Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad With Corn
Savory marinated grilled chicken caesar salad with corn is a bit of a twist on regular caesar salad and a great summer/fall dinner.
My mother-in-law used to make these marinated turkey steaks that I loved. Since my family is not big fan of turkey I decided to use chicken instead. I was looking to change things up this year and this salad was born. Adding some grilled corn and homemade croutons for more flavor it’s now become a family favorite recipe.
What is Caesar Salad
Caesar salad is a simple salad made up of romaine lettuce, garlic, croutons, parmesan cheese and tossed in a Caesar dressing. It was invented by an Italian immigrant named Caesar Cardini, who had restaurants in Mexico and the US. The original version of the dressing did not contain anchovies, which is very common in today’s caesar salad. You can read all about it’s history here History of Caesar Salad.
What To Serve With a Caesar Salad
Caesar salad is a great side dish, it’s light enough to go with grilled meats like steak or chicken. If you prefer, you can also serve it with tofu, or baked potatoes. In addition, grilled vegetables are another great option, and it will go well with pasta dishes, such as lasagna, baked ziti, etc.
Ingredients
Chicken – Using boneless, skinless chicken thighs is a great option for this salad. They are easy to grill and more importantly easy to cut once they are cooked. Another good option is to use chicken tenders, also easy to grill and cut up. Chicken breast can be used but I find that they are often dry and lack flavor. Â
Grilled Corn – Slightly grilled corn gives the salad a nice smokey flavor.
Lettuce – Romain, butter or spring mix can be used here.
Garlic – Adds nice flavor
Caesar Salad Dressing – Use the vinegar based salad dressing not the creamy one. This is the one I use the most for this recipe Caesar Salad Dressing. You can find it at most supermarkets and department stores.
Parmesan Cheese –Â Shredded Parmesan cheese works best here, but grated Parmesan works in a pinch.
Dijon Mustard – To add a bit of zing and spiciness to the marinade.
Croutons – Store bought regular or gluten-free caesar salad crouton work great but if you have extra time consider making homemade croutons.
                        Homemade Crouton IngredientsÂ
Bread – Thick sliced Italian, sourdough or gluten-free bread can be used in this recipe.
Olive Oil – To help the spices adhere to the bread and also provide flavor.
Garlic Powder
Dried Parsley
Salt & Pepper
Â
How To Make Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad With Corn
- Make the marinade. To a small bowl add the caesar salad dressing, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper and stir.
- Add the chicken to a bowl or plastic bag and pour marinade over the chicken making sure to coat all the pieces. Cover if using a bowl and put into the refrigerator for at least and hour.
- Clean and grill the corn until it’s slightly charred and tender, or add the corn to a dry skillet on medium high heat and cook the corn rotating occasionally until it’s slightly charred and tender.
- Once corn has slightly cooled enough to be handled, remove the kernels from the cob and set aside.
- Make the croutons (optional) using three thick slices of bread (you don’t have to be precise), cut or tear into one inch cubes and place into a bowl. Add olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and parsley then combine it all. Pour onto a baking sheet and bake at 400F for 5 minutes then flip and roast for another 5-10 minutes until the bread is slightly browned. It will crisp up once it cools.
- Grill the chicken, then slice into strips or chunks.
- Assemble the salad, add the lettuce then top, top with sliced chicken, croutons, corn kernels, parmesan cheese. Top with additional salad dressing (not the marinade).
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with Corn
Materials
Chicken Marinade
- 2/3 cup Caesar Salad Dressing Make sure it's not a creamy caesar salad dressing. See note below.
- 1 large Garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 lbs Boneless skinless chicken thighs, or tenders 4-6 chicken thighs
For the Salad
- 2 Ears of Corn, cleaned, grilled see notes
- 8 oz Lettuce can use spring mix or romaine
- 1 pkg Croutons see below for homemade recipe
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Homemade Croutons
- 3 Thick slices of crusty bread, sourdough, gf etc.
- 4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
Make Marinade
- In a med bowl add caesar salad dressing, minced garlic clove, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Mix well and add to chicken. Toss to coat the chicken and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Make Croutons
- Pre-heat the oven to 400℉.
- Cut the bread into three 1-inch thick slices and then cut or tear into large cubes. Then add them to a bowl.
- Add the olive oil to the bread cubes
- Add in garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley flakes, mix to coat the bread. Pour onto a large baking sheet and spread out the bread cubes. Make sure all the cubes have some olive oil on them. If not drizzle just bit more so that the bread cubes have some oil on them.
- Roast the croutons for 5 min then flip and roast for another 5-10 minutes until lightly browned. They will crisp up once cooled.
- Grill the corn. Once corn is charred and cooked through, slice off the cob and set aside.
- Remove chicken from marinade and grill. Discard the remaining marinade.
- Once chicken is grilled, cut into strips or bite size pieces.
Assemble the Salad
- To a large platter or bowl, add the lettuce. Then add the chicken, corn kernels, croutons, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Drizzle the remaining dressing from the bottle over the salad and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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