Crispy Skillet Chicken Kale Caesar

I’ve been making this on repeat lately. First, for my family when I was visiting Florida last week and again when I got home…and again with the leftovers for lunch. It’s one of those recipes that you crave because it hits all of the marks—crunchy, fresh, and filling but without being heavy.

While we might still be in winter, it’s nice to take a break from eating hearty soups and stews.

Especially since we’ve been getting some sunshine and warmer days in Northern California, this dish was much needed.

I’m a big fan of Caesar salads. If it’s on the menu, I’m ordering it.

For the dressing here instead of using egg yolks like in a traditional Caesar, I pull in creaminess from sour cream or yogurt. Sometimes I add a spoonful of mayonnaise too.

I also don’t measure, so the instructions below will be a guide but I encourage you to rely on your taste buds to guide you to just the right consistency and flavor.

If you’re skipping dairy, simply swap for your favorite plain alternative yogurt. Or some soaked cashews blended with lemon and garlic for cashew cream as the base.

The amounts will leave you with extra so store any leftover dressing in a jar to use on other salads throughout the week.

The key to make this come together quickly lies in what you’ve got in the fridge or pantry. Items like parmesan, dijon, anchovies, and lemons are staples around here and I use them in all sorts of meals.

If you don’t already keep panko in the pantry, now is your sign to start. These breadcrumbes are made from a crustless Japanese white bread and lend extra flakiness.

I especially like to toast panko with a little oil in a pan to add crunch to salads, sprinkled over roasted veggies, or pasta dishes. They’re a key ingredient in my favorite Herby Chicken Meatballs, too.

The chicken is pretty simple once you’ve got it nice and thin then dredged in some flour, eggs, and of course the panko. I also make this with boneless skinless chicken thighs and bake them, though it takes longer. I’ll use 6 thighs instead of 2 breasts.

I also skip thinning them out since they’re pretty small already. Set your oven to 400° and bake for 20 minutes or until they’re a nice golden brown and cooked through.

As for the salad, massaging the kale doesn’t take long but does require a little more effort. It makes the leaves more tender since it’s helping to break down the cell walls. Using a tiny bit of olive oil and salt helps facilitate that too.

You could also opt to not massage the kale and chop it really thin. Or skip kale all together and grab your favorite little gem lettuces or a standard head of Romaine.

Though, I find the kale is a nice way to use up winter greens. I even added some red cabbage to it since I was short on kale when enjoying these leftovers for lunch.

Other ideas here would be to fry up some capers or bake off some croutons if you’ve got extra time, but not necessary.

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