Sun Dried Tomato Caesar Salad with Crispy Chicken.
This sun dried tomato caesar salad is such a fun spin on the classic. Tangy, savory and rich in flavor, the dressing is made with sun dried tomatoes and results in a delicious, creamy drizzle. The salad has super crispy chicken on top to finish things off. I adore this!
There can never be too much caesar salad.
At least that is what I tell myself. It’s one of my all-time favorite dishes. It would be part of my last meal. This crispy chicken sun dried tomato caesar is a little spin on my classic salad, and it’s fabulous. Super thinly sliced crispy chicken over refreshing romaine with a homemade caesar dressing that’s made with sun dried tomatoes.
The dressing is tangy, rich and savory. It’s also a gorgeous shade of reddish orange. And we have sun dried tomatoes in the salad too. Basically, this is for all of my sun dried tomato lovers.
A few weeks ago, my friend and I were at the mall. I had dental work and couldn’t eat anything but soft foods. I got froyo and she got this sun dried tomato caesar salad… she could not stop raving about it.
And I was so incredibly hungry for real food that I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The dressing alone looked fabulous. I wanted to take a spoonful of it and try it!
She talked about the salad for days and all I could think was… I need to make this at home. I already make a fabulous caesar. Adding sun dried tomatoes could only make things better!
This is how I make it!
First up, the sun dried tomato caesar dressing. I use my OG caesar dressing recipe that I make in a little blender. Add the tomatoes right in there! It is so easy. Tastes amazing too. And this can be made a day or two ahead of time. It’s a great dip, sandwich spread or dressing for just about anything.
Next, the crispy chicken. These are my chicken cutlets and my kids request them at least once a week. We use them for everything, including salads, sandwiches, pasta and more. I can eat them straight from the fridge, as is.
Then, the salad! The easiest part. Chopped romaine, shaved parmesan, sun dried tomatoes and croutons. I like to crush my croutons into crumbs because it makes salad so much more enjoyable to eat. Pro tip.
Finally, it’s time to combine! Toss the romaine with the dressing. Add in the parmesan, tomatoes and breadcrumbs. Top with some chicken. Add more dressing. Maybe more parm! It’s up to you.
This is such a dream meal for me.
And obviously, everyone can have some fries on the side too!
While there are a lot of moving parts to this recipe – you have to make the dressing, the chicken and the salad, it is a great meal that you can prep ahead of time!
I make the dressing ahead all the time. And the chicken is something we reheat constantly, whether it’s in the air fryer, the oven or even in a skillet on the stovetop.
Throw together the salad and it can be a quick weeknight meal!
What a lovely little dinner! I wish I could eat this every single day.
Crispy Chicken Sun Dried Tomato Caesar Salad
Crispy Chicken Sun Dried Tomato Caesar
Ingredients
crispy chicken
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 ½ cups seasoned breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
salad
- 6 to 8 cups chopped romaine
- ⅓ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup shaved parmesan cheese
- sun dried tomatoes, as many as you want
- 1 cup croutons, crushed into coarse crumbs
sun dried tomato caesar dressing
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 sun dried tomatoes in oil, patted dry
- 3 tablespoons greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ⅓ cup olive oil, from the sun dried tomato jar if you wish!
Instructions
- Thinly slice the chicken breasts lengthwise to make thin chicken cutlets. You want THIN slices - ones you can almost see through! I get 3 to 4 thin slices from one chicken breast. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place a wire rack on top.
- Place the eggs in a shallow plate or bowl. Stir together the breadcrumbs and parmesan in another plate or bowl.
- Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. I like to heat the oil for a good 5 minutes before adding the chicken. Watch the heat the entire time - if it seems to be too hot, make sure to lower it!
- Dip each piece of chicken into the egg, then into the breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere.
- Add the chicken 2 to 3 pieces at a time. Cook on each side until deeply golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. This should cook the chicken the entire way through, but take the temperature to make sure it is 165 degrees F inside if you’re unsure. Remove each piece of chicken and place it on the wire rack over the towel-lined sheet pan. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- This reheats great! I store mine in foil in the fridge and reheat in the oven or air fryer until warm.
- To assemble the salad, place the romaine in a large bowl and toss with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss well with a few spoonfuls of dressing. Top with the shaved parmesan, finely grated parmesan, sun dried tomatoes and breadcrumbs.
- Slice some of the chicken on top and drizzle on the dressing. Serve!
sun dried tomato caesar dressing
- To make the dressing, add the garlic, tomatoes, yogurt, parmesan, mustard, vinegar, anchovy paste, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a food processor or blender and blend until pureed. With the processor still on, stream in the olive oil until a creamy dressing forms. (This may make more dressing than needed, but you can store it sealed in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days and stir well before using.)
Did you make this recipe?
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The crunch!!
