Creamy Sesame Chicken Salad
Creamy Sesame Chicken Salad- Shredded rotisserie chicken is mixed in a creamy, Asian inspired mayo for a delicious new twist on a lunchtime favorite.
August 8, 2022 by Nicole Collins
Do you ever feel like you have a million things and nothing going on at the exact same time?
Life has been particularly crazy lately, and I’ve been feeling so emotionally exhausted.
But at the same time, I don’t feel like much has changed about my routine. So how is my energy level not the same?
I was craving rotisserie chicken SOOOOO badly the other day, but I could not muster up the energy to drive across the street to the store to grab one. The stores around me don’t usually put their chickens out until 10am (which is a totally reasonable time). But, the thought of leaving the house and going out into the world during a peak weekend shopping time felt crippling to me.
Thank goodness for grocery delivery services!
The chicken was all that I wanted. But, I ended up scrounging up enough to make the order minimum. And, I got 2 chickens…mostly so that I could freeze one for later and never have to run into this particular dilemma again.
So, can you guess what the main ingredient in today’s recipe is? That’s right! Today, we’re making Creamy Sesame Chicken Salad!
I feel like I say this with every new recipe, and I truly mean it each and every time I say it. But, this chicken salad is my latest obsession. I’ve been making batches on repeat, because it’s sooooo freaking good! And, it’s easy! We’re simply going to take some shredded rotisserie chicken, mix it with a creamy Asian inspired mayo, and stuff our faces.
So, let’s get to it!
Let’s start with the rotisserie chicken. I like to remove the meat from the chicken as soon as I get it home, because the meat is so much easier to remove when it’s warm. Sometimes, I’ll buy one of yesterday’s cold chickens (if that’s all the store has); and that works perfectly fine, of course. But, it’s just a time saver to deal with it while it’s warm if you can.
I like to use a mix of both the white and dark meat, but if you have a preference between the two, definitely use what you like. You could even use any old leftover cooked chicken as long as it wasn’t seasoned with any bold flavors. But, you really can’t go wrong with those $5 store bought chickens if you ask me. Either way, we’re going to shred the meat and set it aside while we make our dressing.
For our creamy base, we’re going to use a little mayo, a splash of soy sauce, a touch of sesame oil, and a little rice vinegar, agave syrup, ground ginger, and garlic powder. We’ll mix it all together until it’s smooth and creamy. Then, we’ll toss in our chicken and some other goodies to make this chicken salad extra special.
Before I tell you the next ingredient, let me first tell my loved ones that “YES, I am ok”. I added this ingredient voluntarily, and I’m glad I did it! To give our creamy chicken salad a little texture, we’re going to mix in some matchstick carrots, some sliced green onion, and a spoonful of sesame seeds. Anyone that knows me knows that I loathe carrots, but I truly couldn’t imagine this chicken salad without them. They add the absolute perfect bite of crunch that this salad needs to make it extra interesting.
Once we have everything mixed together, we’re ready to eat! The creamy sesame flavor is perfectly present as soon as you finish mixing, so this doesn’t have to hang out in the fridge at all before you dig in. However with most delicious things, the longer it sets, the better it gets. So if you have the time to let it chill a bit, definitely do it.
When it’s time to serve, I like to stuff this chicken salad into some lettuce cups then top it with a sprinkle of chow mein noodles for some extra crunch. I also like to make some wonton chips to help scoop this chicken salad up like a cracker. It even tastes great on some nice, seedy, toasted bread. There are so many options here, you can’t go wrong!
This chicken salad is perfectly creamy from the mayo mix. It’s perfectly nutty from the sesame oil. It’s perfectly crunchy from the matchstick carrots. And, it’s perfectly simple thanks to that store bought rotisserie chicken! I really love chicken salad, but this honestly might just be my new go to preparation. It’s that amazing!
Alright, everyone! That’s all we’ve got for today. Really all that’s left to say is “please go make this chicken salad immediately”.
Until next time…let’s eat!
Creamy Sesame Chicken Salad
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
½ tsp agave syrup
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp garlic powder
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
½ cup matchstick carrots
2 green onions, chopped (light and dark green parts only)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Chow mein noodles, for garnish
Bibb lettuce or wonton chips, for serving
Directions:
To a mixing bowl, add mayo, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, agave, ginger, and garlic powder. Mix well until fully combined and creamy.
Add chicken, carrots, green onions, and sesame seeds to the dressing mix. Stir well to coat.
To serve, divide chicken salad between lettuce cups or serve with wonton chips. Garnish with chow mein noodles, if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe notes:
*You can serve this chicken salad right away without chilling it first. But the longer it sets, the better it gets. If you have the time, let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
*If adding the chow mein noodles for garnish, wait until you’re ready to serve to add them so they don’t get soggy. We only want them for their crunch!
*To make wonton chips, line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Cut wonton wrappers in half diagonally, and arrange them on prepared baking sheet. Spritz the tops of the wontons with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 4-6 minutes until golden.
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