Asian Chicken Salad

I am not usually a fan of salad unless it has a lot of cheese on it (usually goat cheese) but this Asian Chicken Salad I could eat every week. It reminds me of the salad I love to get at Panera Bread, the Asian Sesame Salad with Chicken. It’s so yummy! I think next time I make it I will try to add wonton strips to make my recipe even more similar.

For this recipe, I drew my inspiration from the Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing recipe by Modern Honey.

This recipe makes a lot, it can definitely feed multiple people. I also like to have the salad throughout the week for my lunches but I do keep the dressing separate until I am ready to eat.

Directions

Step 1: Make the Dressing

The dressing will also be your marinade which is why this is the first step. Put all the dressing ingredients (sesame oil, peanut butter, sugar, rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, and 1/2 c cilantro) into a blender and blend until smooth.

Step 2: Prepare the Chicken

I prefer to cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces so I don’t have to use a knife when eating my salad but you can certainly cut your chicken however you want. Some may prefer thin slices to chunks.

Place the cut chicken into a bowl or bag and pour some of the dressing on top as your marinade.

Save the remaining dressing for your salad.

Place the chicken in the refrigerate to marinate overnight or at least for a couple of hours.

Step 3: Cook the Chicken

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Places the chicken pieces in a pan on top of a silicone baking mat or piece of parchment paper.

Once the oven is preheated, slide your pan in the oven and cook for approximately 8 minutes flipping the chicken halfway through. Cook time will obviously be determined by how thick your pieces of chicken are. Chicken is cooked thoroughly when it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Try not to get too much of the marinade on the baking pan.

Step 4: Assemble the Salad

To assemble the salad first wash and tear up the romaine lettuce.

Next, add the bag of cabbage and remaining cilantro leaves.

This is the cabbage I use, it comes with carrots.

Then add the cucumber slices and almonds. Toss to mix.

Once the chicken is cooked, place it on top of the salad. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

Asian Chicken Salad

A crunchy and crisp salad full of delicious flavor.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
2 hearts romaine lettuce
1 bag cabbage w/carrots (shredded)
1 cucumber (sliced)
2.25 oz almonds (sliced)
1 bunch cilantro (divided)
sesame seeds

Dressing

½ c sesame oil
½ c creamy peanut butter
⅓ c sugar
¼ c rice vinegar
¼ c lime juice
¼ c soy sauce
¼ c honey
2 inches fresh ginger (peeled and minced)
4 cloves garlic
½ c cilantro leaves

Instructions

Start by making your dressing. Add all the dressing ingredients (sesame oil, peanut butter, sugar, rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, and 1/2 c cilantro) to your blender and blend until smooth.
Cut up the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces (or strips if you prefer).
Put the chicken in a bowl or ziploc bag and pour some of the dressing over the chicken as a marinade (enough to cover the chicken). Save the remaining dressing to use on the salad. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours.
After marinating, bake the chicken on a silicone mat or parchment paper at 425 degrees for about 8 minutes flipping the chicken pieces halfway through. How long your chicken takes to cook through will depend on how thick your chicken chunks or slices are. Your chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165.
While the chicken is baking, wash and tear up the romaine lettuce. Next, add the bag of cabbage and remaining cilantro leaves. Then add the cucumber slices and almonds. Toss to mix.
When you are ready to eat, place the chicken on top of the salad. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle the dressing on top. Enjoy!