Chinese Chicken Salad
Yield: 12 servings
This Chinese Chicken Salad recipe is hearty with shredded chicken and a colorful mix of fresh vegetables. With a creamy peanut butter dressing, this is a longtime favorite at our house!
Ingredients
for the dressing:
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger add a bit more if you really like ginger!
- 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
for the salad:
- 8 cups shredded cooked chicken from roasted or grilled chicken, or rotisserie chicken
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound green beans asparagus, and/or sugar snap peas – ends removed, cut into 1″ to 2″ pieces
- 2 sweet bell peppers – red green, yellow, or orange – cored, seeded, and sliced into 1″ to 2″ pieces
- 10 ounces shredded carrots or a couple large carrots that are peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 4 green onions white and green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds or use black sesame seeds for a more striking contrast
Instructions
- For the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and set aside.
- For the salad: Blanch the green beans, asparagus and/or sugar snap peas in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until just crisp-tender. Immediately place them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain.
- In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, green beans, peppers, and shredded carrots. Pour prepared salad dressing over the top. Gently fold to combine. Sprinkle the green onions and remaining tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds over the top and season to taste. Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper over the top. I prefer to serve this salad cold, but it’s also just fine at room temperature.
Notes
Need to cook some chicken for this recipe? I most often roast or grill some chicken breasts. Whatever you choose to do, first rub some olive oil onto the chicken breasts and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. If roasting, place the chicken on a large rimmed pan covered in foil (easy clean-up!) and place in a 350° F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until chicken is just cooked through. If grilling, place on a medium to medium-high grill and cook for 15 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Cook time will depend on size of chicken pieces and cooking temperature.
Need to toast some sesame seeds? Place sesame seeds for the dressing and salad into a dry sauté pan. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are nicely browned and fragrant. Shake the pan every minute or two, to prevent burning. Remove sesame seeds to a plate to cool.
adapted quite a bit from Ina Garten's book Barefoot Contessa Parties!
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 459kcal Carbohydrates: 18g Protein: 26g Fat: 33g Saturated Fat: 6g Polyunsaturated Fat: 24g Cholesterol: 85mg Sodium: 270mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 10g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.