Gordon Ramsay's Clever Upgrade For The Best Chicken Caesar Salad

From his perfect scrambled eggs to his signature Beef Wellington, Gordon Ramsay knows how to perfectly layer and balance flavors to create unforgettable meals. While he's known on TV for his temper, he's known in the home kitchen and professional culinary worlds alike for his easy-to-implement cooking tips. Ramsay loves a solid Caesar salad, and he's got plenty of tricks up his sleeve to create the perfect refreshing, savory version of the dish. 

In a YouTube video on how to create a delicious Caesar salad using homemade ingredients, Ramsay shared his go-to method for juicy, tender chicken. Instead of simply tossing hot grilled chicken on top of the salad, Ramsay adds extra flavor immediately after chicken is removed from heat. He coats the chicken in dressing as it rests on the cutting board, infusing the umami flavors of his homemade Caesar dressing into each bite before it touches the salad. 

Pro tip: Ramsay doesn't actually place the chicken on the salad itself, as doing so can result in a wilted, warm, less-crunchy salad. Instead, he serves the chicken on the side, allowing each diner to use the amount that they'd like, either by enjoying the chicken one bite at a time or topping their salad with it as it cools off.

How exactly does Gordon Ramsay make his signature Caesar dressing? It's simple: He gets back to basics by starting with a homemade mayo. Eggs, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, anchovies, grated Parmesan, lemon juice, and crushed garlic come together to create a super-savory dressing (fun fact: The original recipe for Caesar dressing did not contain anchovies). Ramsay says that it's key to whisk — not stir — the dressing, and that it should thicken to the point where it drips through the whisk. You'll likely find that once you make the switch to homemade Caesar dressing, you'll never go back to store-bought — it's so much better when you use fresh ingredients.

In addition to placing Caesar dressing directly on chicken as it cools, Ramsay recommends hitting the chicken with another few spoonfuls of the good stuff after you slice it. He starts by placing a generous amount of Caesar dressing on the bottom of the plate that will hold the chicken, and then adds even more to the top of the chicken to ensure that it's fully coated in rich, anchovy-mayo-lemon infused flavor.