Fried Lemon Caesar Salad is full of beautiful fried lemon slices and makes for a delicious Caesar Salad with a unique, fun twist. It’s a lovely appetizer salad, and you can add chicken and turn it into a hearty main course.
It might be a stretch to call my Fried Lemon Caesar Salad a twist on the classic, but that’s what I’m doing. I took most of the lemon out of the dressing and added that lovely flavor with fried lemon slices in the salad itself.
Fried lemon slices are delicious! The lemons caramelize, making them sweeter and less pungent, but still quite lemon-y.
Fried Lemons
Frying citrus almost doesn’t seem like a natural thing to do, but it’s actually quite remarkable.
Fried lemons have an added layer of flavor, and it’s sweet. When they’re fried, the sour, tart lemons caramelize, bringing all of the natural sugars to the surface. They’ll still be sour and tart, of course, but the sweetness rounds the flavor out a bit.
How to Fry Lemons
- Choose the right lemon. Ideally, you want a thin-skinned, seedless lemon. While you can use any lemons for this recipe, Meyers are preferable because their skin is thinner than most other lemons. Fried lemons are better with a thin skin because too much of the pith (the white part between the skin and the fruit), won’t taste as good, and doesn’t look as appealing. Most lemons have at least a few seeds — the fewer the better so the slices stay more intact.
- Season with salt, pepper and sugar. The pepper will add flavor, while both the salt and sugar will help brighten the natural flavor of the lemon.
- The pan should be very hot. Treat the lemon slices like ahi tuna you want to sear. The hotter the pan is when the lemon hits it, the more likely it is to get a beautiful, golden caramelization on the surface.
- This is a quick process. We only want to quickly brown the lemons — if they’re in the hot pan for too long, they’ll become mushy. We’re not actually cooking them, just browning them. Again, think of the seared ahi tuna.
My cousin laughed the other day when I asked her if she’d like any “citrus.” I could have been more specific I suppose, but in my mind, citrus may as well be its own food group!
Blood oranges, Satsumas, Sumos, Pixies, limes and lemons are constantly inspiring me. I love them and I’m always working these fantastic and delicious fruits into my recipes.
Oh, and Lemon-Garlic Croutons are also part of what make this Fried Lemon Caesar Salad so good.
Fried Lemon Caesar Salad is one of my favorite citrus creations.
I hope you love it!
Fried Lemon Caesar Salad is full of beautiful fried lemon slices and makes for a delicious Caesar salad with a unique, fun twist. It's a lovely appetizer salad, and you can add chicken and turn it into a hearty main course.
*Please note that the "prep time" does not include making the croutons -- click croutons in the ingredient list for those instructions.
- 2 lemons (preferably Meyer lemons)
- salt, granulated sugar and freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil
- 5 anchovies, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 heads Romaine lettuce, washed and dried, roughly chopped
- 2 cups Lemon-Garlic Croutons (click here for the recipe)
- 1 cup Parmesan, shaved
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Wash, dry, and thinly slice the lemons -- placing them on a large plate as you go. You should get about 8 slices per lemon, and they should be about 1/8-inch thick.
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Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil, place it over medium-high heat. While the pan is preheating, sprinkle both sides of the lemon slices with salt, pepper and sugar. This should be a light sprinkling, but enough to season each slice well.
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Once the pan is very hot, add the lemon slices and sauté until the bottoms are golden brown, about 1 minute. Use a tiny spatula to gently flip the slices, and brown the other side, about 30 seconds. Place the sautéed lemons slices on a plate to cool. Set aside.
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Once cooled, cut each sautéd lemon slice into fourths -- you can stack a few at a time to do this. Set aside.
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In a small bowl, combine the anchovies, garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and honey. Mix to blend. Gradually, pour in the oil, whisking all the while to blend it evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
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In a large salad bowl, mix the lettuce with the Lemon-Garlic Croutons, Parmesan and the fried lemons.
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Just before you're ready to serve, toss the salad with the dressing.
Shut
the
door!
I’m so making this!
😀
I love fried lemon. It seems odd (at first) but don’t knock it til you try it. GREG
Exactly! 😉
Haha! I love you. This is gorgeous.
Thanks, Kelsey! xoxo
This is such a great idea! I made a kale caesar the other day that would have been even more delicious with these lemons. Will have to make it again and try frying up some lemons. 🙂
Thanks so much, Kristen. Sounds delicious with the kale! 🙂
Hi!
How horrible would the dressing be without the anchovies?
Thank you!
Not horrible at all! Just different. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this salad recipe featuring fried lemon slices! What a marvelous idea! I just discovered you ~ and so happy I did!
Thank you! I hope you try the salad — I just love cooking with lemons. So happy you found my site, too. 🙂
This is what I call perfect office lunch !
Thank you! 😀
What a great recipe, I will make your salad this week especially since I have a Meyer lemon tree in my garden. Thank you for the recipe.
So great to have a Meyer lemon tree! The best. Thanks, Gerlinde. 🙂
I never would have thought of frying a lemon. That has to bring out the flavor of the lemon.
It does! 😀
Fried. Lemon. This just blew my mind! Can’t wait to make this 🙂
Yay! I hope you love it!
I love caeser salad! Looks so delicious and perfect for dinner!
Thanks, Natalie!
You’ve just blown my mind, I’ve never seen fried lemons let alone in a salad. Genius!
Thank you!!!
you successfully tempted me with those roasted lemon wedges. Looking so mouthwatering and drooling over n over.
Thanks so much!
I have fried lemon slices before. They’re gorgeous and intense. I’ll bet they’re delicious in this salad! Nicely done!
Thanks, Jeff! 😀
I love caesar salad, especially those made at home – the best! I’ve never fried lemons before, but I do love ’em and another way to enjoy is never a bad thing 😉 Bet they add such brightness and flavours to this salad. Can’t wait to give this a go! You’re totally making me crave this for breakfast right now 🙂
Well if you’re craving salad for breakfast, I know I’ve done my job well. She says while she sips her coffee and eats cookies. 😀 Have a great day, Dawn, and thanks!
Why have I never fried lemons?!! LOVE the idea. I’m so doing this — thanks.
I hope you like it as much as we do! Enjoy!
This salad SO HAS MY name written all over it! I adore citrus and caramelized citrus? Oh my! I am adding this to my dinner rotation ASAP – definitely a winner in our house!!
So happy you like it, Nancy. Thank you! 😀
Who doesn’t love a good salad and Caeser? It’s likely my favorite salad. Carmalized lemon slices in a Caeser sounds wonderful as well as being a brilliant idea. Your dressing recipe looks divine. What’s a Ceaser without anchovies? Not a Ceaser in my book. Can’t wait to give this a try.
I’m with you about the anchovies, Ron. Love them! Thanks so much and enjoy. 🙂
Frying up those lemons totally counts as a twist on the classic recipe, Valentina! I don’t think I’ve ever seen that done before. I love tossing citrus on the grill, so it makes sense that I would like ’em fried up, too. This sounds like a wonderful flavor, and I’ll have to keep it in mind for sure. Also, that salad looks awesome!
Grilling citrus sounds awesome, David, and with so many things. Thanks and enjoy!
A lemon lovers fantasy salad! What a fabulous way to celebrate the season of citrus.
Thanks so much, Deb! I do love citrus!!
What a delicious idea!
Thank you, Colette! 🙂
What a great idea Valentina. I have crystallised but never fried lemons. As I have a lovely Myer Lemon Tree I will enjoy venturing out and adding a few ‘fried lemons’ to my dishes. Very innovative!
I love crystalized lemon, too. Lucky you to have a Meyer lemon tree. 🙂
Valentina, how inspiring! I never heard, thought of, or even imagined fried lemon. It looks and sounds amazing! Brilliant!
I hope you try it, Kelly. They’re a tasty treat. 🙂 Thanks for checking it out.
The fried lemons sound amazing, Valentina! I will definitely try this – and I love Caesar salad (sans garlic, natch!). Did you know the original Caesar had no garlic in the dressing? Only the bowl was rubbed with garlic. I was rather astonished to learn that!
I do think I’ve heard that — I like it! Enjoy frying lemons and I hope you’re having a lovely weekend.
What a terrific and different take on Caesar salad. I love all things lemon and can’t wait to give your recipe a try.
Thank you, Karen! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
LOVE this idea! I mean, why not? It’s just one of those “why didn’t I think of that” moments! Thanks, Valentina!
Right!? I hope you try it, and I bet you have lemons in your beautiful garden. 🙂
Just wondering if you can fry the lemons ahead of time. Looking forward to having a new way to use my Meyer lemon crop
Hi Leona, I wouldn’t do this too far ahead because the lemons will become soggy. I think 30 min. ahead is all I’d do. Though, if you don’t mind a soggy appearance, they will still taste great! Thanks for visiting and checking out the recipe. Cheers!
Wow Valentina.. you came up with such a fantastic idea! I would never have thought to fry lemons. I can’t wait to try it. This recipe looks absolutely amazing! Maybe your readers may also want to try out my Tahini dressing with this recipe:
https://thehealthfulkitchen.com/tahini-dressing/
Thank you so much. I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂