crispy shrimp caesar salad
Caesar Ho is on your computer screen, yo.
Big fat salads are my forte right now, what with all of the summery produce begging to be used up before the autumn winds blow in from the north. Or whatever direction from whence they come. This Crispy Shrimp Caesar Salad is more traditional than some I’ve shared of late, like the Garden Peach Chickpea Quinoa fixture from the other week, but still no less bright and fresh for these summer armpit August days.
No one at your table, unless they’re a ranch dressing enthusiast or just totally stabbed Caesar, will resist or refuse this Caesar riff. Homemade breadcrumbs and crunchy seasoned shrimp highlight a crisp romaine base and the ever-addicting tahini parmesan dressing, a staple in my condiment arsenal.
Where can you go wrong? Only if you don’t make it this week. Let’s go.
Bread-crumb
First off, I’ll key you in on the fact that you can definitely slash your cook time by baking the shrimps and the breadcrumbs in the same cycle. Separate baking pans are a must to prevent crowding, but they can share the oven.
For the crumbs, I used a loaf of ciabatta I had for longer than a day, which is preferable to fresh bread since it will dry out and crisp up much better. I tear up the pieces, then toss with an easy mix of olive oil (plenty of it, think 3-4 tablespoons), dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Lay the crumbs out on a baking sheet.
Nothing Shrimpy About This Salad
Except the shrimp itself. If it weren’t shrimpy, I’d be worried.
I prefer large or extra large shrimp for this project. They hold more dredge and, so long as you dry them really well, become crunchy much more easily than smaller versions. After thawing the shrimp, I drain them well in a colander, then lay the shrimps on a plate lined with paper towels and drape an extra paper towel overtop. Let them sit while you prep the breadcrumbs, and the dressing if you’d like, or while the oven preheats.
When the shrimps are nice and dry, throw them in a ziptop bag with a couple whisked eggs. Coat them throughly. Then, whisk together panko breadcrumbs, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt. Working two or three shrimp at a time, dredge all sides in the breadcrumb mix, shake excess, and set on a parchment lined baking sheet that’s been greased well with oil. When you’re all done with each shrimp, spray the tops with oil.
Bake the shrimp 10-12 minutes at 450, turning once halfway through. If you have room in the oven and can keep an eye on both, do the breadcrumbs at the same time for about 8-10 minutes, tossing them halfway through. If this stresses you out, no sweat, just work one sheetpan at a time.
This last step is optional, but I love tossing the hot shrimp in a bit of honey and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Sweet and spicy is the shit, yo. Try it out!
A-dressing the Empire
The dressing is super easy. My secret to the dopest Caesar dressing is tahini. It adds a rich Mediterranean flare to the salad.
You can definitely mince up the garlic by hand and stir the dressing components together in a bowl or jar, but I like to pop it in my food processor and give it a whirl for an extra smooth result. Aside from the tahini, we’re talking garlic, anchovy paste, dijon, fresh parmesan, and Greek yogurt. Nothing fancy pantsy here, but just plain delish.
I keep the Caesarness of the salad pretty authentic, except for the addition of sliced avocado because I cannot salad without avo. If you plan to serve the entire bowl right away, toss chopped romaine, avocado, extra parmesan, and breadcrumbs with a generous few spoonfuls of dressing. Top with shrimp. Set the rest on the table for everyone to help themselves with.
If, however, you want leftovers or meal prep, dish out what you want in that moment and store everything else in separate containers in the fridge, without any dressing. Soggy lettuce is just depressing.
What’s not depressing, though? The idea of salad for dinner. Least, it doesn’t need to be, not when there’s so much awesome involved.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Shrimp me:
Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Feta Pesto
Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Jalapeno Peach Salsa
Chipotle Shrimp Avocado and Mango Rice Bowls
crispy shrimp caesar salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb large or extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup panko-style breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- honey, for drizzling (optional)
- 2 cups day-old ciabatta bread, roughly torn
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 6 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
tahini caesar dressing
- 3/4 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp anchovy paste
- 1/3 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- On a baking sheet, toss the torn bread with olive oil, oregano, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 8-10 minutes, tossing a few times, until golden and crispy. Set aside.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment and grease with oil.
- Add the shrimp and eggs to large ziptop bag. Seal and shake vigorously until thoroughly coated.
- In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, flour, garlic, onion, black pepper, and a big pinch of salt. Dredge the shrimp a few at a time through the breadcrumb mixture, coating all sides evenly. Shake off excess and set the shrimp on the baking sheet with no overlap. Spray generously with oil.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning once halfway through, until golden and crisp. Drizzle the hot shrimp with honey, if desired. Trust me, it's gooooooOOOD.
- In a bowl or jar, combine the Greek yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, dijon, anchovies, parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper. You can also add everything to a food processor and whiz until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, as needed.
- To assemble the salad, fill a large bowl with the chopped romaine. Arrange the avocado, breadcrumbs, and extra parmesan (I did about 1/4 cup more.) Toss with a few spoonfuls of the dressing. Top with the crispy shrimp and serve with the remaining dressing and any breadcrumbs.
