Description
This Asian Chicken Crunch Salad is a vibrant, flavorful dish featuring marinated and pan-cooked chicken served over a crunchy bed of shredded purple and green cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, edamame, and fresh herbs. Tossed with a creamy, tangy peanut dressing and garnished with peanuts, cilantro, and sesame seeds, it offers a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savory notes. Ideal for a satisfying lunch or light dinner, it combines fresh vegetables with tender chicken for a nutritious and delicious 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 Chicken: Cut the chicken breast into small 1-inch cubes to allow for even cooking and better absorption of marinade flavors.
- Marinate Chicken: In a shallow bowl, whisk together low sodium soy sauce or tamari, minced garlic, brown sugar, tahini, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, grated ginger, sriracha, and sesame seeds. Add the cubed chicken and coat well. Let it marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Make Dressing: Whisk together the natural creamy peanut butter, rice vinegar, honey, toasted sesame oil, low sodium soy sauce or tamari, grated ginger, minced garlic, sriracha, and warm water in a separate bowl. Adjust water quantity to achieve a creamy yet pourable consistency. Set aside.
- Prep Vegetables: Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, shred the purple and green cabbages finely. Shred the carrots and slice the red bell pepper into strips. Combine cabbages, carrot, red bell pepper, shelled edamame, diced green onion, and chopped cilantro in a large mixing bowl.
- Cook Chicken: Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a splash of oil. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook, turning occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until browned on all sides. Pour in the remaining marinade and continue cooking until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the sauce thickens, coating the chicken nicely.
- Assemble Salad: Let the cooked chicken cool slightly before adding it to the vegetable bowl. Toss the salad with the prepared peanut dressing to your desired amount to ensure all ingredients are well coated.
- Serve: Garnish the salad with additional chopped cilantro, sesame seeds, and chopped peanuts for extra crunch and flavor. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to swap in or out any other veggies you like, such as snap peas, cucumbers, or radishes for extra crunch and variety.
- The peanut butter in the dressing can be substituted with almond butter, sunflower butter, or tahini for different flavor profiles.
- Adjust sriracha quantity based on your preferred level of spiciness.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, ensure to use tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
- Leftover salad and chicken can be stored separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
