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–+ servings
Asian chicken salad topped with teriyaki chicken breast

The Best Asian Chicken Salad Recipe (video)

45 minutes prep + 30 minutes cook
4 servings
The best Asian chicken salad with juicy teriyaki chicken, loads of delicious veggies and a homemade dressing!

Ingredients 

For Asian Salad:

  • 1 large head of romaine or butter lettuce
  • ½ small head red cabbage
  • ½ small head Napa cabbage
  • 2 to 3 large carrots, grated
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro
  • 1 cup cooked edamame beans
  • 1 cup canned mandarins, drained of juices
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds
  • 1 cup wonton crisps

For Sesame Dressing:

  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
  • 1 to 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 pressed garlic clove
  • 1 tsp grated or pureed ginger

For Teriyaki Chicken:

  • 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
  • 1 tbso rice vinegar
  • 5 to 6 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
  • 1 tbsp ginger, pureed or grated
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch, or 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
  • 2 tbsp water
  • sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

For Teriyaki Chicken:

  • First, prepare the teriyaki sauce marinade. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, water, sugar, sesame seed oil, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger. Whisk for about 30 seconds until the ingredients are well combined.
  • Arrange the chicken in a deep casserole tray or place into a ziplock bag (doubled!). Pour the prepared marinade over the chicken and turn until it's well coated all over. Marinate the chicken for a minimum of 1 hour, turning after 30 minutes. Ideally, I recommend marinating the chicken overnight. Once the chicken is marinated, remove it from the sauce and lightly pat dry with paper towels. Reserve the leftover marinade!
  • Preheat the oven to 425F/218C. Preheat a large stainless steel or cast iron pan over medium-high heat and add a few tablespoons of oil. Once the pan and oil are extra hot, carefully add in the marinated chicken. For chicken breasts, fry them on each side for about 5 to 6 minutes, until well browned all over. For other cuts of chicken, do the same: fry on all sides until the outside is well browned.
  • Pour the remaining teriyaki sauce over the browned chicken and let the sauce come up to a simmer; simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken into the preheated oven and finish cooking in the oven. Whichever cut of meat you use, the internal temperature needs to reach 165F/74C. For smaller chicken breasts, bake for 7 to 10 minutes; for larger breasts, bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Bone-in drumsticks and chicken thighs can take 18 to 22 minutes. Boneless chicken thighs bake in approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Bone-in party wings will take approximately 10 to 12 minutes. All timing is approximate and may increase or decrease depending on size!
  • Once the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the pan onto a clean tray and bring the sauce back up to a simmer over medium heat. In a small ramekin, combine the cornstarch and water and stir to combine. Add the slurry to the sauce and whisk it in; the sauce will start to thicken immediately. Whisk the sauce for about 1 minute, then remove it from heat. Return the prepared chicken back into the pan and turn until it's well coated in the teriyaki glaze. Enjoy the chicken immediately for best flavor.

Preparing the Salad:

  • For the salad, start with the cabbage and lettuce first. Peel away the outer leaves of the red and Napa cabbage to expose fresh leaves. Cut the cabbage in half and cut out the hard core. Use a sharp knife to shred the cabbages into thin strips. For the lettuce, wash and dry the leaves first. Stack the leaves and use a knife to cut the lettuce into thin strips. Place the cabbage and lettuce into an extra-large mixing bowl.
  • Prepare the salad fillings: grate the carrots; chop the cilantro and green onion; clean the cooked edamame beans, if needed. Add the carrots, cilantro, green onion, edamame, almonds, and mandarins into the salad. Keep the wonton strips on the side until ready to serve.

Salad Dressing:

  • For the salad dressing: combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame seed oil, honey, garlic, ginger and sesame seeds in a small measuring cup or bowl. Whisk for 30 seconds until the ingredients are well combined.

Assembling the Salad:

  • Pour the prepared salad dressing over the salad and use two large spoons to toss everything together.
  • For serving, spoon the salad into large bowls and top with crispy wonton strips. Slice the prepared teriyaki chicken breast into bite sized slices and add on top of the salad. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and more cilantro on top, if desired.
  • I recommend enjoying this salad right away. If you wish to make it ahead of time, keep the salad dressing, wonton crisps and chicken separate. Dress the salad when ready to enjoy.

Nutrition

Calories: 560kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1829mg | Potassium: 1558mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 8964IU | Vitamin C: 116mg | Calcium: 277mg | Iron: 5mg