Asian Chicken Salad (Recipe 40 of 150)

I have not met very many Asian Chicken Salads I didn't like. And this one is no different. So good. So filling. I made extra because I plan on eating it for lunch tomorrow. 

The marinade for this one is very typical. The Asian flavors in this are in most of the other Asian salads I've had. I marinaded the chicken for 2.5 hours. That was the perfect time for me. And it added enough flavor all around. 

I chopped the chicken into bite size pieces and put them on a skewer. My theory is in small cubes more marinade per bite. 

Asian Chicken Salad

Recipe from Tastesbetterfromscratch.com

Serves 4

Marinade and Dressing:

1/4 c low-sodium soy sauce

2 T fresh chopped ginger

1/4 c olive oil

2 T hoisin sauce

1 T sesame oil

1/2 tsp Sriracha hot sauce , or more, to taste

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c red wine vinegar

2 green onions , finely chopped

2 boneless, skinless breasts

For the Salad:

1 large head romaine or green leafy lettuce , chopped

2 c chopped red, green or napa cabbage

1/2 English cucumber sliced

1 carrot , shredded

1/2 c sliced almonds or cashews 

11 ounce can mandarin oranges drained

1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro

For topping:

Handful Crunchy chow mein noodles or wonton strips , optional

Make marinade: 

Whisk together the soy sauce, chopped ginger, olive oil, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, and salt.

Add 3 tablespoon of the marinade to a bowl or large ziplock bag (the rest will be reserved for the dressing). Cut the chicken breasts in half, lengthwise (butterfly), to create 6 thin chicken breast halves. Add to the marinade and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3-4 hours.

To the remaining marinade, add red wine vinegar and sliced green onions, to make a dressing for the salad. Refrigerate.

For the salad:

Add lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, carrots, almonds, bell peppers, mandarin oranges and cilantro to a large bowl.

Grill the chicken on medium high heat, cooking for about 3 minutes on each side, flipping once, until cooked through.

Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice the chicken against the grain and add to the salad.

Pour desired amount of dressing on top and toss to combine. Garnish with crunchy wonton strips or chow mein noodles, if desired.