Mexican Caesar Salad

This delicious, addictive Mexican-inspired Caesar salad is tossed in a spicy cilantro-lime dressing and loaded with garden tomatoes, creamy avocado, salty cotija cheese, and crunchy pepitas & tortilla strips.

I’ve been craving a Mexican Caesar salad, which I enjoyed years ago at a restaurant called El Torito. It was a simple salad of crisp romaine lettuce tossed in a creamy cilantro dressing, topped with toasted pepitas, crispy tortilla strips, and tons of cotija cheese. After seeing something similar on Platings and Pairings, I decided to make my own version, but with a spicier dressing and some extra veggies. The salad was a big hit with my daughter, son, and me, and it disappeared quickly. This Mexican-style Caesar salad pairs nicely with citrus-garlic steak and garlic roasted tomatoes.

Mexican Caesar Salad

Spicy Cilantro-Lime Dressing:

• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• ½-1 jalapeño, seeded, chopped, to taste depending on how spicy you want it
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ Greek yogurt
• Juice of 1-2 limes, to taste
• 1 large clove of garlic, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Crispy Tortilla Strips:

• 2-3 tbsp vegetable or avocado oil
• 5 corn street taco tortillas (or 2-3 normal-sized), sliced thinly
• Sea salt, to taste

Salad:

• 5 cups of romaine hearts, coarsely chopped
• A handful of garden cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes), halved
• 1 avocado, peeled, sliced thinly
• 3 tbsp pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted
• 3 tbsp cotija cheese, grated
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

How to Make a Mexican Caesar Salad:

Prepare the dressing by combining the cilantro, jalapeño, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lime juice, garlic, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste in a blender. Blend, scraping down the sides, until creamy. Taste and re-season as needed. Set aside to let the flavors mingle.

Make the crispy tortilla strips by adding the oil to a small skillet.  Heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot, about 7-10 minutes. Test the oil by placing the tip of a corn tortilla into it; if it bubbles, it’s ready.

Slice the corn tortillas into thin strips.

When the oil is HOT, carefully add tortilla strips to the hot oil, without overcrowding the skillet. Using tongs, stir them until crispy and lightly golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the strips from the oil and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate. Immediately season with some sea salt. Repeat the process with the remaining strips. Set aside until needed.

Make the salad by placing the romaine lettuce in a large bowl. Drizzle some of the well-whisked dressing (to taste) over it and toss to coat evenly.

Pour the dressed romaine lettuce onto a serving plate and top with tomatoes, avocado slices, toasted pepitas, cotija cheese, cilantro, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Serve immediately with dressing on the side.