Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata.
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!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata
Definitely not your everyday salad. Delicious, easy to throw together, egg-free, colorful, healthy, and filling!
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.
Our Favorite Recipes
Spicy Chickpea and Cheese Stuffed Zucchini.
WOW!!! I think this is MY FAVE RECIPE OFF YOUR BLOG!!!!! Looking for anything off your blog would be THE BEST PART OF MY WHOLE DAY!!!!! THANKS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!
Haha wow you are too sweet! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hey tieghan! Just made your beer battered cauliflower yesterday-delicious! Not that people are worried about calories who are making your recipes but I just wanted to let you know the calorie count on most of them are very off. I use an app called my fitness pal and I’ve been upset to see that there are way more calories in some dishes than you say. Just thought I’d let you know! Love the food 🙂
Hi Emilie! Thank you for letting me know! I will recheck them! xTieghan
Cannot wait to make your Caesar dressing! But what brand of tahini do you recommend??
Thank you in advance,
Cathy Meng
Hi Cathy! I get mine from Thrive Market! I hope you love this recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Oh I love the idea of using tahini instead of raw egg or even mayo as some eggless Caesar dressings call for. I’m going make this (love all your recipes that I’ve tried!) but will probably add a couple of anchovies because I’ve never found anything (not even Worcestershire) that quite replicates that flavor. I’m looking forward to this when my cherry tomatoes and lettuces are ready to harvest!
Thank you Kim! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Hi!
Looking forward to making this tonight but I just realized my tahini is expired! Is there anything else I could use?
I love your recipes and have enjoyed cooking them during quarantine.
Ana
Hi Ana,
You could use mayo or Greek yogurt in place of the tahini. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Thank you for another fabulous recipe! The entire family loved this salad and this will now be my go to Caesar dressing recipe. I love your new spins on an old thing. Thank you!
Thank you so much Tracy!! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This recipe is the bomb! My family devoured the salad!
That is really great to hear! Thank you so much Jennifer! xTieghan
I don’t eat chicken, do you think I could sub shrimp?
Hi Sela,
Shrimp would be great! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is delicious and easy! We loved the Parmesan Tahini dressing. Will definitely put this on repeat!
Thank you so much Debbie! xTieghan
YUMMY!! Favorite new summer salad for sure!! This is amazing!!!
Thank you so much Tina! xTieghan
This was amazing. My husband and I ate it as a salad and I deconstructed it and left out the romaine for the kids. They had a second serving. We love your recipes.
Wow love that!! Thank you Nicole!! xTieghan
…yum
Thanks! xTieghan
Oh my lord that parmesan dressing….amazing!
Thank you so much Monique!! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This is our new favorite! It was SO good. The croutons were perfect, the chicken was perfect, and the dressing was… perfect! It was so good and simple. I will be using this for lunch food prep when we are back to work! Thank you for all the great recipes- I make your different recipes 4-5 times per week and they have all been amazing.
Love to hear that! Thank you so much Shannon!! xTieghan
We eat a delicious half baked harvest meal at least once per week. Deserts included! I enjoy every one but this salad is out of this world! Two of us finished the whole thing and could have had more.
Thank you for making our weeks, and our quarantine so delicious!
Wow that is so amazing!! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes, Mary! Thank you so much! xTieghan
so good ! I omitted the cheese in the dressing and you’d never guess something was missing.
Thank you so much Maggie!! That is really great! xTieghan
First recipe from your blog that I have tried and it was DELICIOUS. Thanks for sharing your passion for food with us.
Thank you Catherine!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Loved this recipe!!! How long is the shelf life for the dressing? Have you ever tried freezing it?
Hi Erika,
I would say a few weeks in the fridge. I have never frozen this but I assume it would work. Thanks for giving the recipe a try! xTieghan
I made this last night and my family loved it! I didn’t have tahini, so I put a little sesame oil and some sesame seeds along with everything else in the vitamix, and it came out wonderfully! Thanks for the great recipe!
Sounds amazing! Thank you so much Cristen! xTieghan
This was absolutely delicious, super easy and filling!! Adding this one to the weeknight rotation!!
Thank you Kristina! xTieghan
Such a delicious, perfect summer salad. I had watched Tieghan make this on her story right before heading to Trader Joe’s, where I saw burrata and immediately knew what to make for dinner 🙂 All of the components go so we’ll together and my whole family loved it!
Haha YES! I am so glad you tried this and it turned out wonderfully!! Thank you Gaby! xTieghan
My hubby and I made this last night. I haven’t been able to find Tahini in a couple of weeks so I made my own 🙂 The dressing was delicious over all the beautiful colors. I am so glad we doubled the chicken. It was wonderful. We have dinner for later in the week. This was a beautiful tasty dish. I am not a crouton person, but they added a nice flavor and texture to the salad.
Love that you made your own! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Holly! Thank you for trying this! xTieghan
Hi Tieghen,
This salad is amazing!! So much flavour, I’ve already made my 2nd one within two days :). It is one of my favourites out of your recipes already great job!
Aw love to hear that! Thank you Tina! xTieghan
LOVE this so much. I’ve made it 3x already in less than 2 weeks. Each time I do something different with the protein. I actually like it best with grilled shrimp. The dressing is crazy good; packed with flavor. The simple salad part with the tangy dressing and burrata is just perfection.
I made the croutons once and they were yum but from then on I made a Zatar bread instead and my family loved that more.
HIGHLY recommend this.
Thank you Barbara!! You are too kind!! I am so glad you have been loving this one! xTieghan
Make this tonight!! Every bite is SO GOOD!! I couldn’t find ciabatta but used whole wheat baguette.
I am really glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you Ashley! xTieghan
The parmesan tahini dressing is honestly incredible. I’ve made this dressing 3x since this recipe came out on all sorts of vegetable and protein combinations and it’s so good. Thank you!
Thank you Jenna!! I am really happy you enjoyed this recipe! xTieghan
Love your site and sure to use it again and again…your Pesto Caesar Salad is delicious🙏
Thank you Karen! xTieghan
Just made this for dinner tonight, so good! 2nd recipe in 2 weeks and we have your chicken Shawarma planned for this week too! Question on the dressing, how long would this keep for?
Hi Jackie,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe and thanks for making it! I would say the dressing is good in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. xTieghan
I just discovered your website and have been using it last two weeks in my menu planning. so far every recipe has been a hit! This is now my favorite Caesar. Love the pesto and tahini twist on this one.
I am so glad you discovered it! I hope you love all of the recipes you try of mine, Suzy! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
This was on my list for
Several weeks. The problem was, I couldn’t find tahini. It’s a sign of the times. I tried two separate grocery stores and nothing. So, I made my own Tahini:) Well worth the effort.
Amazing!! I am really happy this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Salad comfort food. Chicken is so easy and so delicious. The dressing is wonderful. Yummy!
Thank you so much Heidi! xTieghan
Wow, I think this is my favorite salad ever! I made this for dinner last night and it was a huge hit! Even my husband, who is not a huge salad fan, declared it was delicious. And the parmesan tahini dressing is sooo yummy. Thanks for the recipe–it’s a winner!
Thank you Sheilyn! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Delicious! My pesto and burrata obsessed self was very happy. I never would have though to use burrata, my favorite cheese, in a salad…but it was so good. And I really liked the dressing, even though I am not a big tahini fan! Yum.
I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Veronica! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was hit for our family of seven (with baby to ten-year-old approving)! How long would the dressing stay good? We had quite a bit extra. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Hey Jenna,
I am so glad you family enjoyed this recipe! I would say the recipe is good for up to two weeks! xTieghan
Great dinner salad and easy to throw together. Thank you
Thank you Shannon! xTieghan
Thanks so much for letting us adjust the number of servings! It makes cooking for 1 so much easier – I don’t need to eat the same meal 5 times 🙂
Thank you so much Nina! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan
Would you recommend another dressing for this salad? Trying to use what I have… general dressing making ingredients.
Hey Alex,
Honestly any other dressing that you enjoy will work here! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was so good. I couldn’t find burrata cheese so I used Parmesan instead but the flavor of the chicken was amazing. One of my new go to salad recipes for sure.
This was incredible the dressing was super good and went very well with the pesto chicken, IK added some honey to the dressing to make it slightly sweeter
Hey Axel,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan