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Mains · Recipe 03

Chicken Caesar with Parmesan Crisps

Pan-seared chicken, romaine, anchovy dressing, and Parmesan crisps.

Saved recipe
Prep25 min
Cook20 min
Time45 min
Base yield4 main-course salads

Estimated, with dressing and crisps prepared while the chicken cooks. Rest the chicken 5–10 minutes before slicing.

Ingredients

Units

Chicken

  • 1½ lbBoneless skinless chicken breastsBase recipe: suggested quantity for 4 main-course salads; the original notes did not record a chicken weight.
  • 2 tbspOlive oil
  • 1 tspKosher salt
  • 1 tspBlack pepper
  • 1 tspGarlic powder
  • ½ tspOnion powder
  • ¼ tspDried oregano

Dressing

  • 2Pasteurized egg yolksBase recipe: or replace with 3 tbsp commercially prepared mayonnaise.
  • 4 filletsOil-packed anchoviesBase recipe: or 2 tsp anchovy paste.
  • 2 cloveGarlicFinely grate or mash.
  • 2 tspDijon mustard
  • 2 tbspLemon juice
  • 1 tspWorcestershire sauce
  • ½ cupFinely grated Parmesan
  • ½ cupExtra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and black pepperTo taste.

Parmesan crisps

  • 1 cupFinely grated ParmesanGrate from a block; avoid shelf-stable powdered cheese.

Salad

  • 2 headsRomaine lettuceLarge heads; baby gem can replace part of the romaine by volume.
  • Extra Parmesan OptionalShaved, to taste.

Ingredient quantities scale; oven temperatures and cooking times do not. Keep batter depth and pan crowding consistent. For fractional eggs, beat and weigh.

Method

  1. Bake the Parmesan crisps

    Heat the oven to 400°F / 205°C. Line a tray with parchment. Make 1–2 tbsp mounds of the crisp Parmesan, spaced 2 inches apart, and flatten into 2–3-inch circles. Bake 5–7 minutes until bubbling and golden at the edges. Cool completely on the parchment, about 5–10 minutes, then lift and break into shards.

  2. Make the dressing

    Mash the anchovies and garlic into a paste. Whisk with the pasteurized yolks (or commercial mayonnaise), Dijon, lemon juice, and Worcestershire. Slowly drizzle in the dressing olive oil, whisking constantly until emulsified. Stir in the dressing Parmesan and black pepper. Taste before adding salt. Refrigerate while preparing the salad.

  3. Prepare the chicken

    Pat the chicken dry; do not rinse raw chicken. Pound to an even thickness of about ¾ inch. Rub with its olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano.

  4. Sear and rest

    Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken without crowding, about 4–6 minutes per side to start; lower the heat if the outside browns too quickly. Check the thickest part with a thermometer and continue until it reaches 165°F / 74°C. Rest 5–10 minutes on a clean board, then slice across the grain.

  5. Dry the lettuce

    Separate and wash the lettuce leaves, then dry thoroughly. Tear or cut romaine into bite-size pieces; smaller baby gem leaves can stay whole. Excess water will dilute the dressing.

  6. Assemble just before serving

    Toss the lettuce with about three-quarters of the dressing, adding more only as needed. Add the sliced chicken once warm rather than piping hot. Finish with the Parmesan shards, optional shaved Parmesan, and black pepper. Add the crisps last so they stay crunchy.

Preparation & notes

  • Wash and dry the greens ahead and keep refrigerated. Store the cooled crisps airtight and dry; add them only at serving.
  • Make the dressing earlier the same day and refrigerate promptly. Keep raw-chicken equipment separate from salad ingredients.
  • The Parmesan crisps replace the croutons from the initial Caesar recipe.
  • The original dressing discussion also allowed 2 small sardine fillets in place of 4 anchovies. Expect a more noticeable fish flavor; anchovy paste is the closer substitute.
  • For a no-raw-yolk dressing in the base batch, replace the 2 yolks with 3 tbsp commercially prepared mayonnaise and otherwise follow the method.
Food safety

Use pasteurized shell-egg yolks or suitable pasteurized egg product for this uncooked dressing. Lemon juice alone does not make unpasteurized raw eggs safe.

Cook chicken to 165°F / 74°C, measured in the thickest part, before removing it from the heat.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F / 32°C. Store at 40°F / 4°C or colder.

Recipe & safety notes

Consolidated from the saved Caesar dressing, pan-seared chicken, and Parmesan-crisp recipes. Chicken weight is a suggested starting quantity; cooking guidance includes current food-safety corrections.

FDA: pasteurized eggs for Caesar dressing ↗USDA: safe minimum internal temperatures ↗FDA: safe refrigeration ↗

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