 6 to 7 minutes or until lightly crisped and browned.
Remove from the oven and set aside.

Assemble the Salad

Chop romaine and toss with about half of the Caesar dressing (or more, if desired) and half of the shredded Parmesan. Season with pepper, to taste. Top with sliced chicken. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Top the salad with the Focaccia Croutons and serve with remaining dressing on the side.

Notes

To save time, look for thin-sliced chicken breasts at the store. If your chicken breasts are regular thickness, slice them through the middle or pound them to ½-inch thickness - thinner chicken means more surface area drenched in the fabulous marinade which will result in more flavorful chicken that cooks more quickly.
For the focaccia croutons, use any variety of store-bought or homemade focaccia you love. I really like the Costco's Pesto Focaccia available in their bakery department.

Nutrition