Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

This is the best Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad! Romaine lettuce gets tossed with tender chicken, healthy Caesar dressing & homemade croutons.

An overhead shot of a grilled chicken caesar salad topped with homemade croutons in a bowl with another salad on the side.

While Caesar salads are known for being loaded with fat, rich and indulgent, we’ve perfected the best low calorie Caesar salad that tastes so delicious you’d never know it was healthy!

Our grilled chicken caesar salad features juicy grilled chicken, fresh romaine, tangy Caesar dressing, freshly shredded parmesan cheese, and crunchy homemade croutons combined in this protein-packed meal that is perfect for lunch or dinner.

Homemade salad dressings and croutons may seem like a lot of effort, but we have extensively tested this recipe to make it easy enough for anyone to make while bursting with flavor!

A sliced grilled chicken caesar salad in a white bowl topped with homemade croutons and a fork in the bowl.

why we love this recipe

So easy to make – Simply grill the chicken, blend the dressing up, and assemble the salad. It truly couldn’t be easier, especially if you prep the ingredients beforehand.
Perfect meal prep lunch or dinner – You can prep the chicken, dressing and croutons ahead of time and just toss everything together when you are ready to eat.

Ingredients for the dressing:

To make healthy caesar dressing you’ll need:

Ingredients for caesar salad dressing in small bowls, labeled: nonfat Greek yogurt, garlic powder, parmesan cheese, honey, dijon mustard, onion powder, olive oil, pepper, lemon juice

nonfat greek yogurt – I’ve also used whole milk greek yogurt and it was delicious
olive oil – we need this to make the dressing smooth and creamy
spices – garlic powder, onion powder, pepper
lemon juice – caesar salad has a distinct bite to it that the lemon juice helps provide
parmesan cheese – I always grate it fresh!
dijon mustard – this might seem weird, but it’s very common in Caesar dressing
honey – this helps balance out the acidity of the other ingredients

We love to use a mini food processor to make the dressing. This is one of my most used kitchen items!

Ingredients for the salad

Ingredients for grilled chicken caesar salad in small bowls, labeled: romaine lettuce, croutons, chicken breasts, parmesan cheese, caesar dressing, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder

boneless skinless chicken breasts – we like to grill them, slice and serve over the salad but you could also chop them
romaine lettuce – classic Caesar salad is always made with romaine
Caesar dressing – our healthy caesar dressing is rich and creamy while being half the fat of regular dressing
homemade croutons
pepper – don’t skip this, it’s essential
parmesan cheese – buy a block of it and shave it yourself, it’s so much better!

SUBSTITUTIONS

Olive Oil: You could use avocado oil, but we really recommend extra virgin olive oil

Greek Yogurt: Whole Greek milk yogurt will work. I have only tried this with Greek yogurt, but I think regular yogurt would also work. Make sure it’s unsweetened.

Dairy Free: I have not tried this with dairy free yogurt or cheese, but I think it would work.

Dijon Mustard: Even if you don’t like mustard, I really encourage you to use it in the dressing. You can’t tell it’s in there!

Parmesan Cheese: Always always always use freshly grated cheese! Even parmesan! I promise it’s so much better. Pre-grated cheese has stabilizers added to it to prevent it from growing mold, so it never tastes as good (or melts as well!)

Honey: You can use maple syrup in place of honey

Chicken Breasts: You can substitute with boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenders. I think chicken thighs would be a little too fatty/greasy with the dressing but it will work!

Romaine: I haven’t made this with other greens, but I think spring mix or even kale would work well.

Sodium: This is a higher sodium recipe. You can omit the salt from the chicken breasts, or cut back on the amount of parmesan cheese you add.

How to Make Caesar Dressing

Caesar salad dressing blended in a small food processor.

Blend until smooth.

How to Grill Chicken for a Caesar Salad

Two seasoned raw chicken breasts on a black stovetop grill.

Evenly coat the chicken breasts with the dried seasoning and let the chicken sit for 5-10 minutes while the grill is preheating to medium high heat.

Two grilled chicken breasts on a black stovetop grill.

Spray grill with cooking oil and place chicken on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes on each side, until internal temperature reaches 165°. Let rest for 5 minutes before assembling the salad.

What to Serve with this Recipe:

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad is a complete meal in itself! If you are looking for other proteins to add on top of it, try our Balsamic Chicken or Chili Lime Shrimp.

If you want more veggies on the side, it goes well with Greek Pasta Salad or Greek Orzo Salad.

A white platter of a caesar salad with two sliced grilled chicken breasts on top.

Storage

Storing: We recommend storing all the components of the healthy caesar salad separately.

The dressing and chicken will both last in (separate) airtight containers for up to 4 days.

We don’t recommend assembling Caesar salad until you’re ready to eat.

A sliced grilled chicken caesar salad in a white bowl.

Other healthy salad recipes:

Here are some of our favorite other salad recipes

This is the best Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad! Romaine lettuce gets tossed with tender chicken, healthy Caesar dressing & homemade croutons.

Prep Time : 20 minutes

Cook Time : 15 minutes

Total Time : 35 minutes

Serves : 4 salads, approx 3 oz chicken and 2 cups salad with dressing/toppings

(hover over # to adjust)

Instructions

Remove chicken from packaging and clean excess fat. Lay the chicken on plastic wrap or parchment paper and gently tenderize using a meat mallet. You want to keep the chicken intact, so don’t use too much force when tenderizing. Place your chicken on a large plate in an even layer.
Mix together dried seasonings and coat the chicken evenly on both sides. I like to let the dry rub sit on the chicken for 5-10 minutes before putting it on the grill.
Preheat your grill to medium high heat, (Should take 7-10 minutes to heat). You can also pan sear this chicken on your stovetop, follow the same directions as the grill instructions if cooking the chicken in a pan.
Spray your grill with cooking oil (olive oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil etc)
Place your chicken on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes on one side, then flip your chicken and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Depending on your grill and the temp, you may need a few extra minutes to get to an internal temperature of 165. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken. Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes while you prepare your dressing.
To make the dressing, mix together all the ingredients in a small food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
Wash and chop your romaine lettuce. Add to a large bowl.
Add the parmesan cheese and dressing to the bowl with the lettuce. Toss together until the lettuce is coated in 1 cup of dressing (You can also use less dressing!) Add to bowls and evenly distribute the croutons on top (you can toss them with the dressing but they do get soggy!)
Slice your chicken into 1 ⁄ 2 inch thick strips. Place on top of your salad and enjoy!

Notes

Sodium: This is a higher sodium recipe. You can omit the salt from the chicken breasts, or cut back on the amount of parmesan cheese you add.

Nutrition Facts

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad – The Clean Eating Couple