With tender sesame marinated chicken, colorful veggies, sweet mandarin oranges, and a delicious sesame dressing, this sesame chicken salad is one of our favorite healthy dinners! (Gluten-Free, Paleo-Friendly)
We’re DEFINITELY in the too hot to cook territory lately over here, which means salads are a regular part of our dinner menu! Minimal cooking, easy prep, and some make-ahead shortcuts have kept this healthy Sesame Chicken Salad recipe a regular part of our dinner rotation for years.
This is a salad that DELIVERS–you’ll get plenty of color, crunch, and MAJOR flavor in every single bite. Tender chicken, fresh lettuce & cabbage, colorful veggies, sweet mandarin oranges, crunchy almonds, and a tangy, umami sesame dressing to tie it all together? COUNT ME ALL THE WAY IN.
This delicious main dish salad always delivers, and the magic all starts with a simple ingredients list...
Start With Simple Ingredients
This sesame chicken salad recipe centers around fresh, colorful ingredients and bold flavors. From the delicious dressing to the colorful salad ingredients, every ingredient makes a big impact!
- Our Quick Sesame Dressing. The sesame dressing will do double-duty as a marinade for the chicken and a dressing for the sesame chicken salad. It’s made from simple dressing ingredients like rice vinegar, low-sodium gluten-free tamari (or soy sauce or coconut aminos), olive or avocado oil, and a little bit of toasted sesame oil. Easy!
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast. Good old reliable chicken breast provides most of the protein for this salad and thanks to the sesame chicken marinade, you’ll get flavor in every bite.
- Romaine Lettuce. The bright green and more sturdy texture of fresh romaine lettuce makes it a perfect leafy base for sesame chicken salad. (Cut it into thin ribbons so it’s easy to eat and blends in with the shredded cabbage.)
- Shredded Green And Purple Cabbage. Then, you’ll add a colorful mix of green and purple cabbage. I LOVE the color and crunch that cabbage adds! (For a shortcut, you can also use bagged coleslaw mix here instead)
- Shredded Carrots. Grated carrots blend right in with the other shredded veggies and add a pop of color and some natural sweetness to the salad.
- Mandarin Oranges. I love the mandarin oranges packed in 100% juice (no syrups or sweeteners added) for sesame chicken salad. They’re bright, sweet, and juicy, which is so nice next to the savory notes of the chicken and dressing.
- Toasted Almonds. A sprinkle of toasted almonds adds gorgeous rich, nutty flavor to our sesame chicken salad recipe. It’s worth taking the extra few minutes to toast the nuts!
- Green Onion And Cilantro. For brightness and fresh flavor, I add green onions and plenty of fresh cilantro. I could double the amount of cilantro in this salad, I love it so much, but if you’re not a fan, you can skip it.
- Sesame Seeds. Finally, you’ll finish off with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. I like a mix of white sesame seeds and black sesame seeds, but you can use all one or the other!
How To Make Sesame Chicken Salad, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
- First, Mix Up The Marinade. In a small bowl or jar, combine rice vinegar, tamari/coconut aminos, olive oil, and sesame oil. Whisk to combine. Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. (Marinade will stay fresh up to 1 week in the refrigerator!)
- Next, Marinate The Chicken. If you haven’t already, pound out the chicken to 1/2″ thickness. Place chicken in a zip-top bag or container, and pour half of the marinade over the chicken. (Chill remaining dressing to use on the salad later.) Seal the bag, pressing out any excess air, and place the bag on a plate in case of spills. Chill the chicken in the marinade at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
- Cook The Chicken. When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess marinade to drip off. Discard any remaining marinade from the bag or container (it’s no longer safe to eat). Add chicken to your heated pan and cook 5-7 minutes per side, or until the inside of the chicken has reached 165 degrees F. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate or cutting board and allow it to rest fort 5-8 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Slice or dice the chicken to use for your salad.
- Assemble The Salad. In a large bowl, combine cooked, cubed chicken, romaine lettuce, coleslaw mix/green cabbage, purple cabbage, grated carrots, mandarin oranges, toasted almonds, cilantro, green onion, and sesame seeds. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and toss to coat with the dressing. Serve immediately.
Make-Ahead Tips
If you’ve got a busy day ahead of you, or you’re prepping this delicious salad in advance for meal prep, here’s what I do:
- Mix Up The Dressing & store separately. It’ll stay fresh for 1 week!
- Leave The Chicken To Marinate in the fridge all day. You can even freeze it in the marinade and thaw in the fridge while you’re at work! You can also cook & dice the chicken in advance or use rotisserie chicken instead.
- Pre-Mix The Base. I combine the lettuce, cabbage, veggies, cilantro, and green onion, and store it in a bag with a paper towel like a salad mix.
- Add Nuts & Oranges Right Before Serving. Add sesame seeds & almonds right before serving to preserve their crunch!
Mix It Up With One Of These Yummy Variations
Now that you know how to make sesame chicken salad, we can play with the recipe! Here are a few of my favorite variations when I’m craving a change of pace:
- ADD AVOCADO! I’ll add avocado to almost anything, but it’s REALLY delicious in Sesame Chicken Salad. The cool, creamy avocado is lovely next to the crunch, savory, and sweet notes of this salad. Trust me!
- USE PRE-COOKED OR LEFTOVER CHICKEN INSTEAD. Probably my most frequently-used variation! Feel free to skip the chicken marinating step and use leftover shredded rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken instead. It makes the prep for this recipe even faster, which can be great on a busy night!
- SWAP THE NUTS. An easy way to play with your sesame chicken salad is swapping the toasted almonds for salty cashews. I love this option, too!
- TRY TERIYAKI MARINADE INSTEAD. If you’re looking for a change of pace, try using store-bought or homemade teriyaki sauce) as the chicken marinade instead. (Our recipe works for paleo, gluten-free, and vegan diets!)
- ADD MORE VEGGIES. Mix in red bell pepper or snow peas or sugar snap peas!
FAQ + Tricks For The Best Sesame Chicken Salad
MEAL PREP TIP: FREEZE YOUR CHICKEN IN THE MARINADE! One easy way to save yourself some work is to mix up a half-batch of the dressing and add it to chicken right when you get home from the store. Pop it in the freezer with the marinade and it’ll marinate as it thaws later!
SAVE TIME WITH COLESLAW MIX. If you’re in a rush or are looking for a shortcut, you can absolutely use bagged coleslaw mix instead of the shredded cabbage called for in our sesame chicken salad recipe. I look for blends with both purple and green cabbage. It works like a charm!
BUY BAGGED MIXES OR USE A FOOD PROCESSOR TO SAVE TIME. Feel free to buy pre-shredded cabbage or carrots (it’s often in the bagged salad section at the grocery store). It can be a real time-saver! Or, shred it yourself in no time, use a food processor with a slicing blade attached. You can literally shred a head of cabbage in 30-60 seconds!
PALEO + WHOLE30 NOTES. If you’re following a paleo diet or Whole30 protocol, you can make this recipe Whole30 and paleo-friendly by swapping out the gluten-free tamari for coconut aminos. Rice vinegar is considered Whole30 compliant. Many folks who eat paleo have no trouble with rice vinegar, but you can swap it out if you like. Just know you may want to play with the amounts, since other vinegars (like apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, and sherry vinegar) can taste a bit more potent. Also be sure to use juice-packed mandarin oranges, without added sugar or syrups.
Recipe Card
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Sesame Chicken Salad (Gluten-Free)
- Total Time: About 1 hour
- Yield: About 9 cups salad 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
With tender sesame marinated chicken, crunchy cabbage, colorful veggies, and a delicious sesame dressing, this flavorful sesame chicken salad is one of our favorite healthy dinners! (Gluten-Free, Paleo-Friendly)
Ingredients
For The Sesame Dressing:
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar (sometimes labeled rice wine vinegar)
- 1/4 cup low sodium gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos*
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For The Sesame Chicken Salad:
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded out to 1/2″ thickness
- 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 1 1/2 cups coleslaw mix or shredded green cabbage
- 1 1/2 cups purple cabbage
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 15–16 oz. mandarin oranges packed in juice, drained
- 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 Tablespoon black sesame seeds
- Optional: 1 avocado, diced
Instructions
- First, Mix Up The Marinade. In a small bowl or jar, combine rice vinegar, tamari/coconut aminos, olive oil, and sesame oil. Whisk to combine. Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. (Marinade will stay fresh up to 1 week in the refrigerator!)
- Next, Marinate The Chicken. If you haven’t already, pound out the chicken to 1/2″ thickness. Place chicken in a zip-top bag or container, and pour half of the marinade over the chicken. (Chill remaining dressing to use on the salad later.) Seal the bag, pressing out any excess air, and place the bag on a plate in case of spills. Chill the chicken in the marinade at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
- Cook The Chicken. When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess marinade to drip off. Discard any remaining marinade from the bag or container (it’s no longer safe to eat). Add chicken to your heated pan and cook 5-7 minutes per side, or until the inside of the chicken has reached 165 degrees F. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate or cutting board and allow it to rest fort 5-8 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Slice or dice the chicken to use for your salad.
- Assemble The Salad. In a large bowl, combine cooked, cubed chicken, romaine lettuce, coleslaw mix/green cabbage, purple cabbage, grated carrots, mandarin oranges, toasted almonds, cilantro, green onion, and sesame seeds. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and toss to coat with the dressing. Serve immediately.
Notes
- MAKE AHEAD TIP: FREEZE YOUR CHICKEN IN THE MARINADE! One easy way to save yourself some work is to mix up a half-batch of the dressing and add it to chicken right when you get home from the store. Pop it in the freezer with the marinade and it’ll marinate as it thaws later!
- Tamari. We use low sodium gluten-free tamari, which is gluten-free soy sauce. For a paleo option, use coconut aminos. If gluten isn’t a concern for you, you can use regular low sodium soy sauce instead!
- Chicken. If you’re in a rush, feel free to use rotisserie shredded chicken or leftover grilled chicken in this salad, instead! I do it ALL the time. (This is a great option if you want to double up on your protein and add extra chicken!)
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1.5 cups salad
- Calories: 275
- Sugar: 10.3 g
- Sodium: 542.9 mg
- Fat: 14.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.7 g
- Fiber: 4.4 g
- Protein: 22.1 g
- Cholesterol: 55.2 mg