If you’ve got 20 minutes, I’ve got your new favorite go-to salad. This savory Asian sesame chicken salad is the perfect quick lunch or light supper. With common ingredients and super simple prep, it’s easy to make and easier to eat. Skip the take out! Panera has got nothing on you.
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Our take on a classic Asian chicken salad combines cabbage, chicken, peppers, and scallions, along with an easy soy sauce-infused sesame dressing. It’s crunchy, savory, and a tiny bit sweet. In other words, it’s utterly fantastic in every way!
Keep it simple, or make it your own
In addition to being ultra flavorful and easy to make, you can customize Asian sesame chicken salad to what you have on hand, or the tastes of your family.
Leftover chicken? Any leftover roast/grilled chicken will work. You could also use rotisserie chicken or – my favorite – this easy teriyaki chicken.
Don’t have rice vinegar ? Apple cider or white vinegar work just fine.
Bell pepper not a favorite? Add something else crunchy like cukes or celery. Love your salads loaded? Add water chestnuts, sprouts, cranberries.
Nuts about nuts? Throw in cashews, almonds, or walnuts for an additional punch of flavor, nutrition, and crunch.
That sesame dressing, though…
While everyone loves a tasty salad packed with good stuff, the rockstar here is really the sesame dressing. Don’t skip the sesame oil here. Even in the mere tablespoon called for, it adds a distinct nuttiness that differentiates this dressing from your typical vinaigrette. That, along with the soy sauce and a bit of sugar, makes for a sweet/savory combo that goes perfectly with the crunchy cabbage, peppers, and chicken.
The sesame seeds themselves aren’t absolutely critical to the flavor, but use them if you’ve got them. I happened to have some on hand*, so I did!
*Unlike a normal person, I store my sesame seeds on the tops of my everything bagels. Super handy. When I need some, I just grab a bagel and some tweezers and – voila! – in about 45 minutes I’ve got a teaspoonful. Simple!
(Just kidding. So not simple. I just forgot to set aside some sesame seeds while making a batch of my sweet and salty maple chai granola! Next time I’ll know better.)
Recipe Tips for Asian Sesame Chicken Salad
If you don’t have sesame oil on hand, you can substitute with additional olive oil. Yes, it will change the flavor somewhat, but the soy/sugar combo will still give you that Asian flair you’re looking for here. However, if you have the chance to add sesame oil to your pantry, I highly recommend it! You’ll love the flavor so much, you’ll be making this dressing again and again.
You can fast-track the veggie prep if necessary by replacing the cabbage, peppers, and scallions with a bag of pre-prepped slaw vegetables. Not quite the same, but will do alright in a pinch especially because of that sesame dressing.
Speaking of veggie prep, if you’ve got your food processor handy, that can speed things up as well. Just add the slicing blade and shoot the cabbage, peppers, and scallions through that. You’ll be done in 3.2 seconds. Hey, not everybody finds hand-slicing 6 cups’ worth of veggies as relaxing as I do.
Asian Sesame Chicken Salad
This delish Asian sesame chicken salad comes together easily with an irresistable sesame dressing. Absolutely worth the addition of sesame oil to your pantry!
Ingredients
- 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage
- 2 cups cooked chicken sliced or shredded
- 1 med orange bell pepper diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup scallions (mostly green tops) sliced or snipped with scissors
Sesame Dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
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In a medium bowl, toss together the cabbage, chicken, bell peppers, and scallions. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve.
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In a jar with tight-fitting lid, add the dressing ingredients (olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, pepper, sesame seeds). Secure the lid, and shake vigorously until well combined.
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Pour the desired amount of dressing over the salad, toss to combine, and serve immediately.
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Leftover dressed salad will stay fresh for 1-2 days in the refrigerator. Any leftover dressing can be kept, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe Notes
If you don’t have sesame oil on hand, substitute with additional olive oil.
While this salad doesn’t take long to prep, you can skip the slicing and dicing if necessary and replace the veggies with a bag of pre-prepped slaw vegetables.
Boost the salad with your favorite nuts, dried fruit, or other veggies for an additional punch of flavor, nutrition and crunch.
My very picky teenager loved this! It was so easy to make and I will mkae it again and again!!
Success! So happy it worked for your family.
Hi Julia – I made this dressing and it’s delish!! I didn’t have the sesame seeds on hand but did have the oil. I had it on a regular tossed salad and poured a little on my plain grilled chicken! Thanks for posting it!
Excellent! Glad you tried it. Yes, don’t torture yourself about sesame seeds. It’s all because of the sesame oil that it’s so good. Thanks for stopping by to comment!
This looks delicious, especially the dressing!
It’s big time yum.