Asian Sesame Salad with chicken, napa cabbage, green onions, cilantro, crunchy almonds, and delicious sesame salad dressing. It’s so fresh and flavorful!

asian sesame salad this recipe

Today I’m sharing this fresh and flavorful Asian sesame chicken salad with napa cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, and crunchy almonds. It’s tossed in sesame salad dressing and finished off with more sesame seeds.

Enjoy it as a dinner salad or as a lighter salad served alongside a veggie soup, such as Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup.

Ingredients

The ingredients for this Asian chicken salad come in two parts – the salad and the sesame salad dressing.

FOR THE SALAD

sesame chicken salad ingredients

FOR THE DRESSING

  • Sesame oil
  • Olive oil
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Honey
  • Lime juice
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
asian sesame salad dressing ingredients

How to Make Asian Sesame Salad

 This sesame chicken salad comes together in just a few easy steps. Prepare all of the ingredients and get ready to assemble:

  • Mix the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, lime juice, garlic, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
asian sesame salad dressing in a bowl
  • Assemble the salad: Toss all of the salad ingredients in a bowl with chicken or layer everything on a large rimmed platter.
asian sesame chicken salad in a bowl
  • Toss with the dressing: Toss the salad with the dressing. Taste for salt and pepper, and enjoy immediately.

Make-Ahead Instructions

This is a great make-ahead salad that you can enjoy for several days as it stores really well in the fridge. Here’s how to prep it:

  • Make the sesame salad dressing up to a week in advance and keep stored in an airtight container.
  • Toss together the napa cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, green onions, and cilantro. Keep stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  • Store the cooked chicken in a sealed container for 3-4 days.
  • Right before serving, toss together the prepared vegetables, chicken, sliced almonds, and sesame seeds with the dressing. Enjoy immediately.
sesame chicken salad recipe

More Asian Inspired Salads

Love loaded salads? Try our Thai Chicken Salad or any of these salads:

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sesame chicken salad

Asian Sesame Salad Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 25 mins
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Chopped
  • Cuisine: Asian
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Description

Sesame chicken salad with napa cabbage, green onions, cilantro, crunchy almonds, and delicious sesame dressing. It’s so fresh and flavorful!

Ingredients

Units Scale

Dressing

  • 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 2 tsp. fresh lime juice
  • 1 garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
  • Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

Salad

  • 1 lb. napa cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
  • 2 small cucumbers or 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 3 green onions, sliced on sharp diagonal
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
  • 2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
  • 12 oz. cooked grilled chicken, roasted chicken, or rotisserie chicken, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the salad dressing. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 
  2. Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the salad. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Dressing: Don’t be alarmed if the salad dressing tastes very strong. It is very flavorful on its own but when tossed with the salad the flavors even out.  
  • Make-Ahead: This is a great make-ahead salad. It lasts in the fridge for up to 4 days. See post for make-ahead instructions.
  • Servings: This salad makes 4 generous portions to serve for dinner or as a big lunch salad. You can break up the salad into smaller portions to serve alongside a soup or even a vegetarian main dish.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 504
  • Sugar: 15.7 g
  • Sodium: 110.1 mg
  • Fat: 34.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 25.3 g
  • Protein: 27.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 63.8 mg