Asian chicken salad is crisp, refreshing, satisfying, and delicious! It's very simple to make and is perfect as a side dish or a meal. Loaded with ingredients like napa cabbage, tender chicken, toasted almonds, snow peas, and coated with a tasty sesame soy dressing, it's a salad that is sure to become a favorite!

We all need more salads that we can say we love to eat and this is one of them!

Fresh, crisp, delicious, and satisfying, this Asian chicken salad is perfect as a side or main and ticks all texture and flavor boxes!

How To Make the Salad

The Dressing

For the dressing you'll need:

Toasted sesame seeds
Neutral-flavored oil
Rice vinegar
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Honey
Salt and pepper

Toasting sesame seeds: You can buy toasted sesame seeds, but I prefer to toast them myself because they taste more fresh and have a nutty taste that adds nicely to the flavor of the dressing.

White sesame seeds in a dark round pan, golden brown toasted sesame seeds in a pan.

Heat sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until they turn a golden brown, being careful that they don't burn.

Combine the cooled toasted sesame seeds with the remaining dressing ingredients in a measuring cup or bowl and whisk well to blend.

A glass measuring cup containing a thick brown liquid with sesame seeds.

Refrigerate the dressing for at least 30 minutes before using.

The Salad

For the salad, you'll need:

Finely cut napa cabbage
Cooked chicken breast (poached or grilled), finely chopped
Snow peas, flash cooked and sliced
Chopped green onions
Toasted sliced almonds

A head of white and green napa cabbage, thinly sliced, and a cooked chicken breast cut into small pieces.

Flash cooking the snow peas: Flash cooking the snow peas for half a minute brings the vibrant green color in them and it also takes a bit of the rawness away. All you need is to submerge the snow peas in hot boiling water for 30 seconds!

Green snow peas with the tips and strings removed, submerged in water in a bowl, and cut into strips.

It is very important to only cook them for about 30 seconds and immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water so that the snow peas retain some crispness and crunch to them. Any longer and they will become soggy.

Combining All the Ingredients

Combine the napa cabbage, chicken, and snow peas in a large mixing bowl. Add about ¾ of each of the green onions and sliced almonds, saving the remaining ¼ of each to sprinkle on top of the salad before serving.

Sesame seed brown dressing being poured into a bowl containing cabbage, sliced almonds, snow peas.

Add all the dressing to the bowl and mix all the ingredients. Transfer to a salad bowl and top with the remaining green onions, sliced almonds, and extra toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!

A dark round bowl containing chicken salad topped with sliced almonds, green onions, and sesame seeds.

Commonly Asked Questions

Do I have to use poached chicken?
While I like using poached chicken for this recipe because it's really easy to make, grilled chicken or the meat from a roast chicken or rotisserie chicken also work perfectly for this salad.

What if I am vegetarian?
Substitute the chicken with a variety of mushrooms!

What can I substitute for the napa cabbage?
If you can't find napa cabbage, use regular western cabbage or romaine lettuce.

Do I have to toast the sesame seeds and almond slices?
You do not have to, but toasting the sesame seeds and almond slices them gives them a nice flavor. Toasted almonds are also more crisp and lends a nice crunch to the salad.

Looking For More Tasty Salads?

I love salads that have interesting layers of ingredients and flavors...why eat salads if they're boring? If you're like me, check out these salad recipes:

A round white plate containing chicken salad with cabbage and sliced almonds.

If you're looking for salad dressing recipes so you can skip the store-bought, try out these quick, easy, and tasty options:

Close-up of a fork containing cabbage, cooked chicken, green snow peas, and sesame seeds.

This Asian chicken salad is sure to be a hit and a favorite. Fresh, crisp, substantial, and loaded with textures and flavors, this is definitely a winner that falls easily into the No Boring Salads category!