This Sesame Chicken Salad recipe is perfectly crunchy, creamy, sweet, savory, and tossed with my favorite quick sesame vinaigrette.
Meet the crispy, crunchy, fresh and flavorful sesame chicken salad that I have made a million times over the years. And will surely continue to make a million more. ♡
What can I say — I will always love a good green salad with sesame vinaigrette!
That said, while I’ve mixed and matched many different ingredients to go in this basic salad over the years, I have to say that this is the classic combo that just works for me. We’re talkin’ lots of crisp salad greens (either a basic cabbage coleslaw or some crisp shredded Romaine), whatever shredded or diced chicken you have on hand (I most often shred a rotisserie or make some baked chicken breasts), lots of creamy diced avocado, crunchy shredded carrots, a generous helping of fresh cilantro and green onions, toasty sliced almonds, and my go-to simple sesame vinaigrette.
All together, these simple ingredients combine to create a light, bright, and perfectly-balanced green salad that I always find to be so satisfying. And it always, always hits the spot.
Who’s ready for some salad?!
SESAME CHICKEN SALAD INGREDIENTS:
Alright, a few quick notes about what’s in this sesame chicken salad recipe…
- Coleslaw: To make things easy, just grab a bag of coleslaw mix. Or, you are welcome shred your own cabbage (green, red, or a blend) or some sort of lettuce (Romaine is great here).
- Chicken: Diced, shredded, or whatever you happen to have on hand! I used some diced baked chicken breasts that I had in the freezer, but you could also grill chicken or shred a rotisserie.
- Cilantro: I seem to add more and more cilantro every time I make this salad, and love the fresh flavor it adds here. That said, if you have an aversion to cilantro, feel free to just leave it out.
- Green onions: I thinly-sliced a few green onions for this recipe. But you could also thinly-slice or dice red onions instead.
- Sliced or slivered almonds: Which I highly recommend toasting briefly before adding them to the salad, to bring out their best flavor. I just spread mine out on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 5-8 minutes until they are lightly toasted and fragrant. (You could also toast them in a skillet on the stovetop.)
- Shredded carrots: To add some extra color and crunch.
- Avocado: To add some extra creaminess.
- Sesame seeds: White, black or a blend of both — which we will use as a garnish to add some extra sesame flavor and crunch.
- Sesame vinaigrette: Made with oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup (or honey), toasted sesame oil, ground ginger, garlic and black pepper.
HOW TO MAKE THIS SALAD:
Easy breezy! To make this salad, simply…
- Make the vinaigrette: Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl (or shake together in a mason jar) until combined.
- Toss the salad: Combine the coleslaw, chicken, cilantro, green onions, almonds, carrots and avocado togehter in a large mixing bowl, drizzle with the vinaigrette, and toss until combined
- Serve: Serve the salad immediately, sprinkled with sesame seeds as a garnish.
Comments
Post a Comment