If you’re a caesar salad lover, this is a nice way to switch that up, especially in the summer when grilling is the only thing on your mind. Rather than making a traditional caesar salad, we’re using caesar marinated chicken, skewering them and grilling them. Serve it alongside some grilled romaine, my favourite ever dairy-free caesar dressing and fried sourdough croutons. Simply the best ever, promise!

Why You’ll Love This Caesar Marinated Chicken

Easy to prep in advance and tastes even better the longer you marinate your chicken.
Perfect for hot weather, no need to turn your oven on!
Customizable to suit your needs and tastes, check out the substitutions for more options.
Tons of texture in this salad (crunch is our friend in salads).
All the caesar flavour in every bite.

Ingredients

The ingredients for the caesar marinated chicken are quite simple. Depending on if you wish to make your own caesar dressing or a store bought one will result in extra ingredients. Personally, I love this with my creamy dairy-free caesar dressing, but feel free to use whatever you like the best.

For the chicken marinade and salad:

chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
Greek yogurt
lemon juice, plus the zest from one lemon
garlic cloves
anchovies (optional, but they add lots of flavour!)
dijon mustard
romaine lettuce
avocado oil spray
extra virgin olive oil
sourdough (torn)
cherry tomatoes
shaved parmigiano reggiano (for garnish)

If you will be making the dairy-free caesar dressing, check out the full recipe for that here. I love serving it over some finely chopped kale and vegan parm. It’s SOOO good!

How to Make

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the caesar marinade.

Add the cubed chicken to the bowl and stir to combine and then let it sit (covered) in the fridge for up to one hour, or overnight (for best flavour).

Make the caesar dressing for the salad (if using my recipe). This can sit in the fridge covered for about four days, it will thicken more in the fridge, so add some more oil or water to thin.

To make the sourdough, heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Toss the torn bread with olive oil in a large bowl and place in the skillet. Fry until golden brown all over, about eight to ten minutes. Set aside on a plate.

When ready to grill, thread chicken onto skewers. (Don’t forget to soak bamboo skewers if using).

Heat up your grill over medium-high heat. Once the grill is nice and hot, spray with some avocado oil to avoid the chicken sticking. Place the chicken skewers on the grill and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes, until charred and cooked through, rotating every few minutes. Remove and set aside.

Add the halved lemon to the grill and grill for about two to four minutes, until charred.

Brush the romaine with oil (avocado or extra virgin olive oil). Place cut side down on the grill and grill over high for about two minutes, until grill marks appear. Remove and serve with chicken, dressing and toppings.

Tips

In order to make this grilled chicken caesar salad recipe taste the best, here are my top tips.

Marinate the cubed chicken overnight for maximum flavour. It will still be tasty if you only let it sit for an hour or two.
Prep the caesar salad dressing ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge. Thin it out with extra virgin olive oil or water if needed.
Prep the sourdough croutons ahead of time and let them sit, they’ll stay crunchy on the counter for a little while.
Grill the romaine over high just until grill marks appear, about two minutes. If you leave it too long, it will get soggy. Also, slice just a bit of the wilted top off before grilling.
Wash the romaine lettuce as well as you can and pat very dry with paper towel so it can stay crisp. Brush or spray with a bit of oil just before grilling.
Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for more flavour as chicken breast will dry out more (this is my personal preference).
Anchovies: if you are using them (I love them), please do search out and buy high quality ones packed in olive oil, they just taste better! I keep them sealed in a container in my fridge in oil and they’ll last for quite a while if stored this way.

Substitutions

No anchovies: you can omit them. They add lots of flavour, but they can be omitted, no problem.
Gluten-free: use a gluten-free bread instead of sourdough.
Parmigiano Reggiano: omit, or use a sprinkle of nutritional yeast instead.
Greek yogurt: use a dairy-free plain, unsweetened yogurt instead.
Caesar salad dressing: feel free to use any caesar salad dressing you like instead.

Storing leftovers

These caesar marinated chicken skewers will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to three days.

The dressing will last five to six days in a sealed container. Thin it out as needed with more water or olive oil if needed.

The romaine tastes best immediately after being grilled.

More Salad Recipes

If you love a good salad, be sure to check these out!

Ready to make this delicious caesar marinated chicken? Let’s go!

If you make these caesar marinated chicken skewers, please let me know by tagging me on Instagram, or leave a comment and/or review below!

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