This Asian sesame salad is a flavor and texture explosion of crunchy veggies, juicy chicken, and peanuts. Tossed in our famous China Coast salad dressing!
This crunchy Asian sesame salad is going to become your favorite new weeknight dinner or pack-away lunch. The flavors are perfectly balanced between savory chicken, fresh veggies, and an earthy sesame seed dressing. It’s so simple to make, you’ll wonder why you ever spent so much money at the salad bar.
Homemade China Coast Salad Dressing
While you can use any Asian-style dressing you like for this salad, our China Coast salad dressing or 5 minute peanut sauce are both solid options.
- Combine the Ingredients: Add 1 cup mayonnaise, 10 tablespoons rice vinegar, 4 tablespoons white sugar, 4 tablespoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and half a teaspoon of garlic powder in a blender.
- Blend the Ingredients: Next, blend the ingredients until creamy and smooth. Use what you need for the salad and store the rest in the fridge in a Mason Jar.
Assembling this Simple Asian Sesame Salad
Putting together this simple salad requires less than 10 ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time.
- Marinate the Chicken: Place the chicken in a plastic storage bag alongside the sweet and sour sauce marinade. Allow the chicken to marinate for an hour in the fridge.
- Cook the Chicken: Either grill the chicken or pan fry it over high heat in a skillet. Next, slice it into thin strips.
- Prepare the Veggies: Wash and shred the carrots and green cabbage and dice the green onion.
- Assemble the Salad: Place the cabbage, carrots, and veggies in a large bowl. Top with sesame seeds, chicken, and peanuts. Lastly, drizzle the tangy dressing right on top. Bon appetit!
3 Pro Tips for the Best Asian Sesame Salad
From our kitchen to yours, find a couple of pro tips to help you nail this tasty salad.
- Use a vegetable slicer to cut your carrots and cabbage. To get super uniform slices of carrots and cabbage, use a vegetable slicer.
- Add in your favorite ingredients. This salad is super versatile, so feel free to toss in some of your favorite ingredients. Wonton strips, sliced almonds, cilantro, and mandarin oranges are all great options!
- Toss the dressing only right before you plan to serve it. To prevent your salad from getting soggy, only toss the dressing in right before you plan to serve it.
Make Ahead & Storage Tips
This salad is great for prepping ahead of time. To get the most out of it, follow these simple best practices.
- Make-Ahead Tips: If you’re making your salad ahead of time for work or meal prep, keep the veggies, chicken, and dressing in their own separate airtight containers.
- Shelf Life: When stored properly, your salad ingredients will last up to a week and the dressing will keep for up to two weeks.
FAQ
How many calories are in a serving of Asian sesame salad?
There are about 300 calories in each serving of this Asian salad. If you’re eating the salad as a standalone meal, feel free to double the serving.
What does China Coast salad dressing taste like?
China Coast dressing is a savory and sweet salad dressing that has strong notes of sesame, soy sauce, and garlic. This is all cooled down by a bit of mayo and sugar.
Is China Coast salad dressing gluten-free?
China Coast salad dressing is not gluten-free due to the addition of soy sauce, which contains wheat. If you’d like this dressing to be gluten-free, swap the soy sauce out for coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce.
How long does China Coast salad dressing last?
When stored properly, China Coast salad dressing will last for up to two weeks. For best results, always keep it in an airtight container and give it a good shake to redistribute the ingredients.
Can you swap in a different protein instead of chicken?
You can swap the chicken in for air fryer salmon or cast iron ribeye steak. However, at the end of the day, you can use just about any protein that suits you best!
More Tasty Salads to Try
- Easy Cobb Salad with Tuna – Classic Cobb with romaine lettuce and tuna
- 15-Minute Broccoli Cauliflower Salad – Sweet and salty bacon and broccoli salad
- Berry Spinach Salad Recipe – Berry, cheese, and nuts salad
- Tortilla Salad Recipe – Grilled meat, beans, and lettuce salad
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless chicken
- 1/2 cup sweet & sour sauce
- 1/2 large cabbage
- 1 large carrot
- 2 green onions
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 1 cup China Coast salad dressing
Instructions
- Allow the chicken to marinate in the sweet & sour sauce for about an hour in the fridge.
- Grill the chicken over charcoal or gas, or pan fry it on high heat in a skillet.
- Wash and shred the carrots and cabbage and dice the green onions into small pieces. Cut the chicken into thin slices.
- Toss the cabbage, carrots, and green onions into a large bowl.
- Assemble the chicken on top, followed by the sesame seeds and peanuts. Drizzle the top of the salad with dressing right before serving. Enjoy!
Looks delicious! I have to give this recipe a try. Pinned.
Hey Valya! Thank you for you Pinning! I hope you love this recipe when you try it 😉