Treat yourself to the medley of flavours and textures with our Caesar Salad with Chicken and Bacon recipe. This is one of our all-time favourites that offers a satisfying balance between indulgence and freshness, making it a perfect choice for both a hearty main course and an appetising starter. Made with a homemade creamy dressing that omits anchovies, this salad welcomes all palates to revel in its goodness. With succulent chicken, crispy bacon bits, and homemade croutons, every bite is an invitation to experience the classic Caesar salad anew.
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A True Classic With A Bit of Bacon
The history of Caesar salad traces back to Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant and restaurateur. In the 1920s, Cardini's culinary ingenuity led to the creation of this iconic dish, combining crisp romaine lettuce, tangy dressing, croutons, and Parmesan cheese into a timeless ensemble of flavours. This salad was often served as a side dish, but in the modern days, this salad has evolved to become a meal in its own right.
Our version omits the anchovies (both in the salad itself and the dressing). However, we replace the saltiness of the fish by introducing crispy salty bacon, which also adds a smoky flavour. We also add chicken breast in order to make it a hearty salad that is filling to have as a main dish! Truth be told, this is the best Chicken Caesar Salad we make for lunch almost every weekend!
Why You Will Love This Caesar Salad Recipe
This Chicken Caesar Salad recipe with bacon is hard not to love!
- Filling enough as a main dish, but smaller portions can be served as a starter too.
- There are no anchovies in this salad, so the whole family can enjoy the flavours (we know not everyone likes pungent anchovies...).
- It's a perfect dish that combines healthy veggies and lean, protein-rich chicken with indulgent bacon and creamy Caesar Salad dressing.
- Using leftover chicken (or shop-bought rotisserie chicken) makes it an easy meal that comes together in minutes!
- A great recipe to add to your BBQ party menu (prepare the salad and cook the chicken on the BBQ grill!).
- It's our favourite salad to have for an al fresco lunch in the summer months! But if you're reading around Christmas, you must try our Christmas Leftover Caesar Salad!
Ingredients
Here are all the ingredients that you will need to make this Caesar Salad with Chicken and Bacon. You can find quantities and full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- olive oil: can be replaced with avocado or rapeseed oil.
- chicken breasts: we typically cook skinless boneless chicken breasts fresh, and serve them warm (see section below on how best to cook chicken for Caesar Salad). But you may use rotisserie chicken or any cooked leftover chicken you may have.
- Italian seasoning or mixed fried herbs.
- eggs: we prefer to keep the eggs slightly runny, but hard-boiled egg is more traditional.
- gem lettuce: crisp romaine lettuce or cos lettuce can also be used. Avoid floppy salad types like iceberg lettuce. And if you have more to use, don't forget to try our Romaine Wedge Salad!
- streaky bacon slices: we serve 2 crispy bacon rashers per person. We are generous!
- avocado: ripe and ready.
- parmesan cheese: you may buy ready-made parmesan shavings too.
- croutons: crunchy croutons add extra crunch and substance to the salad. We highly recommend making them from scratch (see details below).
- Caesar salad dressing: choose your favourite shop-bought dressing, or better yet, make your Caesar Salad Dressing from scratch.
Step-By-Step Method
Whilst our method includes many steps for making the best Chicken and Bacon Caesar Salad, you can skip many of them, and use shop-bought ready-made ingredients if what you're looking for is a quick and effortless meal.
How To Cook Chicken For Caesar Salad?
Chicken Caesar Salad is typically served with grilled chicken, but do not be limited by this tradition. Choose your preferred cooking method:
- Frying Pan: One of the easiest methods that produce delicious chicken breasts every time, is to pan-fry them. Start on higher heat to seal, then reduce it to medium heat and cook, turning once in a while until the internal temperature of the thickest part reaches 74°C.
- Griddle/ Grill Pan: Similar method to pan-frying, using a griddle pan will create dark lines across your chicken breasts, making them more visually appealing.
- Oven-Baked: You can simply roast your chicken breasts on a baking tray, or wrap them in foil (the best part is that you don't need to scrub the tray afterwards!). Cooking time will depend on the side of the breasts, so we recommend using an instant-read thermometer (it should read 74°C when the chicken is safe to eat).
- Poached: One of the easiest ways to prepare chicken for various meals in advance is to boil chicken fillets in water, then place them in cold water to seal in the moisture. We discuss how to poach chicken breasts in our Coronation Chicken Sandwich recipe.
- Instant Pot: If you have an instant pot, read this useful guide on how to cook chicken for meal prep.
Boiling The Eggs
Place the eggs in a single layer at the bottom of a saucepan. Fill the pan with enough water to cover the eggs by about 2 cm. Place the pan over high heat and bring the water to a rolling boil.
For a hard-boiled egg with a firm yolk, let it cook for around 9-12 minutes. If you're craving slightly runny egg yolks, cook them for approximately 5-8 minutes. Once your eggs have reached the desired doneness, transfer them to a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking process.
We like to peel and use the eggs for Caesar Salad whilst they are still warm.
Cooking The Bacon
Here are two ways to cook your bacon:
- Pan Fry. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Lay the strips of streaky bacon in a single layer, ensuring they don't overlap. Allow the bacon to cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until the edges turn golden and the fat begins to render. Flip the bacon using tongs and continue cooking until both sides are evenly crispy. Finally, transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess grease before serving.
- Under The Grill. Lay the streaky bacon slices on a baking sheet or oven-safe tray in a single layer, ensuring they're evenly spaced. You may line it with foil to avoid the mess. Place the tray under the grill and let the bacon cook, periodically checking to prevent burning. Once the bacon turns crispy and golden brown, carefully remove the tray from the grill and transfer the bacon onto a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess grease before using it in the salad.
Once cooked, let the bacon cool down slightly until you can handle it without burning your hands. Use kitchen scissors to cut the bacon into small pieces.
Making The Salad
Place the roughly chopped or torn lettuce and avocado into a large bowl. Add the parmesan cheese, croutons and ¾ of the tangy Caesar dressing. Toss everything together gently to coat. Divide the salad between bowls or plates. Top each with half a sliced chicken breast and egg. Scatter crispy bacon all over, and drizzle the remaining dressing. Enjoy!
Optional Steps (Highly Recommended)
For the best results and the most incredible salad, we highly recommend making the croutons and the Caesar Salad dressing yourself.
Homemade Croutons
If you have some bread at home, you have croutons! We love making our croutons with sourdough bread (often slightly stale, or thawed after a long time in the freezer). Simply cut (or tear) your bread into small pieces. Spread them out on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, some dried herbs, salt and pepper, and place them under the grill for 3-4 minutes, stirring half way through. They should be golden brown and crispy on the edges, but still slightly soft in the centre.
For more information, head to the Sourdough Croutons recipe.
Homemade Caesar Dressing
If you are looking for a dressing without anchovy paste, you've got you (truth be told, we really don't like anchovies here at Somebody Feed Seb). This is the best Caesar salad dressing we make!
Dressing Ingredients:
70g mayo
20g parmesan, finely grated
1.5 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
0.5 teaspoon garlic powder (or garlic granules)
1.5 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and black pepper.
Method:
Simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Whisk for 30-60 seconds until everything is very well combined. You may also make the dressing in a small food processor. If your dressing is too thick, add a splash of water. For full recipe and lots of tips, visit our dedicated post for Caesar Dressing Without Anchovies.
Recipe FAQs
Is Chicken Bacon Caesar Salad Healthy?
Healthy eating has very different meanings to different people. To us, this recipe represents a good balance of healthy and decadent. We love the veggies and lean poultry, but the creamy dressing and salty bacon are high in sodium and fat.
How Many Calories in a Chicken and Bacon Caesar Salad?
One portion of Chicken Bacon Caesar Salad, made with homemade croutons and dressing has approximately 620 kcal, when served as a main course.
Leftovers and Storage
Caesar Salad with Chicken and Bacon is best served freshly made. We like the chicken still warm, and the bacon bits extra crispy, but if you have leftovers, make sure to cool the warm elements down to room temperature. Then store everything in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Ideally, you want to store the dressing and croutons separately to avoid soggy salad and bread.
The good news is, you do not have to eat the same salad the next day! Try the following:
- Bacon Caesar Pasta Salad: add some cooked cooled pasta and mix everything with a generous amount of Caesar Salad Dressing (leave out the croutons). It makes a wonderful filling dish to take on a picnic or office lunch.
- Bacon Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap: add leftover salad (again, without croutons) to the centre of a tortilla wrap and roll it as a burrito.
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Caesar Salad Variations
We encourage you to experiment with your Caesar Salad to make it perfect for you. Go for a variety of different flavours and textures to make it extraordinary!
Extra Veggies: cherry tomatoes, bell pepper slices, and fresh cucumber are all great options to add to this salad.
Protein: make a crispy chicken Caesar salad by adding deep-fried crispy chicken tenders or panko-crusted chicken instead. You can also skip chicken and bacon and use hot smoked or pan-seared salmon instead! It's delicious!
Seasoning: add some extra flavour to the chicken, by rubbing it with a mixture of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and cayenne pepper.
Dressing: this salad goes very well with traditional Ranch Dressing, Blue Cheese Dressing or Chipotle Yogurt Dressing.
Serving Suggestions
This Chicken and Bacon Caesar Salad can be served as a complete meal. With lots of protein from the chicken, filling croutons and eggs, and creamy tangy dressing, this is a great dish to serve for lunch or dinner without any side dishes. Smaller portions also make a delicious starter.
Caesar Salad can also be served as a side dish, however, we would recommend reducing the amount of chicken and bacon in this recipe.
If you are serving this salad as part of a bigger spread, here are some recipes that go well alongside it:
Other Favorite Salad Recipes
Try some other delicious recipes for a memorable lighter lunch. Some of our favourite recipes include:
- Grilled Chicken and Peach Salad
- Crispy Chicken Katsu Salad
- Teriyaki Chicken Poke Bowls With Pineapple
- Spiced Paneer Salad with Mango Chutney Dressing
- Santa Fe Salad With Chicken
- Smoked Salmon Poke Bowl (Quick & Easy Recipe)
Caesar Salad With Chicken and Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 large chicken breast
- 2 eggs
- 8 rashers streaky bacon
- 2 gem lettuce heads roughly torn or chopped
- 1 avocado ripe cut into cubes
- 30 g (1.06 oz) parmesan shavings
- 100 g (3.53 oz) croutons ideally homemade
- 120 g (0.51 cups) Caesar dressing ideally homemade
Instructions
- Pan-fry the chicken. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper and heal the surface ove rhigh heat. Then reduce it to medium heat and cook, turning once in a while until the internal temperature of the thickest part reaches 74°C. Depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts it will take 12-18 minutes.
- n the meantime, hard-boil the eggs. Peel and cut them all in half.
- Book bacon until crispy in a large frying pan or under the grill.
- Place the roughly chopped or torn lettuce and avocado into a large bowl. Add the parmesan cheese, croutons and ¾ of the tangy Caesar dressing.
- Toss everything together gently to coat. Divide the salad between bowls or plates. Top each with half a sliced chicken breast and egg. Scatter crispy bacon all over, and drizzle the remaining dressing. Enjoy!
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Nutrition
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