If you only make one pasta salad this summer, let it be this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad. It has everything you love about a classic Caesar salad — crisp romaine, homemade crunchy croutons, creamy homemade dressing, and plenty of Parmesan — but made into a complete meal with the addition of pasta and irresistibly juicy chicken. The pasta is divine tossed with the thick, lush Caesar dressing which also doubles as a marinade for the chicken, creating flavorful, tender bites with a crispy, savory coating. Best of all, the components can be prepared in advance and assembled at the last minute, making it perfect for summer gatherings and potlucks.
A Deluxe Caesar Salad
As if a Caesar salad wasn’t already hard to resist, this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad takes things to a whole new level. To the classic combo of crisp romaine, crunchy croutons, and creamy Caesar dressing, we’re adding perfectly cooked pasta and juicy, tender chicken pieces.
Mixing Caesar salad with chicken has been done before, but what makes this version stand out is that instead of relying on bland leftover chicken or store-bought rotisserie, this recipe starts with a simple from-scratch chicken recipe that guarantees juicy, flavorful bites in every forkful.
The secret to this delicious, tender chicken is to toss it with some of the Caesar dressing before grilling or pan-frying it. The chicken turns out over-the-top flavorful, tender and SO juicy! I’m telling you, once you try Caesar pasta salad with properly juicy homemade chicken, there’s really no going back. I guarantee you’ll be sneaking pieces straight from the pan before the salad is even assembled.
On its own, a Caesar salad is a wonderful appetizer or side dish, add pasta and chicken, and you have a full meal that is completely satisfying. I know this summer you’ll need a spectacular dish for a gathering you’re hosting or attending and I promise you, everyone will be delighted if it’s this one. The extra beauty of this dish is that the components can all be prepared in advance, then thrown together last-minute. It also keeps beautifully for days, making leftovers perfect for easy lunches throughout the week.
A Quick Overview Of The Key Ingredients
- Pasta: For a tastier pasta salad, use a short pasta with some texture so it catches and holds on to as mush dressing as possible. Fusilli, farfalle, little shells, orecchiette, gemelli, cavatappi, etc, will all work.
- Romaine Lettuce: We’re keeping it classic here and using romaine lettuce. It’s crispy and crunchy enough to hold up to the dressing and the pasta.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are my go-to for Caesar salads. For this recipe, the chicken breasts need to be sliced in half lengthwise so they cook faster and more evenly. If you’re pressed for time, you can go ahead and use pre-cooked chicken, but your salad will be so much better with this flavorful chicken.
- Mayo: Traditional Caesar dressing uses raw eggs, but here we use a combination of mayo and olive oil which works wonderfully with the pasta.
- Anchovies (or anchovy paste): For years I made Caesar dressing without anchovies—big mistake! Anchovies add savory, salty depth and umami without making the dressing taste fishy at all. You can also use anchovy paste. And if you really can’t deal with the thought of anchovies, use an extra teaspoon of Worcestershire.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: We’re using Parmesan in both the dressing and to sprinkle over the finished salad. I highly recommend grating it yourself from a block rather than using pre-grated cheese for the best flavor.
Recipe Variations And Short-cuts
- Make it spicy —> If you like a little heat, add a few shakes of hot sauce to the dressing.
- Lettuce swap —> Instead of Romaine lettuce, you can use kale, or a mix of romaine and kale for an even more nutritious salad.
- Mayonnaise substitute —> If you don’t love mayo, you can use equal parts Greek yogurt.
- Make it vegetarian —> Leave out the chicken and add crispy chickpeas.
- Short cuts —> While I love the Caesar-marinated chicken in this recipe, I understand some nights you need dinner on the table fast with the least amount of fuss. In this case, rotisserie chicken will be totally acceptable and delicious. Same goes for the croutons and even the dressing — just make sure the dressing is one you’ve tried before and really liked.
How To Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Cook the pasta for 1 minute longer than the package directions. Drain, then transfer pasta to a tray or sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer, allowing the pasta to cool faster.
Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil; toss to coat evenly. Spread into an even layer and bake until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with a few pinches of sea salt, then set aside to cool.
Finely chop the anchovies and garlic. Place in a medium bowl along with mayo, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and mustard. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until emulsified. Fold in parmesan cheese.
Place the chicken in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup of the Caesar dressing and toss to coat.
Pan-fry the chicken until golden brown and juices run clear, the transfer to a cutting board. Let sit for a few minutes, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Alternatively, you can grill the chicken which is a lot less messy and will impart lovely smoky flavors in the salad. (Instructions for grilling are provided in the recipe card notes).
Assemble the salad: Add the Romaine lettuce and pasta to a large bowl and drizzle with about half of the dressing. Toss to combine. Top with croutons, chicken, parmesan cheese and extra drizzles of dressing, as needed. Enjoy!
Helpful Pasta Salad Tips
Don’t overcook the pasta, but more importantly, don’t undercook it. According to many reliable sources, it turns out that pasta hardens when cooled or chilled so for a more pleasantly chewy pasta salad, it should be cooked just a few minutes past al dente.
Do not rinse the pasta. Rinsing the pasta gets rid of the starch which helps the dressing adhere to it.
Allow the pasta to cool before dressing it. I used to do it wrong. When making potato salad, we’re told to dress it while it’s still hot so it soaks up the flavors. But pasta is a different starch and becomes gummy and dry when dressed while it is still warm. Let it cool completely before dressing it.
Season generously. If you love to cook pasta, you already know you need to generously season the pasta water so the pasta doesn’t taste bland. Once chilled, the seasoning and flavors in the pasta salad are more muted so make sure you taste and add more salt, pepper, lemon and olive oil as needed.
Make-Ahead And Storage Tips
Make Ahead: The dressing can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Make the croutons and store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days in advance. I prefer to make the chicken the day I’m serving the salad but you can marinate it up to 24 hours in advance and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To store leftovers: If not dressed too aggressively, the salad is hearty enough to make great leftovers. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If possible, store any leftover croutons separately at room temperature so they don’t get soggy. To help rehydrate the pasta, add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.
Let Me Know Your Thoughts
If you gave this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad recipe a try, I would love to hear how it worked out for you. Share your thoughts in the comment section below or feel free to ask me anything — I always enjoy chatting with you.
Don’t forget to leave a star rating, too!~Sandra x
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Croutons
- 4 cups cubed or torn bread (from a loaf or baguette)
- 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt, for sprinkling
For the Pasta Salad
- 10 ounces short-cut pasta, such as Fusilli, farfalle, little shells, orecchiette, gemelli, cavatappi
- olive oil, for drizzling cooked pasta
- 6-8 cups chopped romaine lettuce, (1 large head)
- 1/2 cup grated or shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
For the Chicken
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and halved to create thinner pieces
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- olive oil, for cooking
For the Caesar Dressing
- 2/3 cups mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 1/2 lemons)
- 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 oil-packed anchovies, finely chopped into a paste (or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste)
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (about 2 ½ ounces)
Instructions
- Make the Croutons: Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the bread cubes on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil; toss to coat evenly. Spread into an even layer and bake for 12 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a few pinches of sea salt. Set aside to cool.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 1 minute longer than the package directions. Drain, then transfer the pasta to a tray or sheet pan. Drizzle with a little olive oil and toss to coat. Spread into a single layer to cool more quickly.
- Make the Dressing: To a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, anchovies, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth and evenly combined. (Alternatively, use a food processor or immersion blender.) While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified. Fold in the Parmigiano Reggiano. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper, if needed. If not using immediately, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Add marinade the chicken: Pat the chicken dry and place in a bowl. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then add 1/4 cup of the Caesar dressing and toss to coat evenly.
- Cook the chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil (just enough to thinly coat the bottom of the pan). Cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. (Instructions for grilling are provided in the recipe notes below.)
- Assemble the salad: Add the romaine lettuce and cooled pasta to a large bowl and drizzle with about half of the dressing; toss to combine. Top with the croutons, chicken, Parmesan cheese, and additional dressing, as desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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