Bacon makes everything better and the same is true for this Bacon Caesar Salad! A light and flavorful caesar salad is topped with a homemade caesar salad dressing made without anchovies then topped with crispy beef bacon bits. It’s smoky, flavor-packed and totally delicious!
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Why This Recipe is So Good
- Bacon Bacon Bacon! This Caesar salad is topped with crispy bacon. It adds smoky and salty deliciousness that you won’t be able to get enough of!
- It’s easy to meal prep. While the bacon is baking, the dressing comes together really easily in a mixing bowl in 10 minutes. From start to finish, you’ll have an incredible side salad that is ready to enjoy in under 30 minutes. The salad dressing keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week, so make extra so you’ll have it on hand for quick lunches throughout the week.
Bacon Caesar Salad Ingredients
- Bacon – I used beef bacon from this brand. It’s a great pork bacon alternative and unlike turkey bacon, beef bacon crisps up just like pork bacon. It’s fatty and crispy with a bold, beefy meaty flavor.
- Lettuce – 1 large head of romaine lettuce or 2 small heads of romaine lettuce rinsed and chopped.
- Caesar salad dressing – You can use your favorite store-bought dressing but homemade truly has the best flavor! It takes 10 minutes to make using mayo, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- Croutons – Make homemade croutons out of leftover Rosemary Sourdough Bread or Challah Bread or use your favorite store-bought croutons.
- Optional add-ins – Chopped tomatoes, sliced red onions and extra parmesan cheese.
How to Make Bacon Caesar Salad
All ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Cooking the bacon
- Oven instructions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil, lay strips of bacon side by side onto the sheet pan. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes(keep an eye on it because some ovens run hotter than others) or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Air fryer instructions: Lay strips of bacon in the air fryer basket. Air fry at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes depending on your desired level of crispiness. Use a pair of tongs to transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Make the Caesar salad dressing – While the bacon is cooking, make the salad dressing, if not using store-bought.
- In a small mixing bowl, add minced garlic and salt. Use a spoon to mash the salt and garlic together until it is a paste. Next, whisk in Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and mayo until combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking, then whisk in the parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- Assembling and serving – In a serving bowl, toss together chopped romaine lettuce and a few tablespoons of the Caesar salad dressing. Top with chopped vegetables, if using, croutons, grated parmesan cheese then finally crumble the bacon over top.
Looking For More Recipes?
- Tuna Caesar Salad
- Smoked Salmon Caesar Salad
- Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad
- Caesar Salad Dressing Made without Anchovies
- Spinach Artichoke Alfredo Pasta
- 4-Ingredient Macaroni Salad
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Bacon Caesar Salad
Bacon makes everything better and the same is true for this Bacon Caesar Salad! A light and flavorful caesar salad is topped with a homemade caesar salad dressing made without anchovies then topped with crispy beef bacon bits. It’s smoky, flavor-packed and totally delicious!
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Servings: 4 servings as a side dish
Calories: 316kcal
Cost: $10
Equipment
- Sheet pan lined with aluminum foil
- Chef knife
Ingredients
- 8 ounces beef bacon 6 – 8 slices
- 1 large head of romaine lettuce rinsed and chopped, or 2 small heads of lettuce
- 1 Tomato diced
- ½ cucumber chopped or sliced
- ¼ – ½ cup Croutons store-bought or homemade
Caesar salad dressing
- 1 – 2 garlic cloves minced
- ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup mayo
- ⅛ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated, plus more for serving
Instructions
Cooking the bacon
- Oven instructions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil, lay strips of bacon side by side onto the sheet pan. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes(keep an eye on it because some ovens run hotter than others) or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
Make the Caesar salad dressing
- While the bacon is cooking, make the salad dressing, if not using store-bought.
- In a small mixing bowl, add minced garlic and salt. Use a spoon to mash the salt and garlic together until it is a paste. Next, whisk in Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and mayo until combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking, then whisk in the parmesan cheese. Set aside.
Assembling and serving
- In a serving bowl, toss together chopped romaine lettuce and a few tablespoons of the Caesar salad dressing. Top with chopped vegetables, if using, croutons, grated parmesan cheese then finally crumble the bacon over top.
Notes
How To Store/ Make Ahead
- Store Caesar salad dressing for up to 1 week in an air-tight container.
- Cooked bacon lasts 4 – 5 days in the fridge. Reheat before adding to the salad so it will be crispy again.
- Add dressing right before serving to prevent soggy lettuce.
Tips and Tricks
- Bacon – I used beef bacon, it’s a great pork alternative and it tastes sooo much better than turkey bacon. This is the brand of beef bacon we love to use.
- Optional add-ins: Thinly sliced red onions, chopped or sliced cherry/ grape or Roma tomatoes, croutons sliced avocado, or chopped cucumbers.
- Make it egg-free – Use a vegan mayonnaise.
- Make it dairy-free – Use vegan parmesan cheese or simply leave it out.
- Garlic – Don’t substitute with granulated garlic or garlic powder the flavor won’t be the same. You really want the strong garlicky flavor from fresh garlic since this is an anchovy-free Caesar salad dressing recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 484mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 946IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 1mg
All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.
