Kat's Kitchen

My husband is pretty picky when it comes to eating vegetables and salads. He really only likes my cobb salad recipe, so I branched out with this buffalo chicken caesar salad and crossed my fingers that he would like it. HE LOVED IT! He’s told me three times since I made it that he really enjoyed the recipe, and “wouldn’t mind having it once a week!” So here ya go, a non boring salad that is hubby approved:

Buffalo Chicken Caesar Salad

Servings: 2 | Total Cook Time: 50 minutes

Salad Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts (thawed and flattened)
• 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 3 cups romaine lettuce (or two small heads)
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 2 radishes (thinly sliced)
• 1/4 cup pistachios (shelled)
• 1/4 cup shaved parmesan

Air Fried Chick Peas:

• 1 can chick peas
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Baked Brussels Sprouts (optional):

• 2 cups brussels sprouts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Caesar Dressing:

• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp capers
• 2 cloves garlic (grated)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• In a medium sized bowl, combine raw chicken breasts, black pepper, and garlic powder. Coat the chicken with the seasonings, and then add the Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce. Coat well, and marinate in the fridge for 10 minutes.

• For the air fried chick peas, in a small bowl combine chick peas, oil, and seasonings, and air fry at 375 for 15 minutes, shaking every five minutes, until crunchy
• Place marinated chicken on a foil lined baking sheet and bake chicken for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through
• Slice brussels sprouts in half vertically (top to bottom) and then place on a separate baking sheet. Season with olive oil, and seasonings, coat well, and bake with the chicken for 25-30 minutes until golden and crispy

• Make the caesar dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth. Pour into a mason jar and place in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
• Assemble your salads with the lettuce, veggies, pistachios, and shaved parmesan.
• Top salads with crispy air fried chick peas, baked brussels sprouts, baked chicken, caesar dressing, and serve!

Helpful Tips:

• If you make multiple servings of this meal, to have on a different day, I recommend reheating the chicken in the air fryer. I usually do five minutes at 375 degrees to crisp up the chicken before adding it to the salad.
• The Caesar dressing will last in the fridge for up to one week in a sealed container. These are the mini mason jars I use.
• To make this recipe easier:
  • Buy a pre-made salad caesar salad kit instead of chopping the lettuce and making the sauce yourself
  • Use shredded rotisserie chicken coated in buffalo sauce instead of baking the chicken yourself
  • Many grocery stores sell brussels sprouts in steamable packages. Just steam the brussels sprouts, then add your oil and seasonings, and mix well before adding to the salad!
  • You can find crunchy chick peas already made!
    • the good bean crunchy chick peas – Amazon
    • the good bean crunchy chick peas – Walmart
    • biena chick pea snacks – Target
  • You could use a store bought caesar dressing instead of making your own!
• To make this salad vegetarian, use tofu instead of chicken, or just add extra chick peas, pistachios, and parmesan to your salad!

• The Caesar dressing does have greek yogurt, so if you are vegan, you will need to use a vegan yogurt or mayo instead. Also substitute nutritional yeast for the parmesan on the salad, brussels sprouts, and chick peas.

• Store any excess chick peas in a mason jar to keep them crispy for up to four days!
• You can absolutely double this recipe for lunches for the entire week! I recommend waiting to add the dressing to the salad until you are ready to eat so your lettuce and veggies don’t get soggy.

Drop any questions or comments below! If you make this recipe, I’d love to see your creation on Instagram! Tag me in your stories or on your feed @katerinfaith and be sure to add the hashtag #saladlikekat 🙂

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