Asian Sesame Chicken Salad Recipe
This Asian Sesame Chicken Salad is a delicious way to sneak plenty of vegetables into your family’s diet. Topped with a quick almond sesame dressing, this flavorful chicken salad is a meal-worthy dish you'll want to make again and again.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 bone-in chicken breasts, (12-13 oz each)
- 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
For the salad dressing:
- 3 tablespoons natural almond, or peanut butter, (unsweetened/unsalted)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon chili pepper sauce, I used Sriracha – optional
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
For the salad:
- 4 cups green cabbage, shredded, (1/2 head)
- 2 cups red cabbage, shredded, (1/4 head)
- 1 medium-size carrot, (½ cup, shredded)
- 2 cups romaine lettuce or curly salad greens, shredded, (1 medium head)
- 1 cup edamame beans, shelled
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
- 3 tangerines, peeled and sliced
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- To Roast The Chicken: Pre-heat the oven to 425 F Degrees. Pat-dry the chicken breasts with paper towels. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Brush both sides of each chicken breast with the 2 teaspoons of oil and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 35-45 min or until a thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 F degrees. Take it out of the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let it sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Slice chicken into small bite-size cubes, place it in a bowl and set aside.
- To make the dressing: Place almond butter and honey in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, Sriracha, and sea salt. Allow it to marinade on the kitchen counter for 10 minutes.
- To make the salad: Pour half of the dressing at the bottom of a large bowl. Add in green cabbage, red cabbage, shredded carrot, and romaine lettuce in the bowl. Toss to coat. Add the sliced chicken. Pour in the rest of the dressing over and toss to combine. Allow the salad to sit on the kitchen counter for 5-10 minutes for all the flavors to combine.
- Stir in the edamame. Garnish with sesame seeds, sliced almonds, tangerine slices and fresh cilantro. Serve.
Notes
- Variations
- With Peanut Butter: Replace the almond butter with unsalted and unsweetened creamy peanut butter. Need more peanut flavor? Use roasted peanuts instead of sliced almonds.
- With Wonton Strips: Replace the roasted sliced almonds with an equal amount of wonton strips. A little more indulgent, but incredibly delicious!
- Without Edamame: The edamame beans take this Asian salad to a whole new level, but they are optional. Feel free to omit them if you don’t have any on hand.
- Whole30: To compliment a Whole30 diet, simply omit the edamame beans and honey, replace the soy sauce with gluten-free coconut aminos, replace the rice vinegar in the salad dressing with fresh citrus juice (lemon, lime, orange or tangerine will all work) and use your favorite Whole30 approved (no added sugar) chili sauce.
- Make-Ahead Instructions:
- Make the sesame salad up to a week in advance and keep it in a jar (tightly sealed) in the fridge.
- Slice the cabbage and shred the carrot as a part of your meal preparation. Keep them in airtight containers.
- Roast the chicken a day before, slice and store in airtight containers.
- Prep the rest of the ingredients right before you are ready to assemble it. If this Asian chicken salad is a part of your meal prepping, you can:
- Storage Instructions:
- Place the leftovers in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 524kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 32gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 1356mgPotassium: 1008mgFiber: 10gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 5704IUVitamin C: 74mgCalcium: 210mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!