Summer Salads: Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad with Focaccia Croutons
SUMMER SALADS pt. 5: the best crispy chicken caesar salad with focaccia croutons and a tahini caesar dressing!!! I had actually only planned to make 4 recipes for this series but then I made this beauty on a whim last week and knew I had to share it with you. It combines my latest obsession, these super easy and gluten free crispy chicken cutlets, with my favourite mayo-free caesar dressing (made with tahini) and focaccia croutons. I also added roasted broccoli because I love broccoli in my caesar!
Also not to brag but I made focaccia last weekend and felt very accomplished but I had SO much leftover that I threw in the freezer for a future use. When I was putting together this salad I realized it would be divine as croutons, but you can also use store bought or make croutons from whatever bread you have around!
Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded thin
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (GF or regular)
1/4 cup tapioca or cornstarch
1/2 tsp each: garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt
1 egg, whisked
Avocado oil for frying the chicken
Chopped romaine and/or little gem lettuce
Roasted broccoli florets, if desired (I do mine in the air fryer with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder for like 20 mins!)
1 cup of torn focaccia or other bread
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Lemon wedges, for serving
For the tahini caesar dressing:
1/3 cup smooth tahini
2 anchovy filets
1 clove grated garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast for dairy free)
Salt + pepper to taste
Water to thin as needed
Method
Start by making your dressing. In a small bowl or jar, mash your anchovies together with your grated garlic until you have a paste. Add tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and parm and mix. Add a few tbsp of water and whisk until you have a smooth mixture that’s a thick but pourable consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
To prepare the chicken, mix together your panko, starch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, add your whisked egg. Take 1 piece of chicken and dip it first in the egg, then into the panko mixture, making sure to coat it completely with the dry mix. Place on a parchment lined plate or wire rack and repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
Fill a deep frying pan or skillet with about 1 inch of avocado oil and place over medium heat. Once hot, add 2-3 pieces of chicken (depending how big your pan is - don’t overcrowd it). Let the chicken cook for about 5 minutes until deeply golden brown on the underside, then flip and finish cooking for another 4-5 minutes on the other side. Remove chicken cutlets, place on a clean wire rack and repeat with the remaining chicken cutlets. Sprinkle them with flakey sea salt and let cool for several minutes.
To make the croutons, wipe your skillet clean and add back to the heat with 2 tbsp olive oil. Once hot, add torn pieces of focaccia or other bread and let toast for a few minutes until golden brown. Flip each piece and repeat on the other side. Once browned, sprinkle with sea salt and place croutons on a paper towel to cool and firm up.
When ready to assemble salad, add your lettuce to a large bowl with a few big spoonfuls of dress. Mix to coat the lettuce, then add your broccoli and croutons. Slice your chicken cutlets and place on top. Top with parmesan cheese and lemon wedge if desired, then serve.
Serves 4
