Chicken Caesar Smash Tacos
On Saturday I was in the middle of a busy day running errands and realized I hadn’t eaten lunch yet. I had ground chicken in the fridge and decided to throw together these Chicken Caesar Smash Tacos situation, and honestly it ended up being such a good quick meal.
Start to finish it took about 15 minutes, which is exactly the kind of lunch I need on days when I’m running around.
If you saw the Chicken Parm Smash Tacos I shared recently, this is the same basic idea. That recipe is actually what inspired me to keep trying different versions because the smash taco method is just really simple and works well.
The chicken gets pressed onto the tortilla, then before it goes into the pan I dip the chicken side into breadcrumbs. When it cooks, the chicken gets crispy and the tortilla lightly toasts at the same time.
For the topping I kept it simple and went with a Caesar salad. Just chopped romaine tossed in dressing, freshly grated parmesan, lots of cracked black pepper, and some quick homemade croutons.
If you have the time, my homemade Caesar dressing is really good here.
And the croutons are worth the extra minute — I just cube up a slice of sourdough and toast it in the same pan after the tacos are done cooking so they pick up all the leftover crispy bits.
It’s a super simple lunch, but the crispy chicken taco with the fresh Caesar salad on top is such a good combo.
Ingredients
Smash Tacos
- 1 lb ground chicken
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Paprika
- 4 small flour tortillas
- ½–¾ cup breadcrumbs
- 1–2 tablespoons neutral oil
Caesar Topping
- 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- Caesar dressing
- Freshly grated parmesan
- Fresh cracked black pepper
Homemade Croutons
- 1 slice sourdough bread
- Garlic salt
Instructions
1. Season the Chicken
Add the ground chicken to a bowl and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix until combined.
2. Assemble the Smash Tacos
Spread about ¼ of the chicken onto each tortilla in a thin, even layer.
(Depending on the size of your tortillas, you may not need quite that much.)
Press the chicken down so it sticks well to the tortilla.
Dip the chicken side of each tortilla into breadcrumbs, lightly coating the surface.
3. Cook the Tacos
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add a little oil.
Place the tortillas chicken side down into the pan and cook for about 4–5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and crispy.
Flip and cook the tortilla side for another 1–2 minutes until lightly toasted.
Remove from the pan.
A stainless steel pan works really well here because it helps the chicken get nice and crispy.
I’ll link the stainless steel pan I use everyday and love here.
4. Make the Croutons
Cut a slice of sourdough into small cubes.
Add them to the same pan after the tacos finish cooking. Sprinkle with garlic salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crispy.
5. Toss the Caesar Salad
In a bowl, toss chopped romaine with Caesar dressing.
6. Assemble the Tacos
Top each taco with:
- Caesar salad
- Freshly grated parmesan
- Homemade croutons
- Fresh cracked black pepper
Serve immediately while the tacos are warm and crispy.
Tips
Don’t spread the chicken too thick
A thin layer helps it cook faster and crisp up better.
Fresh parmesan makes a big difference
Grating it yourself melts slightly into the warm taco.
Use the same pan for the croutons
They soak up all the crispy bits left behind from the tacos.
Chicken Caesar Smash Tacos
Ingredients
Smash Tacos
- 1 lb ground chicken
- salt, pepper, and paprika
- 4 flour tortillas
- ½-¾ cup breadcrumps
- 1/2 cup neutral frying oil
Caesar Topping
- 2 cup romaine chopped
- caesar dressing
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
- freshly cracked black pepper
Homemade Croutons
- 1 slice sourdough bread cubed
- garlic salt
Instructions
- Season ground chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Spread about ¼ of the chicken onto each tortilla in a thin layer.
- Dip the chicken side of each tortilla into breadcrumbs.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Place tortillas chicken side down and cook 4–5 minutes until chicken is cooked and crispy.
- Flip and cook tortilla side 1–2 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from pan.
- Once you've finished cooking your tacos, add cubed sourdough to the same pan, sprinkle with garlic salt, and cook until crispy (add more oil if needed here)
- Toss romaine with Caesar dressing.
- Top tacos with Caesar salad mixture, freshly grated parmesan, warm croutons, and cracked black pepper. Drizzle with more Caesar dressing if desired, and enjoy!