Asian Chicken Crunch Salad With Peanut Dressing

Asian Chicken Crunch Salad is one of those recipes that hits every note crunchy, savory, a little sweet, and totally satisfying. I’m so over-the-moon excited to share this one with you because it’s been on repeat in our house for weeks now.

The first time I made this, Henry took one bite and immediately asked if we could have it again the next night. Isabella picked out the edamame (classic), Noah ate two bowls, and Emma declared it “the best salad ever.” Coming from a kid who usually side eyes anything green, that’s saying a lot!

What I love most is how this crunchy chicken cabbage salad comes together so fast. The chicken marinates while you prep the veggies, the peanut dressing takes less than five minutes to whisk together, and dinner is on the table before anyone starts complaining they’re starving.

If you love big, bold salads that actually fill you up, you’ll also want to check out this Best High Protein Bowl it’s another weeknight favorite at our place.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Ready in about 30 minutes fast enough for any weeknight
• High protein with 34g per bowl, thanks to the marinated chicken
• Loaded with texture crunchy cabbage, crisp bell pepper, chewy edamame, and crunchy peanuts
• The peanut chicken salad dressing is seriously addictive (you’ll want to put it on everything)
• Easy to customize swap veggies, change the nut butter, make it your own
• Great for meal prep since the components store separately

Ingredients Needed For Asian Chicken Crunch Salad

For the chicken:

• 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1–2 tablespoons brown sugar (depending on preference)
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

For the salad:

• 3 cups shredded purple cabbage
• 3 cups shredded green cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
• ½ cup shelled edamame
• ½ cup diced green onion
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup chopped peanuts

For the peanut dressing:

• 3 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons sriracha
• 2 tablespoons warm water (or more to thin)

Sub the peanut butter for almond butter, sunflower butter, or tahini if needed.

How To Make Asian Chicken Crunch Salad

1. Cut the chicken into small 1 inch cubes and place in a shallow bowl.
2. Whisk together all marinade ingredients soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, tahini, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, sriracha, and sesame seeds. Pour over the chicken and let it sit while you prep everything else.
3. Whisk together all the peanut chicken salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Add warm water a little at a time until it reaches a pourable consistency. Set aside.
4. Shred your cabbage using a mandoline or a sharp knife. Add all the veggies — both cabbages, carrots, bell pepper, edamame, green onion, cilantro, and peanuts to a large salad bowl.
5. Heat a skillet with a splash of oil over medium heat. Add the chicken, leaving the marinade behind for now.
6. Cook for about 3 minutes per side until browned, then pour in the remaining marinade.
7. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the sauce has thickened nicely.
8. Let the chicken cool slightly, then toss the salad with your desired amount of dressing.
9. Add the chicken on top and toss everything together. Garnish with extra cilantro and sesame seeds.

How To Store Leftovers

Store the salad components separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Keep the peanut dressing in a sealed jar it stays fresh for up to 5 days and is great on other salads too.

If you’ve already tossed everything together, it’ll keep for about 1 day, though the cabbage will soften a bit. The flavors are honestly still great the next day

Variations You’ll Want To Try With This Asian Chicken Salad Recipe

Want to mix things up? Here are a few ideas:

• Make it vegetarian: Skip the chicken and add crispy baked tofu or extra edamame
• Change the nut butter: Almond butter gives a milder flavor, sunflower butter keeps it nut-free
• Add mango or mandarin oranges for a sweet contrast to the spicy dressing
• Toss in ramen noodles (uncooked) for extra crunch kids go wild for this
• Dial back the sriracha if you’re serving it to little ones

The beauty of this Asian chicken salad recipe is that it really does work with whatever you have in the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s Wrap This Up

Honestly, this Asian Chicken Crunch Salad is one of those dishes you’ll keep coming back to. It’s quick, it’s filling, and that peanut dressing is just so good. I make it at least twice a month and it never gets old.

If you try it, I’d love to hear how it went! Drop a comment below and tell me what veggies you used or how you made it your own.

And don’t forget save this to Pinterest so you can find it later

Recipes You May Like

If you loved this Asian Chicken Crunch Salad, here are a few more recipes to add to your list:

• Kale Quinoa Salad Recipe another crunchy, nutrient-packed salad that’s big on flavor
• Best Southwest Chicken Wrap Recipe perfect if you want to use similar ingredients in a handheld lunch
• Honey Garlic Chicken Meal Prep a great companion recipe when you want to prep chicken for the week

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