A chicken Caesar can become watery even when every ingredient tastes good on its own. Moisture on the romaine, very hot chicken and early dressing all work against crisp leaves. This 35-minute recipe serves two with 400 g chicken breast and a mayonnaise-based Caesar-style dressing. Treat washing, grilling and tossing as separate stages, then bring them together just before eating.
Grilled Chicken and Romaine Caesar makes 2 servings, with 35 min estimated total time. View the standalone recipe page.
Dry the romaine as carefully as you prepare the chicken
Wash the 300 g romaine and dry it thoroughly before cutting it into broad pieces. A salad spinner is convenient, but clean towels also work. Check the cupped portions near the ribs, where water can collect. Store the prepared leaves in a clean bowl away from the board and utensils used for raw poultry.
Butterfly the chicken into cutlets about 1.5 cm thick. Even thickness matters more than identical outlines: a thick central ridge can remain underdone while thin edges dry out. Coat with 10 g olive oil, 2 g salt and half the pepper. Keep the remaining salt and pepper separate for the dressing so they are not accidentally used twice.
Grill to temperature and allow the planned rest
Heat a grill or ridged grill pan to medium-high. Cook the cutlets for about 5–7 minutes on each side, adjusting for their actual thickness and the heat of the cooking surface. Avoid constantly shifting them simply to create more grill marks. Good contact with the pan is more useful than a complicated pattern.
Check the center of each piece reaches 165°F / 74°C. Move the cooked chicken to a clean board and rest for 5 minutes before slicing. This also creates a short window in which to finish the dressing and gather plates. Do not place the chicken back onto a plate that held it raw unless that plate has been washed.
Mash the anchovy before whisking the dressing
The dressing combines 50 g commercial mayonnaise, 20 g lemon juice, 10 g Dijon, 8 g anchovy, 4 g garlic, 10 g Parmesan, 15 g water and the remaining seasoning. Mash the anchovy finely and grate the garlic before whisking. Large pieces can create a very salty or sharp mouthful instead of seasoning the whole bowl.
Finely grated Parmesan disperses more easily than thick shreds. Whisk until the dressing looks uniform, then check how it falls from a spoon. The measured water is intentional: it loosens the mayonnaise so the sauce can coat broad leaves. This version uses commercial mayonnaise, so there is no separate raw egg or egg-yolk emulsion to make.
Toss just before serving, using a bowl with room
Place the dry romaine in a large bowl and add the prepared dressing immediately before the meal. Lift and turn the leaves from underneath rather than pressing them down. A bowl with spare room helps distribute the sauce without crushing the ribs or concentrating all the dressing on the top layer.
Look for a thin coating across the leaves instead of pockets of dressing trapped at the bottom. If water pools in the bowl, the likely problem is residual washing water rather than a need for more mayonnaise. Thorough drying on the next attempt is more reliable than adding extra rich ingredients to compensate.
Slice the chicken and finish the two plates
Slice the rested chicken across the grain, then arrange it over and beside the dressed lettuce. Finish with the remaining 20 g Parmesan, divided between the plates. The cutlets should be cooked and rested before the lettuce is dressed, so you are not leaving coated leaves waiting while a thick piece of chicken finishes.
For advance preparation, keep washed dry lettuce, dressing and cooked chicken in separate covered containers in the refrigerator. Combine only the portion being served. This approach protects the texture of any remaining leaves and makes it easier to keep raw-chicken preparation tools away from ready-to-eat salad ingredients.
Common questions
Why does the dressing slide off the lettuce?
Water on the leaves dilutes the dressing and stops it clinging evenly. Dry the lettuce well, especially around the ribs, and toss immediately before serving.
Does this Caesar need raw egg?
No. The listed dressing starts with commercial mayonnaise. Follow that method rather than adding a raw egg to a dressing whose balance is already specified.
Technique & food-safety references
These primary references support the technique, safety and storage guidance. The recipe and cooking explanations are original Recipe Pinboard content.
