Tex-Mex Caesar Salad with Chipotle Croutons

4.94 from 44 votes

Tex-Mex Caesar Salad with Chipotle Croutons

Give your tired Caesar salad a flavor makeover with the big and bold flavors of the Southwest! This Tex-Mex Caesar Salad is infused with flavor from lime, cilantro, cotija cheese, and more!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: caesar salad, southwest, tex-mex, tex-mex caesar salad

Servings: servings

Calories: 414kcal

Author: Chef Jenn

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.

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