Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad Tacos
There’s A Reason This Is An Internet Sensation
Instead of chicken strips or grilled breasts, these Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad Tacos feature seasoned ground chicken cooked right onto the tortilla itself, giving you a caramelized, golden crust that tastes like the best part of a toasted quesadilla. Add in cold dressed romaine, a sprinkle of toasted panko “croutons,” and plenty of Parmesan and you get a fast, fun, crowd pleasing dinner that feels restaurant level without requiring anything fancier than a skillet and a bag of thin tortillas.
I love a good viral internet recipe, like when I totally bought into the TikTok Ramen a few years back. You all enjoyed that recipe as well, but when I saw this Chicken Caesar Taco going around, I was not too sure about it.
It was something to do with the raw chicken and the tortilla, but then I saw my friend Erika making them. She vouched for the food safety aspect.
Then I got to thinking about this guy I used to work with at the Chicago Park District and how his Mom Carol used to make us these fried tacos. I decided to give this viral recipe a Tipsy Test Run.
These came out GREAT. In fact, my Mom was over when I was testing them out and she really liked them too!
The trick is to make sure the tortilla is thin and the spread of chicken is thin. This way it cooks all the way through and quickly.
These are a great meal for a busy week when you either do not feel like cooking or you are cooking for a big event and do not have time to deal with a complicated dinner.
The Thinner The Better
The only thin thing about me is my tortillas! LOL!
All kidding aside these Azteca Tortillas are my favorite. In fact, they are made right in the neighborhood I grew up in.
The family who makes them goes to my family’s church as well. What I like about these for THIS recipe is that they are super thin.
When you fry up these Chicken Caesar Tacos, the thin tortilla allows the meat to be cooked from the underside as well. I love these tacos for our Taco Tuesday, American Taco Night as well!
All The Flavor
There are many versions of this recipe floating around social media, but this is MY version. Here I am using a blend of spices like paprika and celery salt.
There are no limits when it comes to me and paprika. I love it, but you can use less.
Did you know paprika is just dried red bell pepper? A lot of people do not know this.
I love to use celery salt like this because it adds a tangy, almost lemon-like zing to recipes. To me, celery salt just tastes fresh and it goes perfectly with these crispy tacos.
Dress It Up
I have a very, very delicious recipe for homemade Caesar Dressing and Croutons on my site. You can make this dressing to top these tacos.
You can also save time and just use your favorite store bought brand. The one they sell in the refrigerator section of the produce department is the best.
I forget the name, but it is good, though I really LOVE my homemade dressing. It is also the dressing I use on my Caesar Topped Chicken Cutlets.
Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad Tacos
These crispy chicken Caesar tacos are a fun handheld twist on the classic salad. Caramelized ground chicken on a crisped tortilla topped with cool romaine, creamy Caesar, and crunchy toasted panko.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons paprika (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon celery salt (or to taste)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 3/4 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Thin flour tortillas (do not buy thick ones)
- 2 heads romaine lettuce, sliced into thin ribbons
- Caesar dressing (my homemade version linked above the recipe card or your favorite store-bought)
- Optional: cracked black pepper and extra freshly grated Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the ground chicken, finely grated Parmesan, paprika, black pepper, celery salt, dried parsley, and onion powder. Mix well and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add the seasoned panko breadcrumbs and toast them, stirring often so they don’t burn. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Take your thin flour tortillas and spread a very thin layer (1/4 inch or less) of the chicken mixture across each tortilla, covering the surface from edge to edge. Repeat until all tortillas are coated.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and heat until very hot but not smoking.
- Working in batches, place each tortilla chicken side down into the skillet. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until the chicken layer is fully cooked and caramelized.
- Flip each tortilla and cook the plain tortilla side for about 1 minute, or until lightly crisp. Repeat until all tacos are fried.
- Toss the sliced romaine with Caesar dressing, cracked black pepper, and freshly grated Parmesan.
- Top each crispy chicken taco with a handful of the dressed romaine and a sprinkle of the toasted panko.
- Serve immediately while warm and crunchy.