Description
This Asian Chicken Crunch Salad features tender marinated chicken breast cooked in a flavorful sauce, combined with a crisp mix of shredded purple and green cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, edamame, and fresh herbs. Tossed with a creamy peanut dressing and garnished with peanuts, sesame seeds, and cilantro, this salad offers a perfect balance of savory, sweet, spicy, and crunchy textures making it a refreshing and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 pound chicken breast
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar depending on preference
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Salad
- 3 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 3 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 red bell pepper sliced into strips
- ½ cup shelled edamame
- ½ cup diced green onion
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped peanuts
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 2 tablespoons warm water or more as needed to thin
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Cut the chicken into small cubes about 1 inch in size to ensure even cooking and easy mixing with the salad.
- Marinate the chicken: Whisk together all the chicken marinade ingredients—soy sauce or tamari, minced garlic, brown sugar, tahini, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, fresh grated ginger, sriracha, and sesame seeds—in a shallow bowl. Add the chicken cubes and let them marinate while you prep the other ingredients, allowing the flavors to infuse the meat.
- Make the dressing: In a separate bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, rice vinegar, honey, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce or tamari, grated ginger, minced garlic, sriracha, and warm water. Adjust the water amount as needed to reach your desired dressing consistency. Set the dressing aside until ready to toss with the salad.
- Prepare the vegetables: Shred the purple and green cabbage using a mandoline or a sharp knife. Shred the carrots, slice the red bell pepper into strips, and dice the green onion. Combine all the veggies along with shelled edamame and chopped cilantro in a large mixing bowl.
- Cook the chicken: Heat a skillet over medium heat with a splash of oil. Add the marinated chicken cubes to the skillet, leaving the remaining marinade aside for the moment. Cook the chicken pieces, turning occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until browned on all sides.
- Add marinade and finish cooking: Pour the reserved marinade into the skillet with the chicken. Continue cooking the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the sauce thickens to coat the chicken nicely.
- Assemble the salad: Allow the cooked chicken to cool slightly. Toss the prepared salad vegetables with your preferred amount of peanut dressing. Add the cooked chicken to the salad bowl and toss gently to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle extra chopped peanuts, cilantro, and sesame seeds over the top of the salad for added texture and flavor. Serve immediately and enjoy your Asian Chicken Crunch Salad!
Notes
- You can swap in or out any vegetables you prefer or have on hand to customize the salad.
- The peanut butter in the dressing can be substituted with almond butter, sunflower butter, or tahini to suit dietary preferences or allergies.
- Use low sodium soy sauce or tamari to control the salt level in the dish.
- For a spicier salad, increase the amount of sriracha in both the marinade and dressing.
- To keep the salad gluten-free, ensure you use tamari or a certified gluten-free soy sauce alternative.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
