Why you'll love it

Caesar salad. It's my absolute favorite. It always has been and always will be. So when I decided to combine it with pasta salad, what happened? The perfect summer salad was born, that's what! As the weather warms up, I find myself serving this up all the time for BBQs and parties. It's Caesar salad but elevated.

Picture yourself sitting on a patio with a bowl of this pasta salad on a summer evening. In every forkful you get a crunch from the garlic croutons, the tender bite from the chicken and pasta, and each piece of lettuce is coated with irresistible garlicky dressing. A glass of wine is optional but totally recommended. Are you sold yet!?

Ingredients you need

Pasta - I used penne, but any similar sized pasta shape will do

Bacon - these kitchen shears make it simple to cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces

Chicken - we're using chicken breasts here

Garlic powder - along with salt & pepper, seasoning the chicken directly infuses so much flavor

Lettuce - romaine is the classic variety for Caesar salad

Croutons - homemade garlic croutons are a game changer!

Caesar dressing - you can use the stuff from a bottle, but I highly recommend trying my 10-minute easy Caesar dressing from scratch.

Parmesan cheese - I always keep a block in my fridge and grate it myself with a zester. It just tastes so much better.

Lemon juice - totally optional, but a squeeze of fresh lemon on top adds a hint of brightness

How to make chicken Caesar pasta salad

This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Prepare your homemade dressing and croutons if using.

Boil the pasta. Meanwhile, fry the bacon. Set aside on a plate, and then pan-fry the chicken until golden.

Drain the pasta, and then add to a large salad bowl with the romaine lettuce. Add in the chicken, croutons, bacon, and dressing. Toss, and garnish with freshly grated parmesan!

Tips for success

If you want to take a few shortcuts, you can use rotisserie or shredded chicken, store-bought Caesar dressing and croutons, and buy the bacon bits. But it might not taste as special 😉

Feel free to use grilled chicken instead of the pan-fried chicken. It would take that summer flavor over the top!

This does make a large amount of salad, so you could halve the recipe or even eyeball the ingredients. It doesn't need to be precise.

The clean-up from the frying is much easier with a splatter guard.

What to serve with it

I'm a big fan of serving this hearty salad along with a big BBQ or potluck spread that includes these Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Thighs, my Grilled Corn on the Cob, and this Easy Potato Salad with Bacon!

If you're serving it as a meal on its own, it'll pair great with a simple slice of crusty bread.

Leftovers and storage

Once you toss it all together, leftovers probably won't fare so well after a couple of hours, and the lettuce will wilt.

However, you're welcome to store extra dressing in the fridge in a covered container for 3-4 days! The croutons will keep as well. Simply assemble a new salad with fresh lettuce and cheese.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad