Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad is a quick and easy salad that has a homemade cajun caesar dressing that makes this salad delicious!
Check out this Fig and Burrata Salad with Maple Vinaigrette and this Avocado Citrus Shrimp Salad!
Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad
Yep, it's the New Year! You know what that means right? Salads galore. At least for this month, right? Healthy January begins with healthier recipes, more veggies, whole foods, and all things that nourish the body. This is not to say that we don't do this year round, but after the holidays, I know that my body needs a break from all of the baked goods and comfort foods! So, here's a delicious salad that doesn't feel like a "salad". This Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad is an easy salad that comes together in about 15 minutes. The cajun seasoning really elevates the traditional caesar salad and adds a nice flair!
what do you put in a caesar salad?
A typical caesar salad is comprised of romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, croutons, chopped eggs, and caesar dressing. This cajun chicken caesar salad is a little different. The caesar dressing is homemade and has cajun seasoning in it! Traditional caesar dressing tends to have anchovy paste and I simply didn't know where to find that. So, I made my own dressing and still got the traditional caesar salad dressing taste by using Worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese, dijon mustard... and then I upped the flavor a bit by using cajun seasoning. SO good.
I used the cajun seasoning from Whole Foods. Check out the ingredients in your cajun seasoning and see how it compares to ensure that the proportions in this recipe are suitable. For instance, if your seasoning has a higher salt content or is on the spicier side, you may want to use less cajun seasoning. The same applies in reverse. My best recommendation is to taste along the way and add more (or less) depending on your taste buds.
how do you make a good salad?
A good salad is of course made up of things that you enjoy. My personal opinion? A good salad is made of fresh greens (romaine lettuce, kale, spinach mix), a protein (chicken, fish, beef, or tofu), fresh veggies like onions and cherry tomatoes, a little bit of cheese, avocado, and a good dressing! Not all salads need dressing in my opinion. However, a good salad dressing is sometimes the best part of the salad! Also, croutons go really well on salad too, but they're not always the healthiest option. Moderation is key of course, so enjoy if that's your thing!
I know that whenever I eat a lot of veggies, I feel better! So, I'll begin doing salad recipes more often. It's always fun to challenge myself to do recipes that are a bit out of my norm. What are your favorite kinds of salads? Let me know in the comments!
how do you make cajun seasoning from scratch?
If you don't have a prepared mix of cajun seasoning, you can certainly make your own! Cajun seasoning is made of garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, parsley, thyme, oregano, and onion powder. Of course, everyone's cajun seasoning blend will be a little different, but these are the base ingredients that I've used to make cajun seasoning in the past. I typically buy cajun seasoning from the market, but in the event that I run out, I use about a few teaspoons of each depending on how much I need. I found a really good recipe to use in the event that you don't have cajun seasoning, check it out HERE.
how do you make cajun caesar dressing?
The dressing is super simple to make. You mix together lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, mayonnaise, cajun seasoning, a generous amount parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. (portions below) Whisk the ingredients together until smooth and pour over your salad. This Cajun Caesar salad dressing is so good, I think that it's my favorite part of the salad. Also, it will keep in the fridge for about a month and is best stored in an airtight container.
how should cajun chicken caesar salad be served?
This salad is served best cold. The chicken may be a little warm, but the veggies should be fresh out of the refrigerator for a nice crisp salad! You don't want your salad to be soggy so this is my recommendation. For the chicken in this recipe, I used chicken breast, cut them into cubes, seasoned them up, and cooked them stovetop. So, if they're a little warm when you put them on the salad, it won't be an issue. I actually like it that way. Just ensure your veggies are nice and cold!
can you meal prep cajun chicken caesar salad?
You sure can! You can add this salad to a mason jar or any airtight container. However, do not add the cajun caesar dressing and avocado until you are ready to eat! Adding the cajun caesar dressing and letting it sit will cause the salad to become soggy. And of course, we all know that avocado doesn't keep very well, so if you want to use avocado, I suggest cutting it right before you're ready to eat it and putting it on top of the salad then. The salad can be stored for about 2-3 days tops. After that, things get a little stale and soggy.
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Let's connect on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! Also, if you make this recipe, be sure to leave a review in the comments! I'd greatly appreciate it! 🙂
Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsps cajun seasoning
- 1 lemon, zest
- ½ cup corn (fresh or canned)
- 2 heads romaine lettuce, sliced
- ½ red onion, sliced
- 1 avocado
- ½ cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- Parmesan Cheese, for garnish
- Olive oil, for cooking chicken
Cajun Caesar Dressing
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- ¾ cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
- 1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- Pinch of salt
Directions
- Cut chicken breasts into cubes/bite size pieces and season with cajun seasoning and lemon zest. Drizzle olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Brown chicken on both sides and add corn. Cook thoroughly, about 10 minutes.
- Combine lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, mayonnaise, cajun seasoning, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add lettuce, red onion, avocado, tomatoes, chicken, and corn to a large bowl. Add cajun caesar dressing on top. Garnish with parmesan cheese.
i love this dressing, so much better than store bought!
So glad to hear that! Thank you!
SO good! I’ll be making the dressing on repeat and keeping it on hand to drizzle on everything!
I love the dressing too! It goes so well with everything! Thanks so much for your feedback 🙂
so so so good! this will be made on repeat
I'm so happy to hear this! Thank you for making this recipe! 🙂
Anchovy paste is usually in the canned tuna section ????
Thanks for the heads up!