Next Post
Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
This Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata is not your ordinary salad. Grilled or pan-seared pesto chicken tossed together with a creamy, lemony parmesan tahini dressing, fresh romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and burrata cheese. This salad is simple to toss together, extra colorful, super flavorful, filling, and even healthy too. Enjoy this for dinner and save the leftovers for lunch the next day. It’s pretty hard for a salad to get more delicious than this herby pesto chicken Caesar. The perfect dinner to serve any night of the week all summer long.
I’ve been thinking of my Nonnie often lately and missing our time together. I may have shared this story before, but I thought it was worth repeating.
For the longest time, I steered clear of all things Caesar salad. Way back when I was twelve I had a rather bad experience with Caesar Salad. I was out to lunch with my Nonnie, something the two of us would often do on weekends. We’d shop, grab lunch, then most likely shop a little more. It was something we both really enjoyed and I always looked forward to. Since her passing, it’s a memory I often look back on and cherish.
Me being the very odd child that I was, I decided to order a Caesar salad…
Two things I need to note. One, normally my Nonnie chose rather nice places to eat out. But this time we were at a Champs (which ended up closing) in Westlake, Ohio. It was a new spot, but I wouldn’t say it was the nicest place she’d ever taken me too.
Two, seeing that as I was only twelve, I didn’t know that a classic Caesar salad contained raw eggs in the dressing. I also didn’t understand that this might not be the right lunch spot to order a Caesar salad. Long story short, the salad ended up all over the floor of my Nonnie’s car on the ride home. It was not pretty. Yep, I was pretty much scarred for life…I’ve never had a classic Caesar salad since. Well…
At this point in my life, I think I’d surely eat a Caesar salad, but…I’d rather eat my own. I love creating my own version with a fun Caesar-like dressing that’s raw egg-free! I know, some will say that I cannot truly call this a Caesar salad then, but it’s close enough for me.
And most importantly? It’s GOOD. Very. GOOD.
The details on this pesto chicken Ceasar salad…
Start with the croutons. Every Caesar-like salad needs crunchy croutons. I love making mine with torn ciabatta bread and lots of garlic plus flaky sea salt. I crisp them up in a little olive oil in a skillet. It’s very easy to do and they’re definitely worth the effort to make as opposed to using store-bought.
The salad itself has plenty of fresh greens. I like using a mix of romaine and shredded Tuscan kale, fresh
cherry tomatoes, lots of herbs, and creamy burrata cheese too. If you have a hard time finding burrata, I would recommend using fresh mozzarella balls.
Onto the chicken. I kept it easy, yet flavorful at the same time, by simply tossing the chicken with basil pesto. Using pesto is my go-to way to add delicious flavor, but keep the recipe easy as can be. Right now I’m loving making basil pesto with all the fresh basil we’re currently growing in the summer garden (which was thankfully protected from Tuesday’s snow in the greenhouse).
Since the weather is nice now (I mean, except for Tuesday). I decided to skewer the chicken and throw it on the grill. Grilled chicken adds that summer touch, and I love the flavor and char the chicken gets from the grill. That said, if you don’t love grilling, you can easily cook the chicken up in a skillet.
On to that creamy parmesan dressing…
This is truly one of my favorite dressings. I’ve used it before in this kale salad and I’m repeating here because it’s really just that good.
Now, a few notes on this dressing, because it’s not a classic Caesar dressing. Traditionally, Caesar dressing contains anchovies and raw egg yolk, but this dressing has none of that. I know, technically this really isn’t a Caesar salad, but hear me out. The flavors are spot on…actually better in my opinion.
So what’s the key? A combination of creamy tahini (sesame seed paste), Dijon mustard, and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce (did you know that one of the main ingredients in Worcestershire is anchovies?). The tahini adds the creaminess that the raw egg yolk would add, while the Dijon and Worcestershire sauce add all the savory, salty flavors that the anchovies would add. Promise, it’s just as delicious…better actually.
Bonus? No raw eggs means you don’t have to worry about any kind of stomach issues while enjoying this Caesar. As mentioned, I know from experience how not-fun it is to eat a Caesar salad that’s delicious going down…but not so delicious coming back up.
Put it all together…
Once the salad is tossed, and the chicken grilled, combine everything in a large bowl and top with burrata cheese.
Is cheese traditional? Nope. But let’s just be honest, adding burrata cheese is always a good idea. It’s mozzarella cheese on the outside and creamy burrata cheese inside. Delicious. And I especially love burrata paired with summer cherry tomatoes and basil. The mix is light and refreshing, yet still feels satisfying and exciting.
This is truly one of those salads you’ll be excited to serve. It’s full of color, flavor, texture, pesto chicken, homemade croutons…and the creamy burrata really seals the deal. This salad would be great for Father’s Day or the 4th of July!
Looking for other summer salads? Here are a few of my go-to’s.
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad
Greek Watermelon Feta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
Lastly, if you make this pesto chicken Caesar salad with tomatoes and burrata, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 901 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 cups torn ciabatta bread
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks
- 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
- red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper
- 6 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 ounces burrata cheese, at room temperature
- fresh herbs, for serving, such as chives, thyme, and basil
PARMESAN TAHINI DRESSING
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 cloves garlic, grated
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- 1. To make the croutons. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the bread and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until golden and toasted all over, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt. Slide bread crumbs onto a plate, discard the garlic. 2.To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.3. To make the chicken. In a bowl, combine the chicken, pesto, crushed red pepper flakes, and a large pinch of salt. Set your grill, grill pan or skillet to medium-high heat. Take skewers and thread the chicken pieces on. Alternately, you can cook the chicken in a skillet until browned all over. 4. Grill the skewers until lightly charred and cooked through, turning them occasionally throughout cooking, about 10 to 12 minutes total. 6. Assemble the salad. Add the romaine, tomatoes, croutons, chicken, croutons, and dressing. Toss to combine. Once the salad has been tossed, top with burrata, drizzle with oil, season with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
This was honestly the first Half Baked Harvest recipe that I thought was totally underwhelming and I would not make it again. It involved quite a bit of effort and dishes for what amounted to “just a salad.” I hate to say it, but I thought the dressing was terrible and all I could taste was mustard. Usually I love the unique flavor combinations in HBH recipes, but in this one, the flavors did not marry well together. That said, so many of Tieghan’s recipes are absolute favorites in my house so I will just be on to the next one!
Hi Molly,
Thanks so much for trying this salad and so many other recipes. So sorry to hear this was not enjoyed! Let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
LOVE your recipes. Can’t wait to try this combo, thank you for this idea. Tahini adds umami to everything and I’d eat it on a fried boot – it’s SO craveable! I buy it by the bucket online and have made dressing with it for eons – can’t beat the simplicity of tahini, lemon juice, water, & salt- mixed together to put on salad or on falafel. And so many of us know that everything is better with Pesto. Thank you again for all you do!
Hey Mich,
Thanks so much for sharing, that sounds delish! I hope you love this salad, let me know if you give it a try! xT
This is one of our all-time favorite salads!!!! The pesto on the chicken is GENIUS and is bursting with flavor!!! It’s also so healthy!! We could easily eat this once a week 🤤 thank you SO much for sharing!!
Hi there! Thank you so so much! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have a great weekend 🙂 xT
We loved this salad. Don’t skip anything; the herbs add so much flavor and the croutons are so good. This is in regular rotation in my house!
Hey Cheryl,
Happy Monday!!☀️🌊 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear that it was a hit! xT
I am in love with the dressing. I am not a big fan of tahini but this dressing is making me rethink that. Love this salad.
Hi Lesli,
Happy Friday!!🍪🍦 Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
I made this salad exactly as the recipe suggests and it was a huge hit. I will have this on repeat! I had extra dressing and can’t wait to try it on a buddha bowl.
Hi Therese,
Happy Wednesday!! 🌸🌤️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it turned out well for you! xT
Even though it’s not quite spring, we had a huge romaine and made this last night for dinner. So delicious. How long does the dressing last?
Hi Joni,
Happy Friday!!☘️ Thanks a bunch for testing this recipe out and sharing your review, I’m so glad to hear it was delish! The dressing is good for 2 weeks in the fridge. xx
This was an interesting recipe but ultimately it was way too salty and had too many strong flavors that made the dish, as a whole, not work.
Here are some modifications I would recommend:
1) Don’t add pesto. It really doesn’t enhance the dish (flavor-wise) and just adds extra calories
2) If you do add pesto, go for the pesto with the lowest sodium content. And add half the recommended amount – 1/2 a cup ended up being too much
3) Don’t add Dijon mustard to the dressing. I’m not really sure it enhances the flavor, which is already tangy from the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and tahini. If you do add Dijon mustard, add half the suggested amount otherwise it kind of flashes with the other flavors
4) Buy olive-oil coated croutons instead of making your own
5) The burata cheese was an interesting idea but ultimately, just made the salad very creamy (ie, didn’t add much in terms of taste or texture)
It’s a not a bad salad and is actually quite good but just watch out for the salt
Hi there,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear that it wasn’t enjoyed! xT
We did this as a meal prep for lunches for the week, so we haven’t even assembled it yet, but I can’t wait for lunch tomorrow. The chicken dipped in that delicious “Caesar” dressing is incredible. Thank you so much!!
Hey Kirstie,
Happy Monday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Excellent dressing – great taste! I made this but did not put the croutons or the chicken in the salad. I am always looking for new dressings to go with my Keto diet and this is fabulous!
Hi Laura,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xT
Hi – I’m so excited to give this salad a shot!!☺️ I had planned to make it tomorrow night for a dinner event with friends, however, I’d have to ditch the chicken… Is it worth making the salad without the chicken?
Hey Ali,
Totally, the salad is great! I hope you love the recipe:) xx
I made it without the croutons and without the chicken and it was great – wonderful dressing!
I’ve made this salad atleast half a dozen times already. It’s my favorite. 🙂
Hi Nicki,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe so often, I am so glad to hear it is always enjoyed! Have a great weekend:)