This Mexican Caesar Salad recipe is made with a lighter Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing, lots of my favorite Mexi ingredients, and it tastes so fresh and flavorful and delicious!
Look out, world. My favorite kind of food just met my favorite kind of salad.
And the result is a mega-delicious win-win. ??
Seriously, this recipe is everything I love about a rich and creamy Caesar salad…but kicked up a notch with lots of my favorite Mexi ingredients (think: creamy avocado, crunchy pepitas, salty tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, zesty cotija, y más)…and then lightened up a notch with lots and lots of fresh kale and a lighter Caesar dressing (featuring lots of Greek yogurt and fresh lime juice).
So basically, you have every excuse in the book to go back for seconds, right?!
Seriously, I have no idea how it took me so long to consider this favorite food mash-up, but thank goodness it finally happened.
To make the salad, simply combine all of your salad ingredients in one big bowl:
- lots of fresh kale and Romaine lettuce (I recommend dinosaur/Lacinato kale)
- fresh cilantro
- crispy tortilla strips (I made my own, but you can use store-bought)
- toasted pepitas
- sliced avocado
Then all of that gets drizzled with my favorite Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing (<– which I recommend making with lime instead of lemon juice for this recipe, as part of the Mexi twist). Delish.
Give it all a good toss until everything’s nice and coated with that heavenly dressing…
…then sprinkle with cotija or queso fresco…
…and voila! In just 20 minutes or so, this fabulous salad will be ready to serve and enjoy. It’s awesome as a main dish or a side dish. And if you’d like to add in some grilled chicken or shrimp or steak, go for it!
Enjoy, everyone!
Mexican Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 5-6 cups roughly-chopped dinosaur (lacinato) kale leaves, tough stems removed
- 4 cups roughly-chopped Romaine lettuce
- 1 cup fried tortilla strips, homemade* or storebought
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/3 cup toasted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
- 1 batch Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing (which I recommend making with lime juice, instead of lemon juice, for this recipe)
- crumbled cotija cheese or queso fresco
Instructions
- Combine kale, Romaine, tortilla strips, cilantro, pepitas, and avocado in a large mixing bowl.
- Drizzle evenly with the Caesar dressing, and toss to combine.
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with crumbled cotija or queso fresco.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
This Mexican salad has an amazing flavor! I put it in my favorite cookbook.
Thanks, Carl, we’re glad you enjoyed it!
They make a salad like this at a restaurant El Torito and I love it! Can’t wait to try to make it!
Delicious and we call it Salazar Salad (after Emiliano Zapata Salazar) to make it more Mexican. :)
Love your recipes, this one is a big hit with my family!
Thanks, Megan, we’re so happy you and your family enjoy it! :)
Oh hey, just me fawning over another one of your salads. Kinda sorta obsessed with this one. Always looking for a lighter side for taco night, and this would be PERFECT!
Thank you, Karly, we’re so glad you like the recipe — we hope you can give it a try sometime soon! :)
This was a great weeknight dinner. I added some grilled chicken with Mexican spices to it and it turned out perfectly. The salad dressing was so incredibly easy to make. I will never buy Caesar dressing again!
thank you!
Thank you, Josalynn — we’re so happy you enjoyed it!
This recipe combines one of my favorite cuisines with one of my favorite salads. Yet I have mixed feelings about it. I’m married to a Caesar salad purist, who doesn’t care much for avocados, and I’ve sort of become of the same mind about Caesar Salads (I do like the avocados). I’m going to save the recipe and perhaps try it out on my husband. He needs to be shook up every now and then… ?
Call it something else! Caesar salad brings a pre-conceived notion.
We hope you guys will give it a try, Susan! Definitely let us know what you think! :)
All of my favorite things in salad form. That dressing is killer!!
Thanks, Lindsay! We hope you enjoy!
So creative, I love it!! I’ll definitely have to try the lime juice spin on Caesar dressing (I make it with Greek yogurt, too!) Thanks for the recipe! ?
-MAK
Thank you, Margaret! We hope you enjoy this as much as we do!
caesar salad will forever remind me off my grandpa who loved to make his own dressing, thankfully no anchovies but it definitely wasn’t light ha ha
Homemade Caesar dressing is the best! :) We hope you enjoy this one, Kelli!
While I am printing out this recipe, the Asian Noodle Slaw recipe is made in the fridge for my oldest to take to work for her lunch and to share with co-workers. Plus a bit saved for me. Thanks for all you do. Every recipe I try of yours is fantastic. You are the first site I recommend to someone looking to try new recipes!
Thank you for your kind words, Judy! We’re so happy you enjoy the Asian Noodle Slaw, and we hope you enjoy this salad as well! :)