Sesame Orange Chicken Salad

A platter of grilled chicken sliced over a colorful salad with cabbage, greens, mandarin oranges, sliced almonds, and a light dressing.

5 from 2 votes

Sesame Orange Chicken Salad

🍊🥗🥕 Crunchy cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, and toasted almonds tossed with juicy Asian chicken and sweet mandarin oranges. The tahini-sesame-ginger dressing that coats everything perfectly and takes this quick, EASY, flexible, and healthy salad recipe from good to INCREDIBLE! For time-saving shortcuts using rotisserie or leftover chicken, store bought dressing, or a bag of coleslaw mix, make sure to read the blog post for more details.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Marinating Time15

Course: 30-Minute Meals, Chicken, lunch, Salad, Sides, Salads & Vegetables

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Asian chicken salad, chicken salad, orange sesame chicken salad, sesame orange chicken salad

Servings:

Calories: 423cal

Equipment

large skillet

Ingredients

Chicken (or use rotisserie or leftover chicken)

2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (I recommend thin-sliced or slice them yourself; boneless skinless chicken thighs may be substituted)

Sesame-Ginger Dressing (or use store bought)

3-4 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey or to taste
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
½ teaspoon garlic powder or to taste

Salad (all ingredients are mix-and-match, very flexible)

2 cups thinly sliced Napa or green cabbage or use a 12 to 14-ounce bag coleslaw mix with red & green cabbage and carrots
1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced
½ cup carrots in matchsticks
2 to 3 small mandarin oranges peeled and segmented (regular Valencia oranges may be sliced and used; or canned mandarin oranges may be used)
2 green onions trimmed and sliced into thin rounds
¼ cup sliced almonds toasted if desired (or use cashews, peanuts, or sesame seeds)
3-4 tablespoons fresh cilantro finely minced

Instructions

Chicken - To large bowl, combine the soy sauce, lime juice, sesame and olive oils, whisk to combine, add the chicken, and allow it to marinate on your countertop for about 15-20 minutes while you're making the dressing and slicing the fresh ingredients for the salad.
When you're ready to cook it, to a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, remove the chicken from the bowl with tongs (discard the marinade), place the chicken into the skillet, and cook over medium-high heat for about 7-9 minutes, flipping once midway. Cooking Tips - Chicken is done when it reaches 165F as measured with a thermometer. Cooking time will vary dramatically based on the thickness of the chicken but for thin-sliced chicken, about 4 minutes per side is what works for me. Set the cooked chicken aside on cutting board to rest before slicing.
Dressing - To a small bowl, add all the ingredients, whisk to combine, and taste. Make any necessary flavor adjustments, as desired. Flavor Tips - This is a highly personal flavor combo so add whatever you think it needs. If it tastes at all flat or boring, I recommend salt. And/or more lime juice, and honey if you prefer it a bit sweeter. For a bit of a kick, red pepper flakes are a nice touch. When you're happy with it, set it aside momentarily or if you're making this in advance, transfer to a small mason jar with a lid or container with a lid and refrigerate. Dressing will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Salad - To a large platter or serving bowl, add the cabbage, bell pepper, carrots, oranges, green onions, almonds (or other nuts), and cilanto.
Optional Toasting - If desired and you want to toast the nuts, add them to a dry skillet and toast them for a couple minutes over medium-low heat, making sure to shake the pan and stir nearly continuously so they don't burn.
Assembly - Add the sliced chicken to the salad, drizzle the dressing to taste, and serve! Optionally garnish with extra sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, other fresh herbs such as basil or parsley, etc. and to taste.

Notes

Make-Ahead and Storage: To make ahead, store the cooked chicken in its own airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Store the dressing separately in its own mason jar with a lid or small container with a lid. Dressing will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week. The cabbage and other veggies, when stored in meal prep containers, will stay fresh for up to 4-5 days. Top with the chicken and dressing just before serving.

Nutrition