Crispy Chicken Caesar Sandwich

This sandwich takes all the iconic textures and flavours of a Caesar salad and transforms them into the most delicious sandwich imaginable!

A Caesar salad is one of the few salads I’d go out of my way to order at a restaurant. It’s just timeless! So today I thought we’d have some fun and make it sandwich style. Follow me…

Caesar Salad Dressing

Caesar dressing is nothing short of liquid gold. Plus, it’s super easy to make. Traditionally you’d create the base of the dressing by whisking egg yolks and oil, but today we’re doing a ‘cheats’ version using mayonnaise.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Absolutely! Leaving it to rest will actually allow the flavours to marry together. Just tightly store in the fridge until needed (3-4 days, longer at your discretion).

Can I use store-bought instead?

If you have a favourite store-bought Caesar dressing you can definitely use that instead.

Process shots: add ingredients to food processor (photo 1), blitz until smooth (photo 2).

Breaded Chicken

A classic Caesar salad doesn’t always include chicken, but it’s certainly a welcomed addition. Plus, this would be a rather sad-looking sandwich without it! Now, you could just grill the chicken, but crispy chicken is just so much better. Plus it’s pretty simple to make.

Chicken Breast

For this sandwich we’ll be using boneless skinless chicken breast. I recommend using 1 breast and slicing it in half through the centre to create 2 even-sized breasts. Not only will this ensure the chicken cooks quicker, but also more evenly too.

Panko Breadcrumbs

These are Japanese breadcrumbs that are big and airy, meaning they crisp up really nicely. You’ll find them in the Asian section at most stores.

Parmesan

Parmesan is a key ingredient in a Caesar salad, but instead of just throwing it in the sandwich, we’re going to add it to the chicken breading. Not only will this add flavour to the chicken itself, but it’ll also work with the Panko to produce super crispy chicken!

Process shots: add chicken to chopping board (photo 1), slice in half (photo 2), dredge through seasoned flour (photo 3), then egg (photo 4), then seasoned Panko + parmesan (photo 5).

Crispy Fried Chicken

If you’re not confident with frying, this is the perfect recipe to start. You only need enough oil to fill the base of the pan. You don’t need a thermometer, just test if a breadcrumb rapidly sizzles.

Toasting the bread

Once the chicken is cooked, I like to discard most of the oil and toast the bread in a couple of tbsp leftovers. Alternatively though you could toast the bread under the grill or in the toaster.

Do I have to toast the bread?

I highly recommend doing so, yes. Think of the toast as giant croutons!

Process shots: add chicken to hot oil (photo 1), fry until crispy/cooked (photo 2), add bread to some leftover oil (photo 3), toast both sides until crisp (photo 4).

Chicken Caesar Sandwich

Here’s how I recommend constructing the sandwich:

• Toast – As discussed.
• Caesar Dressing – Homemade or storebought.
• Little Gem Lettuce – I recommend a whole leaf, just to help contain the filling. But you could sub chopped Romaine lettuce if you’d prefer.
• Bacon – Cooked to preference.
• Chicken – Seasoned with a pinch of salt. You could also top with some parmesan if you wanted.
• Toast – With more dressing.

Process shot: spread toast with dressing (photos 1&2), add lettuce (photo 3), add bacon (photo 4), add chicken (photo 5), add toast and more dressing (photo 6).

Serving Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

You’ll want to tuck into these straight away, just so everything is hot and crispy! These are super hearty, but I love serving them with some Garlic Parmesan Fries to create more of a meal for dinner.

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these Caesar chicken sandwiches shall we?!

How to make a Chicken Caesar Sandwich (Full Recipe & Video)

Crispy Chicken Caesar Sandwich

This sandwich takes all the iconic textures and flavours of a Caesar salad and transforms them into the most delicious sandwich imaginable!

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings (click & slide): 2 sandwiches

Calories per serving: 1019kcal

Author: Chris

Cost per serving: £4 / $5

Equipment

• Food Processor & Spatula (if making homemade dressing)
• 3 Large Shallow Dishes (for dredging chicken)
• Heavy Bottom Pan & Tongs (for frying chicken)
• Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
• Fine Cheese Grater
• Wire Rack

Ingredients

Caesar Dressing (see notes)

• 1/2 cup / 120g full fat Mayo
• 1/4 cup / 20g freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 Anchovy Fillet
• 1/2 tsp EACH: Dijon Mustard, Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 small clove of Garlic
• 1/8 tsp Salt & Black Pepper, or to taste

Chicken

• 1 large Chicken Breast, brought close to room temp
• 1/2 cup / 120ml Vegetable Oil, or as needed
• 1/2 cup / 30g Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup / 20g freshly grated Parmesan
• 3 tbsp Flour
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 1/2 tsp EACH: Salt, Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Sandwich

• 4 sturdy slices of Bread (see notes)
• 4 slices of Bacon, cooked to preference
• 2 Little Gem Lettuce Leaves

Instructions

• Add mayo, parmesan, anchovy, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a food processor and blitz until smooth and fully blended. Taste test and adjust if needed.
• Horizontally slice your chicken breast right through the centre to create 2 even-sized breasts. In a small pot combine 1/2 tsp salt & garlic powder with 1/4 tsp black pepper.
• Line up 3 bowls: 1st with flour and half of the seasoning, the 2nd with a beaten egg and the 3rd with 1/4 cup parmesan, the rest of the seasoning and Panko breadcrumbs. Coat the chicken in the flour, then egg and finish with a coating of the parmesan Panko. Ensure the chicken is thoroughly coated at each stage, namely the last stage.
• Add a pan to medium heat and pour in enough oil to comfortably fill the base of the pan. Heat the oil until a breadcrumb rapidly sizzles in it, then add in the chicken. Fry both sides for a few mins until golden and crispy on the outside, with the inside white and piping hot. Remove and place on a wire rack with paper towels or a tray underneath to catch excess oil.
• Remove most of the oil from the pan, leaving a couple of tbsp behind. Add the bread and toast both sides until crisp and deep golden. Alternatively you can toast the bread under the grill or in a toaster.
• Stack the sandwiches with toast, then Caesar dressing, then lettuce, followed by bacon, topped with chicken and a pinch of salt (or some parmesan if you've got some lurking about), finished with toast spread with more Caesar dressing.

Quick Demo

Notes

a) Caesar Dressing - If you want to use store-bought dressing instead you absolutely can (a couple of tbsp per sandwich should suffice). The homemade dressing will make enough for 4 sandwiches, so don't feel like you have to use it all!

b) Bread - You'll want to use something sturdy that crisps up well like Sourdough. Also something preferably oval-shaped to suit the shape of the chicken.

c) Serving/Quantities - As mentioned, the dressing will stretch to 4 sandwiches, so if you want to make 4 sandwiches just adjust the toggle next to 'servings' at the top of the recipe card after you've made the dressing. This will automatically double all the quantities for you.

d) Calories - Slight overestimate as not all the flour/egg/breadcrumbs attach to chicken. Assumes half of dressing is used and 8 tsp oil soaked up by chicken/bread.

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Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts

Crispy Chicken Caesar Sandwich

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1019 Calories from Fat 646

% Daily Value*

Fat 71.76g110%

Saturated Fat 22.69g142%

Trans Fat 0.194g

Polyunsaturated Fat 14.755g

Monounsaturated Fat 10.167g

Cholesterol 208mg69%

Sodium 1724mg75%

Potassium 896mg26%

Carbohydrates 39.95g13%

Fiber 2.1g9%

Sugar 4.16g5%

Protein 52.14g104%

Vitamin A 366IU7%

Vitamin C 1.9mg2%

Calcium 282mg28%

Iron 3.99mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.

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