Chicken Salad with Sesame & Ginger

If you’ve been making the same classic chicken salad for years, it might be time to switch things up a little.

This version uses a sesame and ginger dressing instead of the usual stuff. It gives the salad a completely different vibe – more savory, a little nutty, and just slightly sweet.

The shredded chicken soaks up all that flavor, and the added veggies and crispy wonton strips on top make every bite interesting.

It comes together in minutes, especially if you already have cooked chicken ready to go. Great for meal prep, lunch, or a light dinner.

I think once you try this one, it might become your new go-to chicken salad recipe.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

The Dressing Is Absolutely Addictive – The mix of toasted sesame oil and fresh ginger creates a rich nutty dressing you will want to put on everything.

Every Bite Has Amazing Texture – Tender shredded chicken paired with crunchy wonton strips and crisp carrots makes each forkful exciting to eat.

It Tastes Like Restaurant Quality – The combo of soy sauce and rice vinegar with honey gives this salad a balanced savory-sweet flavor that feels fancy.

Ingredients

• 3 cups Cooked Chicken Breast, shredded
• 3 tbsp Mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
• 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp Fresh Ginger, finely grated
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1/2 cup Shredded Carrots
• 1/3 cup Edamame, shelled
• 3 Green Onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
• 2 tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup Crispy Wonton Strips

Directions

Step 1

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, freshly grated ginger, and honey. Continue whisking until the dressing is completely smooth and emulsified.

Step 2

Add the shredded cooked chicken breast to the bowl and toss until every strand of chicken is evenly coated in the sesame ginger dressing.

Step 3

Fold in the shredded carrots, shelled edamame, and sliced green onions. Mix gently until everything is distributed throughout the salad.

Step 4

Sprinkle in the toasted sesame seeds and chopped fresh cilantro. Give the salad one more gentle toss to combine.

Step 5

Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes so the flavors blend together.

Step 6

Just before serving, scatter the crispy wonton strips over the top and gently fold them through. Serve immediately so the wonton strips stay crunchy. This salad is perfect on its own, in lettuce cups, or stuffed into a soft roll.

Pro Tips

Use Poached or Gently Baked Chicken

How you cook the chicken makes a big difference here. Poaching chicken breasts in simmering water (or even chicken broth) keeps them super moist and easy to shred into thin, tender strands.

If you bake them instead, cover the pan with foil and don’t go above 400°F. Dry, overcooked chicken will make the whole salad feel tough and chewy, even with the dressing on it.

You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken. Just pull it apart into thin shreds rather than chopping it so the dressing coats every piece better.

Grate the Ginger with a Microplane

A regular grater leaves behind fibrous chunks of ginger that you’ll bite into, and it’s not pleasant. A microplane turns it into an almost paste-like texture that disappears into the dressing.

Before you grate, peel the ginger with the edge of a spoon. It removes the skin without wasting any of the flesh underneath.

If your ginger feels dry or wrinkly, it’s past its prime and won’t give you much flavor. Fresh ginger should be firm and snap cleanly when you break a piece off.

Mix the Dressing Before Adding Anything Else

Whisk the mayo, sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and honey together on their own first until it looks completely smooth. Mayo and oil don’t like to combine easily, so you need a good 30 seconds of steady whisking.

If you skip this step and just toss everything together at once, you’ll get pockets of mayo stuck to the chicken and spots with no flavor at all. A smooth, blended dressing coats the chicken evenly so every bite tastes the same.

Related Recipes

• High Protein Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• High Protein Chicken Fried Rice
• High Protein Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
• High Protein Shrimp Stir Fry

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use rotisserie chicken for this salad?

Absolutely, and honestly rotisserie chicken is one of the easiest ways to make this recipe come together quickly. Just pull the meat off the bones and shred it – you will need about one medium rotisserie chicken to get the 3 cups of shredded meat called for.

You can use a mix of white and dark meat if you like. Dark meat adds a bit more richness and moisture to the salad, which pairs really nicely with the sesame ginger dressing.