Recipes worth gathering for — a little messy, very delicious.

Some recipes just taste fresh in every sense of the word — bright, crisp, full of texture, and perfect for those nights when you want something light but still satisfying. This Asian Chicken Salad is exactly that kind of meal.

It starts with a bed of crisp lettuce and red cabbage layered with tender grilled chicken, cool cucumbers, and fresh green onions. Then come the good parts — crunchy almonds and chow mein noodles that give every bite that irresistible texture. But the real magic is in the dressing.

The light rice vinaigrette ties everything together with a delicate balance of tangy and savory. It’s fresh without being overpowering, flavorful without weighing the salad down. Toss it all together, and suddenly you have a bowl that feels vibrant, colorful, and completely craveable.

This is one of those recipes that works for everything — an easy weeknight dinner, a make-ahead lunch, or a dish to bring to a gathering when you want something everyone will love. It’s hearty enough to stand on its own but light enough to leave you feeling good after.

And like the best meals, it’s meant to be shared. Set it in the center of the table, let everyone scoop their own, and don’t be surprised when it disappears quickly.

Fresh, flavorful, and just a little messy once it’s tossed — exactly how we like it.

Asian Chicken Salad

Crispy green salad with grilled chicken and sesame dressing.

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Course Dinner, Salad

Cuisine American, Chinese

Ingredients

  

Dressing

• 3 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad

• 4 cups chopped grilled chicken marinated in sesame oil, rice vinegar, salt and pepper
• 3 cups romaine lettuce chopped
• 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber deseeded and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup crispy Chow Mein noodles

Instructions

 

Prepare Chicken

• Trim the chicken breasts and put in a bowl, add all marinate ingredients and stir to coat the chicken. Marinate the chicken at least 30 minutes – or multiple hours, this is an easy step to take care of early.
• Grill the chicken. Once the chicken is done cooking, if the salad is ready – dice the chicken and add to salad. If the salad is still a work in progress, cover with tin foil to keep it warm and dice the chicken once the salad is ready.

Make Dressing

• Combine all ingredients in a chopper/blender and mix until blended. I continue hitting the mix button as I’m preparing the salad to continue to blend it.

Salad

• Be sure to chop all salad ingredients very small! Combine all salad ingredients except the Chow Mein noodles, and toss with dressing. This amount of dressing is the perfect amount for this amount of ingredients. Top salad with Chow Mein noodles.

Keyword chicken salad, chinese chicken salad