The BEST Healthy Chicken Caesar Salad

The BEST Healthy Chicken Caesar Salad is made with grilled lemon chicken, garlicky homemade croutons, fresh parmesan cheese, and tossed with a lightened-up Greek yogurt dressing!

Raise your hand if you love Caesar salad! 🖐🏼 Now raise your hand if you love all the fat and calories that usually come with it. Well, not this healthy chicken Caesar salad! Made with juicy lemon-grilled chicken, crisp romaine lettuce, homemade garlicky croutons, and a lighter Caesar dressing that uses protein-packed Greek yogurt instead of mayo or eggs. So delicious and so much better for you!

Why You’ll Love This

A healthier take on your favorite classic Caesar salad!
This lightened-up Greek yogurt dressing reduces the fat and calories while tasting amazing.
The homemade croutons are garlicky, crunchy, and made with whole-grain bread for added nutrition.
The lemon-garlic grilled chicken adds incredible flavor to the salad!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Romaine lettuce: Stick with classic romaine for this Caesar salad, or use any type of leafy greens.
Grilled chicken: I used my lemon chicken recipe for amazing flavor, but leftover rotisserie chicken works well, or substitute with steak, shrimp, or fish.
Caesar dressing: This lighter Caesar dressing uses Greek yogurt instead of mayo or eggs and also makes a great chicken marinade.
Croutons: These easy homemade croutons are garlicky and crunchy. Use gluten-free bread if needed.
Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated parmesan cheese finishes the salad perfectly. Use high-quality cheese for the best flavor.

Healthy Caesar Dressing

This healthy Caesar dressing checks all the boxes! It’s creamy, zesty, and made with fresh ingredients that taste so much better than store-bought versions. By using Greek yogurt instead of mayo or eggs, we add more protein and cut out extra fat and calories. This dressing also works as a marinade for chicken if you make a little extra. Store it in a sealed, airtight container (or mason jar) in the fridge for up to 1 week.

How to Serve

This chicken Caesar salad makes a great meal on its own but can also be served as a side dish with these options:

Prepping This Salad Ahead of Time

The best part about this salad is that all the components can be prepared ahead of time and stored separately until assembling.

Chicken: Cook the chicken up to 3–4 days in advance. It tastes great warm or cold in the salad. Leftover shredded rotisserie chicken also works well.
Croutons: Store homemade croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Dressing: Keep Caesar dressing in the fridge for up to 1 week in a sealed mason jar or container. Shake before using.
Romaine lettuce: Wash and store in a container in the fridge until ready to assemble the salad.

For the Chicken

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Place the chicken breasts in a shallow dish or a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag, then pour the marinade over the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat and brush with oil to prevent sticking. Grill the chicken for 5–6 minutes per side, or until cooked through and no longer pink (internal temperature should reach 165°F). Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

For the Salad

Add romaine lettuce to a large bowl and top with grilled chicken and croutons.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad, toss to combine, and top with fresh parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Information

Note – Nutrition information is estimated and should only be used as a guideline.

Share the Love

If you try this Healthy Chicken Caesar Salad and love it as much as we do, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and tag me on Instagram with #nugalaeats. I love seeing all your delicious recreations!