Covered in a homemade Caesar dressing and topped with tender pieces of grilled chicken, this kale chicken Caesar pasta salad is a delicious and nutritious meal you can enjoy for lunch or dinner.

Close up kale chicken caesar pasta salad in a large wooden bowl.

If you’re tired of boring salads with iceberg lettuce, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes that don’t fill you up, you need to give this kale Caesar pasta salad with grilled chicken a try.

This recipe is a fun and more satiating take on classic Caesar salad that swaps the lettuce for kale and croutons for pasta. It’s also a well-balanced meal with carbohydrates (pasta), protein (chicken), fiber (kale), and fats (dressing) that is full of flavor while being easy to make.

A serving of kale caesar pasta salad with grilled chicken in a beige speckled bowl with a gold fork with a small bowl of lemon sliced and black pepper on the side on a white background.

Why You’ll Love It

High in Protein – The combination of chicken and parmesan cheese gives this salad over 37 grams of protien per serving.
Filling – The addition of pasta makes this Caesar salad ultra satisfying.
Keeps Well – This hearty salad keeps well in the fridge for several days, making it great for leftovers or an easy meal prep idea.

Plate of raw chicken breasts with a bowl of Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, parmesan cheese, spices, fusilli pasta, and mayonnaise with a garlic clove, lemon, and fresh kale on the side on a white background.

Ingredients + Substitutions

Chicken – To add some protein and make the delicious grilled chicken. The recipe calls for chicken breasts, but chicken thighs will also work. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
Pasta – To add some complex carbohydrates, as an alternative to croutons in a classic Caesar salad. I used fusilli, but any shortcut pasta will work. You can also use white or whole wheat pasta.
Kale – To add some greens, fiber, and micronutrients. I used curly kale, but Tuscan kale will also work well.
Mayonnaise – To make the traditional Caesar dressing. I used regular mayonnaise, but you can use light mayonnaise or Greek yogurt if preferred. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
Lemon Juice – To balance the acidity in the dressing. I used fresh lemon juice, but you can use bottled lemon juice if needed.
Garlic – To flavor the dressing. The recipe calls for garlic cloves, but garlic powder will also work. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
Dijon Mustard – To flavor the dressing.
Worcestershire Sauce – To add an umami flavor to the dressing.
Anchovy Paste – To give that classic Caesar salad flavor to the dressing, although optional.
Parmesan Cheese – To flavor and season the dressing. For the best results, use freshly grated Parmesan.
Paprika – To season and flavor the chicken.
Salt and Pepper – To season.

Cast-iron skillet with two grilled chicken breasts.

Dietary Adaptions

To Make it Gluten-Free: Use certified gluten-free pasta.

To Make it Dairy-Free: Omit the Parmesan cheese.

To Make it Vegetarian: Swap the grilled chicken for roasted crispy chickpeas.

Grid of 4 images with a wood bowl with chopped kale; a wood bowl with chopped kale and cooked pasta; a wood bowl with chopped kale, cooked pasta, and Caesar dressing on top; a wood bowl with chopped kale and cooked pasta tossed in Caesar dressing with cubed cooked chicken on top.

Red’s Nutrition Tip

My creamy Caesar dressing calls for mayonnaise, and while this may concern some people, mayonnaise is simply an emulsion of oil, egg yolks, and acid. Although mayonnaise is a very calorie-dense food, because it’s high in fat, it’s a nutrient-dense ingredient that can be included in healthy recipes.

Serving Suggestions

This kale chicken Caesar pasta salad is a balanced meal with protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat. It can be enjoyed as is for lunch or dinner, or adapted to suit your personal calorie or macro needs. For example:

To make it higher in protein, add an additional 1/2 pound of chicken thighs to the recipe.
To make it higher in carbs, add some homemade croutons.
To make it lower in fat, swap all or some of the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt.

Large wood bowl of kale chicken caesar pasta salad with freshly grated parmesan cheese on top with a glass jug of Caesar dressing, a small bowl of grated parmesan, a small bowl of black pepper, with a beige checkered tea towel with a gold fork and spoon on the side.

Storage

To Refrigerate: Transfer the salad to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Any leftover dressing can be stored in a separate airtight container or glass jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.

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