This Asian Chicken Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing is so colorful and crunchy! It has an assortment of veggies you can easily find at the store year-round. Plus, a tangy and earthy homemade dressing that’s out of this world!
If you’re looking for more easy Asian-inspired salad recipes, try my Asian noodle salad, Asian cucumber salad, and Asian chicken salad mason jars too!
Why You’ll Love This Chinese Chicken Salad
The best salads are not just a bowl of salad greens, grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, and a boring dressing. In fact, they are the opposite. Which brings me to this Asian chicken salad with sesame ginger dressing, and why you’ll just adore it.
- Great texture. The combination of crunchy snow peas and bell peppers, juicy mandarin oranges, tender chicken, and more, make every bite of this salad a delight.
- Sweet and tangy. Homemade sesame ginger dressing is made with honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, and fresh ginger to achieve the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy flavor.
- Quick and simple. You can prep this easy Asian chicken salad in 20 minutes!
What You’ll Need
Below is the list of ingredients you’ll need to make my Asian chicken salad with sesame ginger dressing exactly as I made it. But, there is absolutely no harm in omitting what you don’t have or swapping out a few of the ingredients. (I’ll give you some suggestions. Also, for exact amounts and the full set of directions, scroll down to the recipe card below.)
For the Salad:
- Greens – I used a spring mix, but you can use whatever greens you have on hand. Lighter and softer greens like arugula and spinach work really well for this salad.
- Snow peas – I love the crunch that snow peas add to this salad! You could also use blanched green beans cut into 1″ pieces.
- Red bell pepper – The red bell peppers add a little bit of sweetness and a pop of color. Yellow and orange peppers would also work.
- Mandarin oranges – Of course, these little guys add a bit of sweetness that really rounds out the flavor of the salad. You could also use fresh orange segments.
- Carrots – Another vegetable that adds color and texture. You could add some shredded cabbage instead if you don’t have any carrots.
- Green onions – Chives also will work! Or you could use sliced red onions.
- Boneless chicken breast – You could also use leftover chicken or meat from a rotisserie chicken. Just make sure that you remove any bones.
- Salt and pepper – For seasoning the chicken.
- Sesame seeds – A flavorful and fiber-packed garnish that adds more crunch!
For the Dressing:
- Soy sauce – Or you can use tamari if you’re gluten-free.
- Rice vinegar – You can find seasoned rice vinegar or regular rice vinegar. Seasoned vinegar is going to be a little sweeter.
- Fresh ginger – I highly recommend using fresh ginger and not dried ginger here. There’s nothing quite like the mix of fresh ginger and garlic.
- Fresh garlic – Again, using fresh is highly recommended!
- Raw honey – This adds a little sweetness to the dressing, which is needed to balance out the acidity. You could also use maple syrup or agave syrup.
- Sesame seeds – One of the stars of the dressing! I love the way they look in the salad and they add flavor and texture, too.
- Black pepper – Freshly ground black pepper is the way to go.
- Red pepper flakes – Add more or less depending on how spicy you want the dressing to be.
- Sesame oil – The taste that the sesame oil brings is what makes this dressing so unique. I don’t recommend using a substitute.
- Olive oil – This will mellow out the sesame oil, so you can use a substitute here. I recommend avocado oil.
How to Make Asian Chicken Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
Here’s how to make this delicious, restaurant-quality salad!
- First, make the dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together, or you can shake them up in a mason jar.
- Next, grill the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook it on the grill. Make sure that the juices run clear and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 175F. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing.
- Then, build your salad! You can do this however you’d like… I like to toss the vegetables, greens, and other salad goodies with the dressing and then add the chicken on top (with more drizzles of the dressing). Serve your Asian chicken salad immediately.
Tips for Success
It’s really simple to make this Chinese chicken salad taste like it’s straight off of a takeout menu. Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to amaze your friends, family, and even yourself!
- Buy the freshest produce. Most of these ingredients can be found year-round. I prefer to buy fresh vs. frozen when it comes to salads. I would choose a fresh alternative vegetable (like green beans instead of snow peas) over using a canned or frozen ingredient.
- Cut everything to be about the same size. It’s all about getting that “good bite,” which has a little bit of everything on it. And, the best way to do that is to cut everything to be about the same size.
- Make the salad right before you want to eat it. Never dress a salad long before you want to serve it! It’s bound to get soggy. If you want to prep everything ahead of time you can keep the vegetables and greens separate in airtight containers in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
Some of my favorite ways to serve this Asian chicken salad are below, including some protein substitutes and beverage pairings.
- No chicken? No problem! This recipe will cater to a number of different proteins. My favorite is to make grilled shrimp to put on top instead.
- Soup and Salad Combo: Make my 30 minute Thai soup for the best of both worlds – warm and comforting soup paired with a bright and fresh salad.
- Lunch and Cocktails: Make it an afternoon with the girls and serve this chicken salad with a fun cocktail like my pineapple rum punch or paloma!
Can This Chicken Salad Be Prepared in Advance?
I don’t recommend making this Asian chicken salad recipe ahead of time. What I suggest is doing all of the prep work for the salad and then storing the items separately in the fridge. This way the items stay as fresh as possible and nothing gets soggy!
How to Store This Salad
I like to use small airtight tupperware containers when meal prepping this Asian chicken salad. Then I can grab them and build the salad whenever I want to eat it. The cut up vegetables will stay fresh in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Same goes for the chicken. You can choose to reheat the chicken or not – either way is equally delicious!
More Easy Salad Recipes
In the mood to try some more quick and easy but flavor-packed salads? You’re in the right place!
- Classic Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
- Fattoush Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad
- Blackened Grilled Salmon Salad
Asian Chicken Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Salads
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Asian chicken salad is full of flavor, texture, and bright colorful ingredients. An easy chicken salad recipe that can readily take the place of takeout! It’s packed with vegetables like snow peas and carrots, and then topped with a homemade sesame ginger dressing.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces spring mix
- 1/2 cup snow peas, cubed
- 3/4 cup red pepper, julienned
- 3/4 cup mandarin oranges, drained
- 1/2 cup carrots, grated
- 1/2 cup green onions, sliced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- season with salt & pepper
- garnish with sesame seeds, lime wedges and cilantro
Sesame Ginger Dressing:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced or grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, honey, sesame seeds, black pepper, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, and olive oil. Mix until well combined and there is no more oil & vinegar separation.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, about 350°F-375°F.
- Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt & pepper.
- Place chicken on the grill and grill each side for 5-6 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove chicken from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes, then sliced chicken.
- In a large bowl place, fresh spring mix, snow peas, red pepper, carrots, green onions, mandarin oranges, sliced grilled chicken breast. Garnish with sesame seeds, fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Serve with Sesame Ginger Dressing.
Notes
- To meal prep. I like to use small airtight tupperware containers when meal prepping this Asian chicken salad. Then I can grab them and build the salad whenever I want to eat it. The cut up vegetables will stay fresh in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Same goes for the chicken. You can choose to reheat the chicken or not – either way is equally delicious!
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24 comments on “Asian Chicken Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing”
I have made this so many times and I love love love it! I’ve modified it and made it with the addition of rice noodles, Vietnamese style and it was so delish!
Oohhh… love the addition of the rice noodles! Genius! So glad you enjoy this recipe, made my day!
Thank you, I was looking at your Asian Chicken Salad, but I found I really needed your messages more.
Again, thank you. I copied both and taped them to my PC.
Oh… so glad to hear it! My heart for this blog is to feed peoples stomachs and their souls, so this note today totally made my day! thank you beverly!
Love love love your blog re-design, Krista! It looks fantastic! And I’m so glad those dreams are gone now girl. That’s the scariest. I had those dreams when I first had our son too – I think I still do once in a while when I see scary stories on the news nowadays. Your posts always have this great message and reminder for us to just trust in what happens and I love that 🙂
I also love this salad! It looks absolutely incredible 🙂 I think would put that sesame ginger dressing on everything!
OH thanks so much Kelly! It means the world that you enjoy reading the posts, sometimes its hard to go from something to do with the heart to a recipe but thats what I enjoy doing so thats what I’m gonna do. Every one needs that friendly reminder or encouragement, alot of times its me just talking to myself and you get to hear it. hehe. 🙂
Hope you get a chance to try the salad girl!
Krista – First off, I LOVE your blog re-design. So clean and crisp…looks amazing! Secondly, your photos keep getting better and BETTER. Seriously, this salad (and your pics of it) are gorgeous! Finally, I can totally relate to getting consumed by fear and worry. But it sounds like you’ve found the best way to keep it from taking over. God always has a plan for us, even when we can’t see it. It’s really hard to keep that in mind that sometimes, but I think you sharing your story here will help others who struggle with this to remember that, too. BIG HUGS!!!
Oh.. thanks girl for the ALL the sweet comments means alot coming from you!
I have definitely found peace on the fear front, sometimes its hard to not give into those emotions of fear. But God is good and quick to bring me back to surrendering things to him. 🙂 I hope it does encourage and help others, thats part of the reason I blog! Big HUGS to you too girl!
I’m so happy that those dreams have gone away. I never can understand why we have bad dreams. Put it in prayer and I believe you will be taken care of.
Love your new site design. I’m ready for an update too 😀
Delicious looking salad. I need to try that sesame ginger dressing, that sounds amazing!
I’m glad too! They were horrible, but I prayed it out and there gone 🙂
Glad you like the site girl, its so fun to get a revamp.. its like getting a new wardrobe. hehe!
Wait have I been away for that long? Thought I was just here for the peaches. I love the new site!! It’s beautiful. So clean and crisp! On to this salad and post. I love both! I’m always full of fear, it’s bad. And for me too it’s that the good things in my life will go away. When my husband and I were dating I was so scared everything was too good to be true coz we are too good of a match. I ran away from the world (and social media) for a year just cause I was scared to jinx it. And now I’m scared I won’t be able to have babies. Eating me up. But you are so right, every time I leave it out to God and pray about it I feel so much better. Thanks for reminding us!!
haha… yup just got a facelift (blogwise .. not literally hehe) So glad you like it girl 🙂
SO crazy you said that you are afraid you won’t be able to have babies! That is exactly my ‘worry/crisis’ right now. We had a miscarriage last June and have been trying to have a baby ever since. It has literally been over a year!!! Every time that time of the month comes around I wonder.. am I? And when I’m not its just heartbreaking and I have to start all over again the next month. I have just decided to give it to God. He knows exactly when we are going to have another baby and IF we are going to have another baby. His plan for me is so much better than my plan for me .. so.. I’m just going to stop worrying about it! Zainab, you are seriously so blessed you have an incredible husband so even if the absolute worst thing happened…. God is bigger than that and he can help you overcome! Hugs girl!
Ps – eat this salad!
Krista, I love this recipe!! My husband is always telling me to stay in my wheelhouse of Greek/Italian cuisine, but I think I can pull this one off!!! Hope all is well with you. ~ Nicole
Oh for sure you can pull this one off. Gotta change it up every once in a while! So glad you stopped by to say hi girl, we are doing great hope you are too sweet lady!
Something looks different here… hmmm… IT’S AWESOME! Love your redesign 🙂 And beautiful post. Fear and worry can consume me rather quickly. Many times I have to step back and try to gain some perspective about the size of me vs. the size of God. The dude is huge, and He’s got this. And when I realize that, my heart smiles.
haha… so well written. “The dude is huge.. and He’s got this”. SOOOOO true! Just need to remember this everytime I start to worry and not even go to that “bad place.”
Glad you liked the redesign Chris!!!
Loving, loving, loving the new look Krista. It’s so awesome! And the salad doesn’t look bad either 🙂
Yeah!!! Thanks Mike! It took a while but definitely love it.. soooo much cleaner. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the salad too!
That awesome Krista! His word truly does give us peace and comfort. so glad you were able to OVERCOME through the power of God. Great testimony.
Love the new site! Looks sweet.
And so does this delish salad. You have so many great ones!
Pinning.
Have an awesome day!
Thanks girl, so glad you enjoyed the story. Always encouraging to hear someone was touched when I share a personal story. 🙂
Gorgeous salad! I love the blog re-design too! I am a compulsive worrier and stress brings on my worry. I get stressed at work and then I start worrying about the most random things. I totally agree with you that worrying doesn’t make it better. Thanks for the reminder!
Thanks Ashley!
I can only imagine the stress from your job, I remember talking to you about all that stuff in Miami and I don’t know how you do it! Just have to remember to take one day at a time, glad you found the post today to be encouraging girl!
Krista, this salad is gorgeous! I’m so sorry to hear about those dreams but happy to hear they’re gone. Anxiety is one of the worst feelings! It literally makes me sick to my stomach sometimes.
Thanks Bri, so glad you liked it!
Yeah, dreams can be a killer and so can anxiety, definitely can make you sick to your stomach.