Cheez-It® Cracker Chicken Caesar Salad

By Leslie Blythe Cheese, Chicken, Salad, Salad Dressing Assembling, Frying

August 18, 2025

My friend Chef Sara Tane (I hope she remembers me when she has her own Food Network show!) is responsible for this out of this world recipe. She has developed several recipes for Cheez-It crackers. This Cheez-It® Cracker Chicken Caesar Salad is crazy good. I think I will throw all bread crumbs out and use Cheez-Its from now on. I have merged her Caesar salad with her Cheez-It Cobb salad. I have been an enormous fan of these crackers since college. I used to dip them in Kraft Pimento spread. My culinary tastes were born in Indiana in the early '60s.

Yields: 4 - 6 Servings

Ingredients

For the dressing

½ cup mayonnaise

 3 garlic cloves 

1 lemon, zested and juiced

⅓ cup grated Parmesan 

4 anchovy fillets 

Kosher salt, to taste 

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Extra Toasty Cheez-It® Cracker breadcrumbs

2½ cups Cheez-It® Extra Toasty Snack Crackers, finely ground 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 garlic clove, grated

 Kosher salt, to taste

For the Chicken

2 large eggs, whisked

4 cups Cheez-It® crackers, divided

1 pound chicken breast, pounded to ¼-inch thickness

For the salad

1 large head romaine lettuce, shredded 

½ cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish 

1 cup Cheez-It® Extra Toasty Snack Crackers

Directions

Dressing

1In a wide mouth jar with an immersion blender, mix mayonnaise, garlic cloves, lemon zest, lemon juice, anchovies, Parm, and black pepper. Season to taste with salt. Thin to desired consistency with a little bit of water, if needed.

Breadcrumbs

1Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground Cheez- It® crackers and toss to coat in butter. Cook until lightly toasted, 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in grated garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Chicken

1In a shallow bowl, add flour. In a second shallow bowl, add eggs. Crush 2 cups Cheez-It® crackers in a zip top bag and add to a third shallow bowl. Season all three bowls with salt and pepper. Season chicken on all sides with salt.

2Dredge chicken in flour, tapping off any excess, then dredge through egg wash, and finally coat in Cheez-It® cracker crumbs.

3Heat ½ inch oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add breaded cutlets, 2 at a time, and cook until breading is golden brown and chicken is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel lined sheet pan and repeat with remaining cutlets.

Assemble

1In a large bowl, toss romaine, Parmesan, breadcrumbs and dressing, Season to taste with salt and pepper, top with sliced chicken cutlets and serve salad with more Extra Toasty Cheez It® crackers.

Recipe developed by Sara Tane for Cheez-It.

Other recipes by Sara I have made:

Whole Lemon Marinated Grilled Chicken and Cabbage

Sage Brown Butter Hasselback Potatoes with Boursin Chive Sour Cream

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