Why have a plain old Caesar salad when you can infuse it with big, bold Southwestern flavors! There’s plenty of garlic in this recipe, but you’ll also find a citrusy burst of lime, cotija cheese, avocado, and cilantro, which give this tasty salad its Tex-Mex twist! It’s so good, you may never want a classic Caesar again!
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I wish you could give you a sample of this salad so you could taste how amazing it is. I know everybody says their standby salad is great, but seriously, I KNOW food, and this Caesar is knock-your-socks-off-good. Heck, I could eat the Chipotle croutons all day long!
Southwestern flavors are among my favorite, so why not treat a classic Caesar to a flavor makeover? This salad isn’t spicy, but it’s got big, bold flavors, and the dressing is a quick fix in your blender or food processor. Or you can go old-school and whisk it. However you make it, the dressing, the croutons, and the whole salad are just delish.
What you’ll love about Tex-Mex Caesar Salad with Chipotle Croutons
- It’s a tasty and creative twist on a classic salad.
- The croutons are amazing and add tons of flavor!
- If you love Tex-Mex flavors, you’ll love this easy Caesar salad!
Ingredients
- Romaine lettuce
- Eggs – You just need the yolks.
- Cooking oil – Good-quality oil like olive oil or avocado oil.
- Cotija cheese – This is a Mexican crumbly and salty cheese. You can sub feta cheese.
- Cilantro – Fresh cilantro.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic
- Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Fresh lime juice
- Salt and pepper – To taste.
For the Chipotle Croutons
- Crusty bread
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Chipotle powder
- Freshly cracked black pepper
How To Make Tex-Mex Caesar Salad with Chipotle Croutons
- Wash the romaine lettuce, tear it into chunks and spin it dry. Pop it in the fridge to keep cool while you make the dressing.
- Add the egg yolks, cilantro, half the cotija cheese, grated garlic cloves, lime juice, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to a food processor or blender and pulse until well combined.
- Leaving the blender or food processor on medium-high, slowly add the olive oil or avocado oil in a drizzle until the mixture is thick and emulsified.
- Season the dressing with salt and pepper and pop it into the fridge until ready to use.
- Meanwhile, make the croutons. Cut the bread into crouton-sized squares and add them to a large bowl.
- Melt the butter and mix it with the olive oil and chipotle powder. Drizzle 1/3 of the butter mixture over the bread cubes, then toss the bread cubes. Drizzle another 1/3 of the butter mixture over the cubes and toss. Repeat with the final butter. Grind some black pepper over the cubes.
- Arrange the bread cubes on a baking tray and bake in a preheated 400-F oven for 5 minutes, then toss them and bake for another 5 minutes or until they are crispy.
- Assemble the salad. Add the washed and torn lettuce to a salad bowl and drizzle over enough dressing to dress the salad as you like it. Toss well.
- Top the salad with the remaining cotija cheese and the chipotle croutons. Serve and enjoy!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- I love dressing up this salad even more with diced avocado, toasted pepitas, and crushed tortilla chips for extra crunch.
- You can prep the lettuce up to a day in advance and store it in an airtight container or bag with a dry paper towel inside.
- The dressing can also be made up to a few days in advance – just shake it or whisk it vigorously to recombine if it separates a bit.
- The croutons are best made and eaten fresh.
Recommended
Make It A Meal
Wondering what to serve with your fresh and fabulous Tex-Mex Caesar Salad? How about anything else Tex-Mex! From Smoked Chicken Enchiladas and Baja Fish Tacos to Chicken Tinga Tostadas, anything goes! You could also serve this stunning salad with steaks on the grill or Crockpot Southwest Chicken. I also love this salad with a feast of ribs. These oven baked ribs are meaty, delicious, and fall-off-the-bone tender!
Storage
Once tossed with the dressing, this salad is best eaten fresh. Save any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a day, but the lettuce will get soggy. Only add dressing to as much salad as you think you’ll eat. Store the remaining dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Tex-Mex Caesar Salad with Chipotle Croutons
Equipment
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 head romaine lettuce washed and torn
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup cotija cheese
- 2 tablespoons cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
For the croutons
- 4 cups bread cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Wash the romaine lettuce, tear it into chunks and spin it dry. Pop it in the fridge to keep cool while you make the dressing.
- Add the egg yolks, cilantro, half the cotija cheese, garlic cloves, lime juice, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to a food processor or blender and pulse until well combined.
- Leaving the blender or food processor on medium-high, slowly add the olive oil or avocado oil in a drizzle until the mixture is thick and emulsified.
- Season the dressing with salt and pepper and pop it into the fridge until ready to use.
- Meanwhile, make the croutons. Preheat your oven to 400-F and cut the bread into crouton-sized squares and add them to a large bowl.
- Melt the butter and mix it with the olive oil and chipotle powder. Drizzle 1/3 the butter mixture over the bread cubes, then toss the bread cubes. Drizzle another 1/3 of the butter mixture over the cubes and toss. Repeat with the final butter. Grind some black pepper over the cubes.
- Arrange the bread cubes on a baking tray and bake in a preheated 400-F oven for 5 minutes, then toss them and bake for another 5 minutes or until they are crispy.
- Assemble the salad. Add the washed and torn lettuce to a salad bowl and drizzle over enough dressing to dress the salad as you like it. Toss well.
- Top the salad with the remaining cotija cheese and the chipotle croutons. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- I love dressing up this salad even more with diced avocado, toasted pepitas, and crushed tortilla chips for extra crunch.
- You can prep the lettuce up to a day in advance and store it in an airtight container or bag with a dry paper towel inside.
- The dressing can also be made up to a few days in advance – just shake it or whisk it vigorously to recombine if it separates a bit.
- The croutons are best made and eaten fresh.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.