Description
This Asian Chicken Crunch Salad features tender, marinated chicken breast cooked in a flavorful sesame-ginger sauce, served on a bed of crunchy shredded purple and green cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, and edamame. Tossed with a creamy peanut dressing and garnished with peanuts, cilantro, and sesame seeds, this vibrant salad offers a perfect balance of savory, sweet, and spicy flavors with a satisfying crunch in every bite.
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 1-inch cubes to ensure even cooking and easy tossing with the salad.
- Make the chicken marinade: In a shallow bowl, whisk together soy sauce or tamari, minced garlic, brown sugar, tahini, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, grated ginger, sriracha, and sesame seeds. Add the chicken cubes and let them marinate while prepping the salad ingredients to infuse flavor.
- Prepare the dressing: Whisk together natural creamy peanut butter, rice vinegar, honey, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce or tamari, grated ginger, minced garlic, sriracha, and warm water in a bowl. Adjust water to achieve your desired salad dressing consistency. Set aside.
- Prepare the salad vegetables: Using a mandoline or knife, shred the purple and green cabbage. Then slice the red bell pepper into strips, shred the carrot, dice the green onion, chop the cilantro, and combine all vegetables along with the shelled edamame in a large bowl.
- Cook the chicken: Heat a skillet over medium heat with a splash of oil. Add the marinated chicken cubes and cook for about 3 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Then pour in the remaining marinade. Continue cooking until the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) and the sauce thickens, about 5-7 more minutes.
- Combine salad and chicken: Let the cooked chicken cool slightly. Toss the vegetable salad with as much peanut dressing as you prefer. Add the chicken and toss gently to combine all flavors.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle chopped peanuts, freshly chopped cilantro, and additional sesame seeds on top before serving. Enjoy this refreshing and crunchy Asian Chicken Crunch Salad!
Notes
- Feel free to swap in or out any other veggies you like for variety and personal preference.
- The peanut butter in the dressing can be substituted with almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or even tahini for a different flavor.
- Brown sugar amount in the marinade can be adjusted depending on your preferred sweetness level.
- Use low sodium soy sauce to keep sodium levels lower and control flavor intensity.
- Cook chicken thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165°F to ensure food safety.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1/4 recipe)
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
