Sesame Chicken Salad
Sesame Chicken Salad features soy- and ginger-marinated chicken tossed with crisp napa and green cabbage, carrot, and toasted sesame seeds, all coated in a garlicky ginger-mayo dressing. It’s bright, nutty, and savory with a satisfying crunch from crispy fried noodles—great for a fresh lunch or a light dinner.
- Prep20 mins
- Cook10 mins
- Serves4
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Sesame Chicken Salad, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 50 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 37 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 90 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 40
- Heart Health
- 80
- Metabolic
- 57
- Digestive
- 74
- Inflammatory
- 82
- Performance
- 57
- General Wellness
- 1
Put the chicken in a large glass or ceramic bowl.
- 2
Whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger together for the marinade in a small bowl, then pour it over the chicken and toss to coat evenly.
- 3
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours to overnight.
- 4
Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
- 5
Stir together the mayonnaise, sesame oil, sugar, and ginger for the dressing in a small bowl.
- 6
Cover and refrigerate the dressing while you cook the chicken.
- 7
Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess.
- 8
Discard the remaining marinade.
- 9
Grill the chicken on the preheated grill until it is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 10 minutes.
- 10
An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should register at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
- 11
Remove the chicken from the grill and chop it when it is cool enough to handle.
- 12
While the chicken cooks, place the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium-high heat.
- 13
Shake the pan as if making popcorn and toast until the seeds give off a pleasant toasted aroma, 3 to 5 minutes.
- 14
Quickly take the pan off the heat and transfer the seeds to a bowl to cool, as they will keep cooking and burn if left in the pan.
- 15
Put the napa cabbage, green cabbage, and carrot in a large bowl with the chicken and toasted sesame seeds.
- 16
Toss to combine, then mix in the dressing.
- 17
Divide the salad among plates and top with crispy fried noodles.
- Calories 809.54 kcal High 40%
- Protein 59.29 g Good Source 119%
- Carbohydrate 44.13 g 16%
- Total Fat 45.69 g High 59%
- Saturated Fat 6.12 g High 31%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 165.23 mg High 55%
- Sodium 1395.03 mg High 61%
- Dietary Fiber 8.7 g Good Source 31%
- Total Sugars 13.94 g --
- Added Sugars 0.54 g Low Source 1%
- Calcium 156.18 mg Moderate 12%
- Iron 3.54 mg Moderate 20%
- Potassium 722.91 mg Moderate 15%
- Vitamin A 611.13 mcg Good Source 68%
- Vitamin C 87.1 mg Good Source 97%
- Vitamin D 0.14 mcg Low Source 1%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Soy 🌱
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
- Sesame
- Garlic 🧄
About This Recipe
Sesame Chicken Salad is a Chinese dinner recipe made with 13 ingredients. It takes about 30 mins, serves 4, and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Brown Sugar, Chicken Breast, Chinese Cabbage, and Fresh Ginger. Each serving provides about 809.54 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Sesame Chicken Salad?
- It is a Chinese salad recipe made with 13 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch or salad.
- What is Sesame Chicken Salad made of?
- The main ingredients are Brown Sugar, Chicken Breast, Chinese Cabbage, Fresh Ginger, Green Cabbage. The full list of 13 is above.
- What goes well with Sesame Chicken Salad?
- Explore these Chinese side-dish recipes.
- How long does it take to make Sesame Chicken Salad?
- About 30 mins in total: 20 mins to prepare and 10 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 809.54 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Sesame Chicken Salad easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 13 ingredients and 17 steps.
- Is Sesame Chicken Salad healthy?
- Sesame Chicken Salad has an easyChef Pro health score of 57/100. Per serving, it provides 809.54 calories and 59.29 g of protein, or 119% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 1395.03 mg (61% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 6.12 g (31% of the Daily Value). It contains Soy, Wheat, Gluten, Sesame and Garlic, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.
For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.
Score a recipe free, no app required