A zesty twist on classic Caesar – this Mexican Caesar Salad will become a new favorite in no time! It’s made with crisp romaine, creamy avocado & crumbled cotija cheese all tossed in a zesty traditional-style Caesar dressing that’s jazzed up with cilantro and lime. Top it with crunchy tortilla strips for a flavor fiesta!
For those that are new here – my husband loves Caesar salad. Like – LOVES it. I’m sure if he had it his way, we’d be eating it every single week for the forseeable future… And while I’m a true salad girl at heart, I don’t think I could stomach having the exact. same. salad. every single week.😂 So in the attempt to not get “Caesar’d out”, we’ve added this Mexican-inspired variation to our dinner rotation.
What is a Mexican Caesar salad you ask? It’s a little like traditional Caesar salad just with a few twists. For starters, it’s made with a zesty cilantro-lime Caesar dressing that uses traditional ingredients along with the addition of fresh cilantro and lime juice for some tang. It’s also loaded with creamy avocado and garnished with crumbly cotija cheese + the BEST homemade tortilla strips for that much needed crunch.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Romaine: Romaine is a sturdy type of lettuce that makes a great base for caesar salad.
Cotija cheese: A salty crumbly cheese that adds an insane amount of flavor! (It’s usually found in the dairy section at most grocery stores.) Parmesan or feta cheese can be used as a replacement.
Avocado: I love adding avocado to Caesar salad! It makes the salad even creamier and goes with our Mexican theme.😉
Tortilla strips: We’re using these in place of croutons to add a little crunch. (Use your favorite store bought tortilla strips or try my homemade version!)
Olive oil: I’d suggest using a mild tasting olive oil so it won’t over power the other ingredients. (We love using Bertolli’s Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil for ours.)
Egg: This recipe uses a traditional-style Caesar dressing which calls for coddling the egg. (Coddling means to gently boil the egg until most of the egg whites are cooked through – it’s super easy, I promise!) However, you can replace the egg with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise if you prefer.)
Anchovies: An essential ingredient for Caesar salad dressing. (DON’T skip them!) Use flat anchovies in olive oil and salt for the best results.
Milk: Any type of milk works! You’ll only need 2 tablespoons to make the dressing rich and creamy.
Garlic: You’ll need 2 large garlic cloves. (No need to mince them – just throw them right into the blender!)
Lime juice: We’re replacing lemon juice found in traditional Caesar with a ⅓ cup of lime juice.
Cilantro: Use the leaves and stems for maximum flavor! You’ll be adding cilantro to the dressing along with chopping some up for the salad itself.
Worcestershire sauce: You’ll need a ½ teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce for the dressing.
Seasonings: Dried mustard and black pepper are needed to season your dressing.
How to Make a Mexican Caesar Salad
1. Make the dressing. Add the olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, anchovies, garlic, milk, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper and coddled egg to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the lime juice, if needed. (Sometimes we’ll add an extra squeeze of lime.) Cover and refrigerate once done.
2. Assemble and serve. Add the chopped romaine, crumbled cotija cheese, diced avocado and cilantro to a large bowl and toss in your desired amount of dressing. Serve each bowl garnished with tortilla strips and extra lime wedges on the side.
This recipe makes A LOT of dressing, which is why we love serving it for a crowd. If you’re looking for a fun salad to serve this summer – I highly recommend this one. It’d be perfect for Memorial Day, the 4th of July or any backyard bbq. It’s the perfect summer salad!
Coddling the Egg
This step is essential to any traditional-style Caesar salad dressing. Why is it so important? The egg helps emulsify (or bind together) the dressing ingredients creating a velety smooth and creamy dressing. (That might sound intimidating but I promise – it’s so SO easy!) We follow these step-by-step instructions and it turns out perfectly every time!
- Step 1: Bring a small pot of water to a boil on the stove.
- Step 2: Once boiling, use a spoon to lower the egg into the water. Immediately set a timer for 2½ minutes and continuously stir the egg the entire time.
- Step 3: Once done, remove the egg from the pot and run it under cold water.
- Step 4: Use the spoon to gently crack the egg in half horizontally and pour the yolk and raw egg whites into a small bowl. Use the spoon to scrape out the cooked egg whites attached to the inside the shell and add them to the bowl with the yolk.
- Step 5: Add the entire egg (yolk, raw egg whites & cooked egg whites) to the blender with the rest of your dressing ingredients.
As mentioned before, you can always skip this step if you prefer – simply replace the egg with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise.
Homemade Tortilla Strips
Caesar salads are one of the easiest (and most basic) salads to make in my opinion, so I’m always looking for ways to jazz them up a bit. Adding my homemade tortilla strips is one of my favorites! They’re crunchy, salty and are a fun replacement for croutons!
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut 3 corn tortillas in half then cut each half into strips.
3. Place the tortilla strips on the prepared pan and spray with your favorite cooking spray. Toss until they’re fully coated then arrange them in a single layer on the pan. Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the strips.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, then check and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until they’re golden. (Sometimes I’ll turn my oven down to 350 degrees during the last 5-10 minutes.) These can burn pretty quickly so I’d recommend continuously checking them after the firsst 10 mintues.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and let the tortilla strips cool completely before adding them to your salad.
Serving Suggestions
This salad would be a fantastic side dish to serve with your favorite Mexican-inspired main dish. OR turn it into the main character by adding your favorite protein instead. We love topping ours with grilled steak or tri tip! Grilled chicken or shrimp would also be a delicious option.
Why you’ll love this Mexican Caesar Salad recipe!
- A different take on Caesar salad! This is a great option if you’re looking to switch up your dinner salad routine. With a few simple swaps you’ve created something entirely new & delicious!
- A mostly “make-ahead” meal! The Caesar dressing & salad compnents (minus the avocado) can easily be prepped the night before. Toss it all together once you’re ready to eat!
- Perfect for serving a crowd! This recipe make a lot of dressing! You can easily double or triple the salad ingredients to make it for a large group.
More salad recipes you might like:
- Southwest Chopped Chicken Salad with Creamy Chipotle Dressing
- Honey Mustard Chicken Cobb Salad
- Caesar Salad with Homemade Caesar Dressing
- Fall Harvest Cobb Salad with Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette
[Made one of my recipes? Tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments – I love seeing what you create!]
Fiesta Mexican Caesar Salad with Cilantro-Lime Caesar Dressing
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1-2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
- ⅓ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 1-2 large avocados, diced
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, (plus more if desired)
- Tortilla strips (See Notes section for my homemade tortilla strips recipe)
For the cilantro-lime Caesar dressing:
- 1 cup olive oil*
- 1 egg**
- ⅓ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup cilantro (leaves & stems are ok)
- 6 anchovy fillets (packed in oil), drained
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Coddle the egg. Bring a small pot of water to a boil on the stove.Once boiling, use a spoon to lower the egg into the water. Immediately set a timer for 2½ minutes and continuously stir the egg the entire time.Once done, remove the egg from the pot and run it under cold water.Use the spoon to gently crack the egg in half horizontally and pour the yolk and raw egg whites into a small bowl. Use the spoon to scrape out the cooked egg whites attached to the inside the shell and add them to the bowl with the yolk.Add the entire egg (yolk, raw egg whites & cooked egg whites) to the blender with the rest of your dressing ingredients.
- Make the dressing. Add the olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, anchovies, garlic, milk, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper and coddled egg to a blender and blend until smooth.Taste and adjust the lime juice, if needed. (Sometimes we’ll add an extra squeeze of lime.) Cover and refrigerate once done.
- Toss & serve. Add the chopped romaine, avocado, cilantro and cotija cheese to a large bowl. Pour your desired amount of dressing over the top and toss until the salad is coated to your liking. Garnish each bowl with tortilla strips and serve with extra lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- Step 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 2. Cut 3 corn tortillas in half then cut each half into strips.
- Step 3. Place the tortilla strips on the prepared pan and spray with your favorite cooking spray. Toss until they’re fully coated then arrange them in a single layer on the pan. Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the strips.
- Step 4. Bake for 10 minutes, then check and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until they’re golden. (Sometimes I’ll turn my oven down to 350 degrees during the last 5-10 minutes.) These can burn pretty quickly so I’d recommend continuously checking them after the firsst 10 mintues.
- Step 5. Remove the pan from the oven and let the tortilla strips cool completely before adding them to your salad.
