Avocado Chicken Caesar Salad

2/24/2025

Avocado Chicken Caesar Salad

I've been completely hooked on this gluten-free Avocado Chicken Caesar Salad lately. I love all the crunch from the romaine and the homemade gluten-free croutons, how filling it is thanks to the chicken and avocado, and just the salty cheesy deliciousness of the dressing and the parmesan. It is truly one of my faves. If I'm making it as an entree salad, I'll add the chicken in there (sometimes I'll go with a rotisserie chicken to save time), but it's also perfect without the chicken as a side salad served alongside any other protein or cuisine. I recently served it on taco night, again when I was cooking Italian, and as a side salad for burger night -- it goes with everything! It's kind of a no-frills, super easy, and simple recipe, but you guys know that's how I like things around here! You can check out the step-by-step of the recipe in this reel.

Ingredients
For the salad:
2 large heads of romaine, chopped (about 5 handfuls) & rinsed
1 avocado, sliced
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

For the gf croutons:
3 slices gluten-free bread (I used Canyon Bakehouse 7-grain), crusts sliced & cut into cubes
Avocado oil spray
Sprinkle of garlic powder
Sprinkle of onion powder

For the chicken:
3 chicken breasts
Salt & pepper
1 tbsp avocado oil

For the dressing:
1/2 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing* (or homemade!) - I use Primal Kitchen or Chose Foods
*I like to add 1 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese + 1 tbsp lemon juice to the store-bought dressing

Instructions

1. Start with the chicken: Pound the chicken so that the thickness of the breast is even. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Warm avocado oil on a pan over medium heat. Once hot but not smoking, add the chicken and cook until golden on both sides (about 6-8 minutes per side depending on thickness), and the internal temp reaches 165°F. Cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
2. While the chicken cooks, make your croutons: Place your cubed pieces of bread in the air fryer, spray with avocado oil, and season with salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Give it a toss. Cook at 400°F for 3 minutes, toss/flip them, then for another 2 minutes or until golden and toasty. (You can also do this in the oven under the broiler, watching to make sure it doesn't burn.)
3. Make your dressing: you can go homemade or you can take the shortcut like me and use your favorite store-bought dressing. I like to add some fresh parmesan and lemon to the store-bought one to make it feel a little more homemade. Note: if you're using Primal Kitchen dressing, it can be a little thick, so I add some extra virgin olive oil to it as well to thin it out.
4. Assemble your salad: add rinsed and chopped romaine into a large, shallow bowl. Add chicken breast, croutons, and dressing, and give it a toss. Top with avocado slices and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Dig in!