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.
Ingredients
Scale
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)
Instructions
First, Make The Croutons:
- Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F. Set out a baking sheet.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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!)
- 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!)
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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