This is the ultimate salad and makes for the perfect lunch or dinner. Treat yourself with my fresh and crispy Air Fried Lemon Pepper Shrimp Caesar Salad with homemade sourdough croutons.
Something a little different
This may be my new favorite salad to make at home – I’ve been on a huge caesar salad kick lately. I’ll often go through phases where I remember how satisfying they are and make them on repeat. Usually I’ll go for the classic grilled chicken to top, however I wanted to try something a little different. When I was trying to figure out what I should try, my Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Shrimp sprung to mind and I just knew they would make the perfect protein topping to my beloved caesar salad, and so this recipe was born! It’s the best of both worlds – healthy (ish) and soooo tasty!
I just love how texturally interesting this dish is with the crispy lemon pepper shrimp, the juicy fresh lettuce, the creamy caesar dressing and the crunch of delicious homemade croutons. I’ve heard it said that perfection isn’t achievable, but a forkful of this salad comes pretty dang close to the perfect bite!
Everything comes together in around 25 – 30 minutes, but this could totally be cut down depending on your preferences. I’ve added some suggestions below for other ways to enjoy my Air Fried Lemon Pepper Shrimp Caesar Salad!
It’s up to you!
My homemade caesar dressing is super quick and easy to throw together. It’s simple and minimal ingredients – minimal effort but maximum yum! I went with no anchovies this time because I find it to be more of a crowd pleaser but feel free to add these back in if you prefer it that way! It should take 2 minutes to throw the sauce together, but you can totally opt for your favorite store bought caesar dressing to make things even easier.
Same goes for croutons – store bought will do just fine, but if you have the extra 10-12 minutes to spare you must try making homemade sourdough croutons. They are super easy to throw together and oh so delicious. I baked mine in the oven since I use my air fryer to make the shrimp for this salad recipe, but air fryer works too!
While this dish works perfectly as a lunch or light dinner, I think it would be great served as an appetizer for dinner guests. I love hosting friends and family and I think that this would be a real crowd pleaser – the homemade elements really help to elevate this dish from the average Caesar Salad, and the lemon pepper shrimp is an unexpected addition that works so well. People love things they haven’t seen before, and for that reason I can see this recipe being a total hit around the dinner table!
What you’ll need:
Caesar Dressing
- 4 tbsp mayo
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1/4 a lemon
- 2 tsp dijon
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp grated parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste
Sourdough Croutons
- 2 cups sourdough bread, cut into cubes
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
Air Fried Lemon Pepper Shrimp
Salad
- 2 heads of romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1/4 cup shaved parmesan
- lemon wedges
Let’s get to it!
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- While the oven is preheating, make the dressing by mixing all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl or jar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Add the cubed sourdough to a baking sheet in a single layer. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then bake for 10-12 minutes.
- While the sourdough croutons are baking, make the air fryer lemon pepper shrimp.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the romaine and shaved parmesan. Add desired amount of caesar dressing (reserve a little for drizzling on top). Toss well.
- Assemble salads by adding dressed lettuce and parmesan to bowls. Top with croutons and lemon pepper shrimp.
- Add a drizzle of dressing on top of the shrimp. Squeeze on some lemon. Enjoy!
FAQs
Salad is a tricky one to store for leftovers so I would recommend eating as much as you can on the first sitting. If you foresee that there will be leftovers, I’d plan ahead to keep some of the components in separate airtight containers before refrigeration – storing the salad with dressing on will result in wilted / soggy leaves which isn’t what we want!
In separate airtight containers, everything should last up to 3 days.
If you don’t like the sound of shrimp, you could totally go for the classic option of chicken with caesar salad. If you want to switch things up a little, you could bread the chicken similar to what we did with the shrimp in this recipe – you can see my Chicken Milanese Greek Salad recipe for directions!
Yes! I love my airfryer so much, sometimes I forget what I did without it… For regular ovens, you can cook the shrimp following exactly the same instructions but lower the oven to around 360′ F and cook for an additional 5 mins per side.
Other recipes you may love:
- Panzanella Burrata Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette
- Chicken Milanese Burrata Salad
- Italian Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
- Chicken Caesar Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
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PrintAir Fried Lemon Pepper Shrimp Caesar Salad
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings
Description
Whether you’re hosting or just looking for a lunchtime treat, this elevated classic is the salad for you! Indulge in my Air Fried Lemon Pepper Shrimp Caesar Salad and see what all the fuss is about.
Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
4 tbsp mayo
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1/4 a lemon
2 tsp dijon
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
Sourdough croutons
2 cups sourdough bread, cut into cubes
1 & 1/2 tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt and pepper
Air Fried Lemon Pepper Shrimp
Click here for the recipe
Salad
2 heads of romaine lettuce, chopped
1/4 cup shaved parmesan
lemon wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- While the oven is preheating, make the dressing by mixing all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl or jar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Add the cubed sourdough to a baking sheet in a single layer. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then bake for 10-12 minutes.
- While the sourdough croutons are baking, make the air fryer lemon pepper shrimp.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the romaine and shaved parmesan. Add desired amount of caesar dressing (reserve a little for drizzling on top). Toss well.
- Assemble salads by adding dressed lettuce and parmesan to bowls. Top with croutons and lemon pepper shrimp.
- Add a drizzle of dressing on top of the shrimp. Squeeze on some lemon. Enjoy!
Notes
Salad is a tricky one to store for leftovers so I would recommend eating as much as you can on the first sitting. If you foresee that there will be leftovers, I’d plan ahead to keep some of the components in separate airtight containers before refrigeration – storing the salad with dressing on will result in wilted / soggy leaves which isn’t what we want! In separate airtight containers, everything should last up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
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