Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad

This easy Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad recipe is a GREAT dinner when you’re short on time. Done in 30 minutes or less, it’s fresh, easy, and majorly satisfying. You’ll love the combination of crisp lettuce, cajun-spiced chicken, creamy Caesar dressing, and a few fun finishes that pull everything together.

When the temperatures go up, my motivation to cook goes waaaay down, and that’s when I rely on easy protein-packed dinners like this Cajun Caesar Salad recipe.

It’s a flavorful Cajun twist on classic caesar salad made with savory seasoned chicken, crisp Romaine lettuce, creamy dressing, and a few little extras to fill things out.

You can make the whole thing (including the from-scratch dressing!) in about 30 minutes, which makes it a speedy dinner for a busy night.

And best of all? This easy salad salad starts with simple ingredients…

Gather Your Ingredients

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast. Lean protein for the win! You’ll start with thinly sliced, or pounded chicken breasts. Chicken tenders can also work here!
• Cajun Seasoning. The star of the show! Generously rubbing the chicken with Cajun seasoning adds vibrant, bold flavors, a little kick of spice, and gives the chicken a delightful crust.
• Gluten-Free Caesar Dressing. I’m using our homemade gluten-free Caesar dressing recipe, which combines mayo, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and a little salt and pepper. (No anchovy paste required!)
• Romaine Lettuce. Crisp, crunchy romaine lettuce is the classic choice for Caesar salad. It has a crisp, satisfying texture and a flavor that pairs nicely with the punchy caesar dressing.
• Gluten-Free Croutons. Feel free to use store-bought croutons here, but if you’d like to make your own, we love these homemade croutons made from gluten-free bread, a little butter (or olive oil), and kosher salt.
• Crispy Chickpeas. I love some extra crunch in this salad, so I add crispy chickpeas along with the croutons. Buy the pre-made sea salt ones from Biena at the grocery store or make your own crispy chickpeas in the air fryer!
• Shaved Parmesan Cheese. I like thickly sliced or shaved parmesan for a more striking appearance and substantial impact, but feel free to use grated parmesan, if you prefer!

How To Make Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Season The Chicken. First, pat the chicken dry on both sides with a paper towel. The goal is to remove any extra moisture here so you get a nice, crisp crust! Generously rub both sides of the chicken breasts with Cajun seasoning (again, make sure to get both sides!)
2. Cook Chicken. Grill the chicken 5-7 minutes per side on medium heat, or until the interior reaches 165 degrees F. OR, air fry the chicken at 380 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes total, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes on a cutting board before slicing the chicken or cutting it into bite-sized pieces. (This makes for super moist chicken!)
3. Make The Dressing. While the chicken cooks, whisk up the dressing. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Whisk until well blended, then taste and add additional seasoning, to taste. For a stronger Cajun flavor in the salad, whisk in 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning.
4. Build Your Salad. In a large salad bowl, combine romaine lettuce, sliced chicken, croutons, Parmesan cheese, and crispy chickpeas. Drizzle with 3-4 Tablespoons Caesar dressing and toss the salad to combine well, adding more dressing, to taste. (If you prefer, you can set out the ingredients and let everyone build their own salad on individual salad plates.)
5. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away and store leftover dressing in the fridge up to 1 week, and leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days.

More Mix-Ins & Variations To Try

• Add Some Grilled Peppers & Onions. Not traditional in any way, but grilled or sautéed bell peppers and onions can be DELICIOUS with the Cajun chicken and the creamy caesar dressing.
• Try More Veggies! Though it’s not traditional, you can fill the salad out with more veggies, like sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, or even some grilled corn!
• Swap Chicken For Shrimp! This salad works beautifully with shrimp, too! I use 1 pound of peeled & de-veined shrimp, coat it with the Cajun rub and then pan cook for a few minutes, until it’s just opaque and cooked through.
• Add Avocado! A delicious creamy avocado is LOVELY in this salad. A great way to make it more filling!
• Boost The Protein With Eggs. Cut soft-boiled eggs into quarters for a little extra protein. The softer yolks add richness that can be lovely with the caesar dressing.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad

Keep It Gluten-Free! Traditional Caesar dressing, Cajun seasoning, and croutons are often NOT gluten-free, so if you have gluten-intolerance or Celiac disease, I highly recommend making our gluten-free croutons recipe and gluten-free Caesar salad dressing. If using store-bought options, make sure they’re gluten-free!

Tips For Serving Kids. If you’re not sure if your kids will go for Cajun seasoning, you can season their chicken with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of garlic powder and onion powder. Beyond that, I recommend keeping the salad components separate and letting everyone build their own salad, so they can choose which mix-ins they want.

More Main Dish Salads To Try

Sesame Chicken Salad

Strawberry Chicken Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

Recipe Card

Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Emily Dixon, One Lovely Life
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 Servings 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

A fresh, easy dinner for a busy night! You’ll love the combination of crisp lettuce, cajun-spiced chicken, creamy Caesar dressing, and a few fun finishes that pull everything together.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For The Croutons:

• 4 slices gluten-free bread, diced into 1-inch cubes
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)

For The Cajun Caesar Dressing:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (we recommend best-quality mayo, like Hellmans or Best Foods)
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1–1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (we recommend Annie’s)
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce (like Lea & Perrins*)
• 1/2–1 clove garlic, very finely minced
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or more, to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (optional)
• 1/8–1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (more or less, to taste)
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese***

For The Salad:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded out to even thickness*
• 1–2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning*
• 8 cups Romaine lettuce cut or torn into bite-sized pieces (about 2 heads romaine)
• 1 batch gluten-free croutons (above)
• 1/3 cup crispy chickpeas
• 1/3–1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (or more, to taste)

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Instructions

First, Make The Croutons:

1. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F. Set out a baking sheet.
2. Combine. In a large bowl, combine diced bread, olive oil or butter, salt, and any herbs or seasonings you’d like to use. Stir to coat well.
3. Bake The Croutons. Spread the bread out on the baking sheet. Give the baking sheet a shake to distribute the bread well. (You don’t want any large clumps). Pop the pan in the oven and bake croutons 10-15 minutes, or until they’re golden. I like to stir my croutons halfway through the cooking time to allow them to cook evenly.
4. Cool & Store. Let the croutons cool, then add to your salad or store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2-3 days.

For The Salad:

1. Season The Chicken. First, pat the chicken dry on both sides with a paper towel. The goal is to remove any extra moisture here so you get a nice, crisp crust! Generously rub both sides of the chicken breasts with Cajun seasoning (again, make sure to get both sides!)
2. Cook Chicken. Grill the chicken 5-7 minutes per side on medium heat, or until the interior reaches 165 degrees F. OR, air fry the chicken at 380 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes total, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes on a cutting board before slicing the chicken or cutting it into bite-sized pieces. (This makes for super moist chicken!)
3. Make The Dressing. While the chicken cooks, whisk up the dressing. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Whisk until well blended, then taste and add additional seasoning, to taste. For a stronger Cajun flavor in the salad, whisk in 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning.
4. Build Your Salad. In a large salad bowl, combine romaine lettuce, sliced chicken, croutons, Parmesan cheese, and crispy chickpeas. Drizzle with 3-4 Tablespoons Caesar dressing and toss the salad to combine well, adding more dressing, to taste. (If you prefer, you can set out the ingredients and let everyone build their own salad on individual salad plates.)
5. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away and store leftover dressing in the fridge up to 1 week, and leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days.

Notes

• Chicken. Make sure to either use thin-sliced chicken, or pound the chicken out to an even thickness so it cooks evenly! 
• Cajun Seasoning. Not all store-bought Cajun seasoning is gluten-free, so double-check before using it! Additionally, you can control the heat here by deciding how much Cajun seasoning to use. Using the full 2 Tablespoons to coat the chicken will give you the best coating/crust, but will also add heat to the recipe. If you’re nervous, you can use less (closer to 1 Tablespoon) to lightly coat the chicken. 
• Chickpeas. I like crispy chickpeas (like Biena brand) for some extra crunch! 
• Worcestershire Sauce. In the United States, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free, but this isn’t the case outside of the U.S. If you’re gluten-free, make sure to use a gluten-free brand of Worcestershire sauce to keep this celiac safe!

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Air Fryer
• Cuisine: American