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Home / Recipes / Course / Appetizers / Mexican Caesar Salad

Mexican Caesar Salad

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Author:

Kimber Matherne

Updated:

April 15, 2025

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This Mexican Caesar Salad is a quick, 15 minute, classic side dish with a Mexican twist. It features fresh, crunchy romaine hearts tossed in a creamy, tangy Mexican caesar dressing, then topped with cotija cheese, fried tortilla strips, and roasted pepitas.

side view of a large bowl filled with Mexican Caesar Salad. this Recipe

Table of contents

Toggle
  • Why I LOVE this recipe!
  • Recipe Notes
  • Ingredients + Substitutions
  • Recipe Variations
  • Recipe Step by Step
  • Recipe Tips
  • Recipe Short Cuts
  • What to Serve with Mexican Caesar Salad
  • Mexican Caesar Salad Leftovers
  • Recipe FAQ’s
  • More EASY Salad Recipes
  • Mexican Caesar Salad Recipe

I love a fresh side salad to round out any meal. So, naturally, I needed a good side salad for Mexican night!

This Mexican Caesar Salad is my go-to! It’s so quick and simple to make, packed full of delicious ingredients, and perfect served as a side or even as the main course.

Why I LOVE this recipe!

  • Quick to prep – This recipe is ready to serve in just 15 minutes.
  • Entree or side dish – You can turn this Mexican Caesar Salad into a meal with chicken or keep it as a side dish.
  • DELICIOUS flavors and textures – We’ve got fresh lettuce, crispy tortilla strips, crunchy pepitas, salty cheese, and a bright, tangy dressing. What’s not to love?!

Recipe Notes

This Mexican Caesar Salad recipe is as simple as promised! Just a 15 minutes of prep for a family friendly meal.

In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use for how to make Mexican Caesar Salad to get the absolute best and most delicious results.

Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.

Ingredients + Substitutions

ingredients for Mexican Caesar Salad.
  • Mexican Caesar Salad Dressing – Our dressing is made with a combination of mayonnaise, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, lime juice, fajita seasoning, and vegetable oil.
  • Lettuce – I like to use chopped Romaine hearts, but feel free to use another lettuce of your choice. Romaine lettuce would work great too!
  • Cheese – Crumbled cojita cheese or Queso Fresco are both great options.
  • Tortilla Strips – Tortilla strips can be purchased pre-made, but you can also very easily make them from scratch! See the recipe card below for instructions.
  • Roasted Pepitas – Pepitas are pumpkin seeds! You can find these at most grocery stores.

Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.

Recipe Variations

If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!

  • Add a protein – Turn this side dish into an entree by adding sliced or shredded chicken. I love to use my Baja Chicken Breast or Blackened Chicken Thighs.
  • Make it a vegetarian – Traditional Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. You can make your caesar salad dressing without anchovies a couple of different ways: 1) Find a brand of Worcestershire sauce that doesn’t contain anchovies or 2) simply leave it out (although I do love the umami flavor it adds.)
  • Try other toppings – You can load this salad up with any toppings that sound good to you! Try chopped avocado or guacamole, bean and corn salsa, diced bell pepper, red onion, you name it.

Recipe Step by Step

I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Mexican Caesar Salad.

Mexican Caesar salad dressing in a mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the Caesar salad dressing. Whisk until smooth.

    lettuce drizzled with dressing.

    Chop the lettuce into bite-sized pieces, drizzle with dressing, then toss to combine.

    chopped lettuce topped with cotija cheese.

    Crumble the cheese on top, then layer on the pepitas.

    finished caesar salad in a large bowl.

    Finish with tortilla strips, then serve immediately and enjoy!

    Recipe Tips

    1. Serve right away once assembled – To make sure your lettuce stays fresh and your tortilla strips stay crunchy, I recommend serving this salad immediately once you’ve added the dressing.
    2. Customize – Feel free to make this recipe your own by adding or leaving out ingredients as desired.

    Recipe Short Cuts

    If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!

    • Prep in advance – While I do recommend serving this salad right away after it’s fully assembled, you can get ahead with prep by making the dressing in advance. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
    • Use pre-made tortilla strips – It’s fun to make your own tortilla strips, but you can save time by simply using the tortilla strips from the store.
    above image of a Mexican caesar salad in a large serving bowl closeup.

    What to Serve with Mexican Caesar Salad

    Since this tasty side dish has the delicious flavors of Mexican food, it will pair well with many of your favorite Mexican side dishes or entrees.

    Choose one or several of these dishes to create a wholesome, well-rounded dinner. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.

    Side Dish Ideas

    • Mexican Style Crockpot Refried Beans – What’s a Mexican night without a side of refried beans? These Mexican Style Crock Pot Refried Beans are the perfect recipe. They’re creamy, rich, perfectly seasoned, and delicious paired with a Mexican Caesar Salad.
    • Mexican Chicken and Rice Bake – Turn your side salad into a hearty meal by pairing it with this Mexican Chicken and Rice Bake. This meal is loaded with chicken, black beans, rice, and cheese, then topped with all of your favorite fresh toppings.
    • Oven Baked Green Chile Pork Chops – These Green Chile Pork Chops are an all-time favorite. They’re made with tender pork chops doused in a creamy green chile cheese sauce and finished with fresh cilantro.
    • Mexican Roasted Vegetables – Keep your meal light with these Mexican Roasted Vegetables—a blend of red onion, bell pepper, broccoli, and squash tossed in taco seasoning and lime juice.

    Mexican Caesar Salad Leftovers

    This salad is best served immediately, but any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container:

    • in the refrigerator for 1-3 days

    Leftover Recipes

    Looking for a fun way to repurpose your leftover salad? Try this:

    • Chicken Caesar Wrap – Use your salad leftovers to make a hearty chicken wrap the next day! Whip up a batch of Baja Chicken or Mexican Style Chicken Thighs, then wrap in a tortilla with the Mexican Caesar Salad.

    Recipe FAQ’s

    What’s in a Mexican Caesar Salad?

    A Mexican Caesar Salad is similar to a traditional Caesar salad—fresh lettuce tossed in a creamy dressing. Except this Caesar salad dressing is spiced with fajita seasoning, and the salad is finished with cojita cheese, fried tortilla strips, and roasted pepitas. It’s the perfect Mexican twist on a favorite!

    More EASY Salad Recipes

    If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!

    You can check out all of my easy salad recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.

    • Classic Southern Salad
    • La Scala Chopped Salad
    • Broccoli Crunch Salad
    • Burrata Arugula Salad
    above image of a Mexican caesar salad in a large serving bowl.

    Mexican Caesar Salad

    By: Kimber Matherne
    No ratings yet
    This Mexican Caesar Salad is a classic side dish with a Mexican twist. It features fresh, crunchy romaine hearts tossed in a creamy, tangy Mexican caesar dressing, then topped with cotija cheese, fried tortilla strips, and roasted pepitas.
    Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 0 minutes mins
    Total Time: 15 minutes mins
    4 Servings
    Rate this Recipe Print Pin SaveSaved!

    Ingredients 

    For the Mexican Caesar Salad Dressing

    • ¼ cup mayonnaise
    • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
    • 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
    • 1 clove garlic, pressed
    • 2 tablespoons lime juice
    • 2 teaspoons fajita seasoning
    • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

    For the Salad

    • 2 romaine hearts
    • 1/2 cup crumbled cojita cheese, or Queso Fresco
    • 1/2 cup fried tortilla strips
    • 1/4 cup roasted pepitas

    Instructions 

    To make the dressing

    • In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, garlic, lime juice, fajita seasoning, and oil.
    • Whisk until smooth.

    To assemble the salad

    • Chop the romaine into bite sized pieces. Place the lettuce in a large bowl and then toss with the Mexican Caesar Dressing.
    • Crumble the cojita cheese over the salad and then add the pepitas and tortilla strips.
    • Serve immediately. Enjoy!
    Last step!Share a picture on Instagram and tag me at @easyfamilyrecipes!

    Recipe Notes

    Tortilla strips can be purchased premade at most supermarkets. If you want to make them from scratch, you can cut corn tortillas into thin strips and then deep fry them until golden. Remove from oil and salt to taste.
    Once the salad is assembled, it should be served immediately. If you want to prep in advance, you can make the salad dressing up to 1 week in advance, then just assemble the salad right before serving.
    To make this salad a full meal add sliced chicken or steak, my favorite addition is baja chicken breast, or blackened chicken thighs!

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 333kcal (17%), Carbohydrates: 7g (2%), Protein: 6g (12%), Fat: 32g (49%), Saturated Fat: 6g (38%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 16mg (5%), Sodium: 277mg (12%), Potassium: 246mg (7%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 2g (2%), Vitamin A: 5064IU (101%), Vitamin C: 5mg (6%), Calcium: 115mg (12%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

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    two images of caesar salad, one with ingredients on a counter and the other with a finished salad in a bowl.
    two images of caesar salad, one with lettuce drizzled with dressing and the other with a finished salad in a large salad bowl.
    above image of a Mexican caesar salad in a bowl.
    closeup image of assembled Caesar salad.

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