Can I make this in an air fryer?

Yes, marinate the chicken as directed, then air fry at 380°F for about 14 to 16 minutes, tossing every five minutes. The pieces should cook evenly instead of browning only where they touch a skillet. You can simmer them with the extra marinade afterward, or add them directly to the salad. Keep the cubes near one inch so the timing and tossing guidance remain useful.

What can I use instead of peanut butter?

Almond butter, sunflower butter, or tahini can replace the peanut butter in the dressing. Each option will change the dressing’s flavor, but the recipe notes all three as workable swaps. Whisk the replacement thoroughly with the wet ingredients before deciding whether it needs more warm water. Add that water gradually, since the dressing is meant to be thinned only as needed.

Why is my peanut dressing too thick?

Add warm water as needed to thin a dressing that will not pour or toss easily. Natural creamy peanut butter can make the mixture dense before the liquid ingredients are fully incorporated. Whisk until the peanut butter has no visible lumps, then reassess the texture. Add water in small amounts so the dressing does not become thinner than intended.

Can I make this salad ahead?

Yes, this salad is suited to meal prep because cabbage keeps its crisp structure after dressing. Store the assembled salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator and toss it well before serving. The dressing can settle during storage, so the first bite may seem uneven if it is not mixed again. Let the cooked chicken cool slightly before combining it with the vegetables.

Can I turn it into a noodle salad?

Yes, add 6 to 8 ounces of cooked and cooled rice noodles to make this a noodle salad. Cooling the noodles first keeps them from warming and softening the cabbage mixture. The added noodles make the dressing spread across more ingredients, so toss carefully until everything is coated. Use your favorite rice noodles, as the recipe does not specify a particular noodle shape.

Asian Chicken Crunch Salad with Sesame Chicken and Peanut Dressing

By Liam CarterOct 6, 2026

Prep

15 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Browning the marinated chicken before simmering it in the remaining sauce builds a savory coating, while cooling it slightly keeps the cabbage crisp. This Asian chicken crunch salad combines sesame chicken, purple and green cabbage, bell pepper, carrots, edamame, and creamy peanut dressing.

The chicken marinade layers low-sodium soy sauce or tamari, garlic, brown sugar, tahini, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, sriracha, and sesame seeds. The dressing uses peanut butter with rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce or tamari, ginger, garlic, sriracha, and warm water, which can be added as needed to thin it.

Cook the one-inch chicken cubes on all sides until browned, then add the remaining marinade and let it simmer until the sauce thickens. The glossy sauce should cling to the chicken rather than pool loosely in the skillet. Skipping the final simmer leaves the chicken less coated, while adding hot chicken directly to the salad can soften the vegetables.

Toss the vegetables with as much dressing as you prefer, then fold in the cooled chicken and finish with cilantro and sesame seeds. The salad can also become a wrap or a noodle salad with cooked, cooled rice noodles. Refrigerated portions benefit from a thorough toss before serving.

Why you'll love this recipe

Pan-frying the one-inch chicken cubes browns their edges before the remaining marinade simmers down, giving each piece a seasoned coating rather than separate sauce.
A mix of purple and green cabbage stays crisp beside shredded carrot and bell pepper, so the salad retains its crunch after dressing.
Whisking the peanut dressing separately lets you control how much reaches the vegetables, preventing the bowl from becoming overly coated at serving.
Letting the cooked chicken cool slightly before tossing protects the raw vegetables from immediate heat, helping their fresh, crisp texture remain noticeable.
The air-fryer option cooks marinated chicken with periodic tossing, offering a hands-off route when you prefer not to pan-fry it.
Cabbage-based meal-prep portions hold their structure better than lettuce salads, and a thorough toss redistributes the dressing before eating.

Instructions

Cut the chicken into small cubes, about 1 inch.

Whisk together all chicken marinade ingredients in a shallow bowl.

Add the chicken to the marinade and let it marinate while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Whisk together all dressing ingredients and set aside.

Shred the cabbage with a mandoline or a knife.

Add the purple cabbage, green cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, edamame, green onion, cilantro, and peanuts to a large bowl.

Heat a skillet with a splash of oil over medium heat.

Add the chicken to the skillet, leaving the remaining marinade aside.

Cook the chicken on all sides for about 3 minutes, or until browned.

Add the remaining marinade and cook until the chicken reaches 165°F and the sauce has thickened.

Let the chicken cool slightly.

Toss the salad with as much or as little dressing as desired.

Add the chicken and toss to combine.

Garnish with more cilantro and sesame seeds.

For an air-fryer option, preheat the air fryer to 380°F and cook the marinated chicken for about 14-16 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes, until it reaches 165°F. Simmer with the remaining marinade afterward if desired, or add the chicken directly to the salad.

FAQ

The chicken is ready when the simmered sauce has thickened and the cubes meet the recipe’s stated internal-temperature target. Browning gives color first, but color alone does not confirm the center. Keep simmering after adding the remaining marinade if the coating is still thin. Check a cube from the thickest area rather than judging only the smallest pieces.

Asian Chicken Crunch Salad with Sesame Chicken and Peanut Dressing

1 / 5

Lunch Dinner Salads Chicken Asian High Protein

Asian Chicken Crunch Salad with Sesame Chicken and Peanut Dressing

Name: Asian Chicken Crunch Salad with Sesame Chicken and Peanut Dressing
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb chicken breast; 0.25 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari; 1 tbsp minced garlic; 1 tbsp brown sugar (1-2 tablespoons depending on preference); 1 tbsp tahini; 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil; 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 2 tsp fresh grated ginger; 1 tbsp sriracha; 1 tbsp sesame seeds; 3 cups shredded purple cabbage; 3 cups shredded green cabbage; 1 cup shredded carrot; 1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips); 0.5 cup shelled edamame; 0.5 cup diced green onion; 0.5 cup chopped cilantro; 0.25 cup chopped peanuts; 3 tbsp natural creamy peanut butter; 2 tbsp rice vinegar; 2 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil; 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari; 1 tsp fresh grated ginger; 1 tsp minced garlic; 2 tsp sriracha; 2 tbsp warm water (or more as needed to thin); oil (a splash for the skillet)

By Liam CarterOct 6, 2026

Prep

15 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

Pan-frying the one-inch chicken cubes browns their edges before the remaining marinade simmers down, giving each piece a seasoned coating rather than separate sauce.
A mix of purple and green cabbage stays crisp beside shredded carrot and bell pepper, so the salad retains its crunch after dressing.
Whisking the peanut dressing separately lets you control how much reaches the vegetables, preventing the bowl from becoming overly coated at serving.
Letting the cooked chicken cool slightly before tossing protects the raw vegetables from immediate heat, helping their fresh, crisp texture remain noticeable.
The air-fryer option cooks marinated chicken with periodic tossing, offering a hands-off route when you prefer not to pan-fry it.
Cabbage-based meal-prep portions hold their structure better than lettuce salads, and a thorough toss redistributes the dressing before eating.

Ingredients

Servings4

•1 lb chicken breast
•0.25 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
•1 tbsp minced garlic
•1 tbsp brown sugar (1-2 tablespoons depending on preference)
•1 tbsp tahini
•1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
•1 tbsp rice vinegar
•2 tsp fresh grated ginger
•1 tbsp sriracha
•1 tbsp sesame seeds
•3 cups shredded purple cabbage
•3 cups shredded green cabbage
•1 cup shredded carrot
•1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips)
•0.5 cup shelled edamame
•0.5 cup diced green onion
•0.5 cup chopped cilantro
•0.25 cup chopped peanuts
•3 tbsp natural creamy peanut butter
•2 tbsp rice vinegar
•2 tbsp honey
•1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
•2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari
•1 tsp fresh grated ginger
•1 tsp minced garlic
•2 tsp sriracha
•2 tbsp warm water (or more as needed to thin)
•oil (a splash for the skillet)

Instructions

1
Cut the chicken into small cubes, about 1 inch.
2
Whisk together all chicken marinade ingredients in a shallow bowl.
3
Add the chicken to the marinade and let it marinate while preparing the remaining ingredients.
4
Whisk together all dressing ingredients and set aside.
5
Shred the cabbage with a mandoline or a knife.
6
Add the purple cabbage, green cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, edamame, green onion, cilantro, and peanuts to a large bowl.
7
Heat a skillet with a splash of oil over medium heat.
8
Add the chicken to the skillet, leaving the remaining marinade aside.
9
Cook the chicken on all sides for about 3 minutes, or until browned.
10
Add the remaining marinade and cook until the chicken reaches 165°F and the sauce has thickened.
11
Let the chicken cool slightly.
12
Toss the salad with as much or as little dressing as desired.
13
Add the chicken and toss to combine.
14
Garnish with more cilantro and sesame seeds.
15
For an air-fryer option, preheat the air fryer to 380°F and cook the marinated chicken for about 14-16 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes, until it reaches 165°F. Simmer with the remaining marinade afterward if desired, or add the chicken directly to the salad.