Simply Delicious Asian Chicken Salad
A light and healthy Asian chicken salad. Simple, delicious, yum.
Servings 4
Calories 349kcal
Ingredients
Marinade
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil*
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salad
- 1 pound (about 2 small) boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded thin
- 1 large head romaine chopped
- 1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges drained
- 1 cup (2oz) fried chow mein noodles
Dressing
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar*
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Marinade
- Combine marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag and give it a shake. Add chicken and marinate at room temperature for 10 to 30 minutes.
Dressing
- While the chicken is marinating, bring vinegar to boil in a small pot. Once the vinegar is boiling, remove from heat and add the sugar, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients and pour into a mason jar. Shake to combine. Set aside to cool.
Salad
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and grease with cooking spray. Add chicken to the pan and cook 5-8 minutes per side, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the breasts reads 160°F. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing into strips.
- Serve chicken over romaine, topped with mandarin oranges, chow mein noodles, and dressing. Enjoy!
Notes
*Toasted sesame oil is a popular ingredient in many Asian dishes and if you don't keep it in your cupboard, the good news is, it's cheap! Like $3-a-bottle-that-will-last-you-forever cheap. If you have regular sesame oil, you can toast the oil yourself or use it as is. It will lack the distinct flavor of the toasted variety, but is still delicious!
*You can substitute apple cider vinegar for the rice vinegar. In a pinch, you can use white vinegar, but your dressing is going to have much more of a bite to it! This dressing makes enough for six 2-tablespoon servings.
Small-yield Instructions: No cooking or preparation changes needed to cut the recipe in half. For the marinade, half of 3 tablespoons is 1 tablespoon, 1 1/2 teaspoons, and for the dressing, just use a pinch of pepper.
Make-ahead Instructions: Chicken can be prepared up to two days in advance, as can the romaine, but it will lose some of its crispness. Dressing will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks. Salad should be assembled day of and chow mein noodles added just before serving to preserve their crunchiness.
Freezer Instructions: Extra chicken can be frozen in an air-tight container for up to 4 months. Allow to defrost in the refrigerator. Fruit and vegetables with high water content like mandarins and lettuce shouldn’t be frozen for salads, BUT freeze just fine for later use in smoothies.
Make-ahead Instructions: Chicken can be prepared up to two days in advance, as can the romaine, but it will lose some of its crispness. Dressing will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks. Salad should be assembled day of and chow mein noodles added just before serving to preserve their crunchiness.
Freezer Instructions: Extra chicken can be frozen in an air-tight container for up to 4 months. Allow to defrost in the refrigerator. Fruit and vegetables with high water content like mandarins and lettuce shouldn’t be frozen for salads, BUT freeze just fine for later use in smoothies.
Nutrition
Calories: 349kcal