Finally, a gluten and dairy free meal prep option you can actually enjoy. Chicken Caesar salad jars take just a small amount of time on the weekend so you can enjoy them all week long!
Today’s just been one of those days. And it’s only noon.
Your middle child was running to the bus stop and tripped and got a big gash in his leg so you had to tend to that.
You’ve been cleaning up dog poop nonstop because your kids really wanted a puppy and you thought it would be fun until you realized it’s not.
Oh, and you’ve been on the phone for half the morning waiting to get through to a real person so you can get your insurance claim properly filed.
Now you’re hungry and you’re thinking of grabbing something quick from the closest fast food joint to your house.
Now wait just a minute there, Missy. Did you forget you spent some time the other day making easy lunches for the week?
Go check. You will be so delighted when you open your fridge.
See?! You have these delicious chicken caesar salad jars calling your name. No need to leave your house or charge your card. Just dump and eat!
Bonus? They’re dairy-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free!!
How to Make Chicken Caesar Salad Jars
I know you’ve got a crazy, hectic life. So schedule the time to get these jars in your fridge. Get the ingredients when you go shopping this week and just do it!
The ingredient list for these mason jar salads is wholesome and relatively short. You might have almost everything on hand. If not, everything is pretty easy to find at most grocery stores.
You’ll need:
- Romaine lettuce
- Chickpeas
- Parmesan cheese substitute (nutritional yeast, cashews, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt)
- Chicken breast, cooked and diced
- Mayo
- Lemon juice
- Fish sauce (or anchovy paste or coconut aminos)
- Garlic, minced
- Dijon mustard
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Onion powder
You’re also going to need 4 pint-sized mason jars. You could also use quart-sized mason jars, but you’ll need to double the recipe to get 4 of them.
Picture Instructions for Making Chicken Caesar Mason Jar Salad
The first thing you’ll want to do is make the dairy-free parmesan cheese and roasted chickpeas (gluten-free substitute for the croutons).
To make the dairy-free parmesan, add ½ cup of raw unsalted cashews, 1 ½ Tablespoons nutritional yeast, ⅓ tsp coarse salt, ⅛ tsp garlic powder, and a dash of onion powder to a food processor or blender.
Pulse until it’s a crumbly texture.
To make the roasted chickpeas, drain 1 can of chickpeas. Pat dry with a towel and lay out on a baking sheet. Add 1 Tablespoon of cooking oil and a pinch of salt to the chickpeas. Stir and make sure to get them in an even layer before putting them into the oven. Roast for 20 minutes at 400F.
Now you should wash and tear up your romaine lettuce. Let it dry on a towel while working on the next steps. Or you can use a salad spinner to get the lettuce dry.
It’s time to make the dressing. To a pint sized jar, add the mayo, lemon juice, fish sauce, garlic, Dijon mustard, sea salt, black pepper, and onion powder. Put the lid on and shake. Set aside.
As long as the chicken is cooked and diced, you can move onto assembling these salad jars.
Put 2-3 Tablespoons of dressing in the bottom of each pint-sized mason jar. On top of that, add ½ cup chicken, 1-2 tsp dairy-free parmesan cheese, 2-3 Tablespoons roasted chickpeas, and about a cup of romaine lettuce.
Top each jar with a lid and put them away in the fridge for days like today when you really can’t add anything else to your plate.
Frequently Asked Questions About Making Chicken Caesar Salad Jars
Do I have to use chicken?
Hey, it’s your kitchen, you decide what you put in the salads you eat.
That being said, I have only tested this salad recipe with chicken, so I couldn’t tell you if it tastes good without it.
If you don’t have chicken or don’t like it, go ahead and substitute another protein in its place. You may need to rearrange when you put your protein in the jar depending on what it is, however.
Are these more convenient than picking up a salad kit from the grocery store last minute?
If you go through the trouble of making them ahead of them, then I believe they are way more convenient than a salad kit. You don’t have to leave your house to get it!
I used to buy salad kits a lot, but I steer clear of them these days because I refuse to eat or feed my family store-bought salad dressing anymore (too many seed oils and sugar).
How much time does it take to make these salad jars?
By my estimations, it will take anywhere from 30-45 minutes to get these salad jars packed and in your fridge. If you are starting with raw chicken, it will take a bit longer. If most of your ingredients are already prepped, though, you can expect it to take about 30 minutes give or take a few minutes.
Could I use parmesan cheese if I don’t need it to be dairy free?
Absolutely!
Would my kids eat this salad?
I have no idea what your kids will eat. My kids were not a huge fan of the chickpeas. Most of my kids really enjoy these chicken and spinach salad jars over this particular salad jar.
How long do these salad jars last in the fridge?
If you are using chicken that is freshly cooked, these jars will last for 3-4 days in the fridge. If, however, you are using leftover chicken from a day or two ago, you may only want to leave these in the fridge for a day or two.
What else could I eat with this salad?
You may find that you can fill up on just the salad. But, if it’s not enough, you can eat this salad with a variety of foods. We like quesadillas, roasted veggies, a fruit, or a smoothie.
Chicken Caesar Salad Jars
Ingredients
- 2 hearts of romaine washed and torn into smaller pieces
- 2 cups chicken grilled and diced
Crispy Chickpeas
- 1 can chickpeas about 1 1/2 cups
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- pinch sea salt or to taste
Dairy-Free Parmesan
- 1/2 cup raw cashews unsalted
- 1 1/2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/3 tsp coarse salt
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- dash onion powder
Caesar Salad Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp fish sauce or 1 Tbsp anchovy paste or coconut aminos
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
Instructions
Crispy Chickpeas
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Drain chickpeas. Pat dry with a towel and lay out on a baking sheet. Add avocado oil and a pinch of salt to the chickpeas. Stir and make sure to get them in an even layer before putting them into the oven. Roast for 20 minutes at 400F.
Dairy-Free Parmesan
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To a food processor or blender, add raw unsalted cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Pulse until it's a crumbly texture.
Caesar Salad Dressing
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To a glass jar, add mayo, lemon juice, fish sauce, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, sea salt, black pepper, and onion powder. Put the lid on tight and shake. Set it aside.
Chicken Caesar Salad Jars
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Set out 4 pint-sized mason jars.
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To each jar add 2-3 Tablespoons of the dressing.
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On top of the dressing, add the ingredients in this order: ½ cup chicken, 1-2 tsp dairy-free parmesan cheese, 2-3 Tablespoons roasted chickpeas, and about a cup of romaine lettuce.
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Put the lids on the jars and place them in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
Makes 4 1-serving jars.
Use within 3-4 days.
Recipe for dairy-free parmesan from Make It Dairy Free.
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