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Chicken Caesar Smash Tacos

If Caesar salad and taco night had a love child, this would be it. These Chicken Caesar Smash Tacos hit all the cravings at once: crispy tortillas griddled with juicy chicken, cool romaine tossed in creamy Caesar, and crunchy croutons for the win. It’s warm-meets-cool, savory-meets-fresh, and somehow even my picky eaters (the ones who usually think black pepper is “too much”) devoured them without hesitation. Anchovy paste or Worcestershire brings that classic Caesar umami, but if you keep it a secret, no one will ever know — they’ll just wonder why it tastes so good.
Print Recipe
Chicken Caesar Smash Tacos
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:10 minutes
Total Time:20 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken Tacos:

  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper divided
  • 6 small flour tortillas

Caesar Salad Dressing:

  • 2-4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

  • 1 Head Romaine Lettuce
  • Slightly crushed up croutons
  • Shaved Parmesan If desired
  • Optional: extra shaved Parmesan lemon wedges, anchovy fillets

Instructions

  • Make the Caesar salad dressing. Combine all dressing ingredients and mix. Cover and refrigerate until ready.
  • Make the Caesar Chicken Mix: In a bowl, combine the ground chicken and other filling ingredients. Mix until just combined—don’t overwork it.
  • Form Patties Divide the chicken mixture into equal balls. (Mine only made about 5-6 tacos. So double if you need more.)
  • Smash & Cook: Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Lightly oil the surface. Place a tortilla down, then top with a chicken ball. Use a spatula or burger press to smash the chicken flat into the tortilla. (I skipped this and smashed it onto the taco first - either way works.) Cook 3–4 minutes per side until golden, crispy, and cooked through.
  • Toss the Romaine In a bowl, add crushed croutons and toss the chopped romaine with the Caesar dressing until lightly coated.
  • Assemble Tacos: Top each chicken smash taco with a pile of Caesar-dressed romaine. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
  • Serve & Crunch: Serve immediately while the tortillas are crisp and the lettuce is cold and crunchy.
Servings: 3