Chicken Caesar Salad is by far, one of the most well-loved salads and for good reasons too. But what if we made it into a sandwich??? This flavour combo in a sandwich makes this, honestly, one of my favourite sandwiches i’ve ever made.

Crispy succulent chicken with a flavourful dressed lettuce in a crusty loaf – what is there not to love. I’ll also show you how to make caesar salad dressing from scratch too but if this is too much effort, feel free to switch to store-bought dressing. Let’s make this awesome sandwich!

Ingredients & Tips!

1. Breaded Chicken: I used chicken breast for this recipe but feel free (and i highly encourage) to use chicken thighs! Thighs will give you a juicier result as there is higher fat content when compared to chicken breasts – but make sure to flatten your chicken out evenly so it cooks well and you can do this either with your knife or a meat tenderiser.
2. Breading station: set up your breading station by having 3 plates ready – 1 with plain flour, 1 with beaten eggs and 1 with breadcrumbs. When you drench and bread your chicken fillets, it can get super messy. A tip is to keep 1 hand dry and 1 hand for the wet. Dust your chicken in flour first then drench in the beaten eggs – the flour helps the eggs to cling onto your chicken. And lastly, coat your chicken into the breadcrumbs. Make sure it’s coated well so we get a nice breaded crust when we fry.
3. Caesar salad dressing: this recipe will give you enough dressing for a big salad so use only what you need! Also make sure to set aside some dressing to spread on the base of your sandwich as a sauce. Now I know you’re tempted to but do not skip the anchovies – anchovies have so much flavour and make such a good foundation for your caesar dressing! Don’t worry, you won’t be tasting fish as we’ll chop it up real small. It adds flavourrr and saltiness.
4. Lettuce: romaine lettuce is the way to go! It’s light but also has amazing texture and body. If you want something more nutrient-packed, try kale – but make sure to massage the kale in olive oil first to break down the fibre and make it softer before you dress the salad.
5. Bread: i used a mini sourdough loaf but feel free to use any crusty loaf you have on hand! I think any Italian or white crusty loaf would be amazing for this.
6. Deep-fry/Airfry: Use a neutral oil to fry your chicken fillets (i.e. vegetable or canola oil would be good options). Make sure your oil is at a good frying temperature – i.e. 180C/350F to get a nice golden colour and the coating is crispy not soggy. If the oil is not hot enough, the breading will be soggy. If it’s too hot, the breading will burn and the chicken will not be cooked. If you like a healthier alternative, you could also airfry your chicken fillets! Just make sure to spray the outside evenly with some oil and air-fry at 180C/350F until golden brown.

Storage/ Make Ahead

• Caesar dressing can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days
• Uncooked breaded chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Cooked breaded chicken up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or air-fryer until warmed through and crispy.
• Store each component separately. Assemble fresh and serve immediately.

Ingredients

Breaded Chicken:
1 chicken breast, halved length-wise and flattened
1/2 cup plain flour
1-2 eggs, beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp parsley, minced
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp onion powder
Vegetable oil for frying

Caesar Salad
Lettuce, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 egg yolk
2 anchovy fillets
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 lemon, zest + juice
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup parmigiano cheese

2 mini loaves of bread
extra parmigiano

Method

1. Caesar Dressing: in a bowl, add in your finely minced garlic, anchovies, egg yolk, lemon zest + juice, mustard and whisk well until combined (try to break up the anchovies to small pieces). While whisking, slowly drizzle in your vegetable oil until you have a thick sauce. Grate in the parmigiano and season with salt + pepp to taste. Set aside
2. Breaded chicken: Slice your chicken breast into 2 pieces length-wise. While working with 1 piece at a time, cover the chicken with a piece of plastic wrap and using a meat tenderiser, flatten out the chicken into a thin even piece. Repeat with the other piece. Season the chicken with salt and pepp.
3. Add your breadcrumbs onto a plate and mix in the parsley, onion powder and garlic powder. Prepare your breading station. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, place the chicken into your flour and cover it well. Transfer the chicken to your beaten eggs and cover it well. Transfer the chicken to your seasoned breadcrumbs and press it in well. Repeat with the 2nd piece.
4. Bring a pot of oil to frying temperature (180C/ 350F). Carefully drop in 1 piece of breaded chicken at a time and fry for 4-6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken and flipping halfway, or until golden brown. Place on a wire rack to drain.
5. Assemble: cut your loaf in half and lightly toast. Dress your lettuce leaves with the caesar dressing (you don’t have to use up all the dressing! just enough). Place a tbsp of dressing onto your bread and spread it out evenly. Top with a piece of breaded chicken, the dressed lettuce leaves and extra grated parmigiano. Close the sandwich and enjoy!