I know you’re going to love this Grilled Ginger-Sesame Chicken Salad recipe, and not just because I’ve already gotten a bunch of comments from everyone excitedly saving it! Here’s why it’s wonderful…

This post was originally published June, 2013. This post has been updated with new photos and content.

Grilled Ginger-Sesame Chicken Salad

First, this grilled chicken salad recipe is super versatile: it can be served as a main dish or a side dish. As you’ll see below in the recipe proper, giving everyone slightly smaller portions doubles the yield. Grill it up as a family dinner or as a wonderful addition to the main course for a larger party.

Another reason why it’s great? It’s just a perfect, quick meal. The marinade doubles as the dressing, which means no extra prep time. Besides the ingredients, all you need is a grill, a whisk, and some bowls. Nothing complicated here.

Finally, grilled chicken salad of any kind is a healthy (but still delicious) meal. This one in particular is all veggies and lean poultry. So good!

My grilled chicken salad inspiration…

Why am I bringing this recipe up now? Well…

At the moment, schools are finishing up their final weeks of class and graduation celebrations are in full swing. The sun is out when I leave for work, and it’s still bright for several hours when I return. For the next three months or so, we are outdoors enjoying the sunshine! I love the summer months!

Of course, the last few days I’ve been saying to myself, “Soooo, Mr. Weatherman, do you think you can cooperate and stick with the script?” This past Saturday we went on a beautiful hike wearing shorts and tank tops, and on Sunday we were back to wearing sweatshirts and hibernating in the house!

And even though I was thinking about warming up with some soup, I wanted to kick off the summer season by heating up the grill, even if the temperature wasn’t cooperating. My first summer meal was this Grilled Ginger-Sesame Chicken Salad. I saw the recipe while glancing through the magazines we have in the break room at work. It’s from Redbook, May 2013.

The flavors are wonderful together and I didn’t change a thing except marinade the chicken in more sauce than the recipe suggested. You want to let the sauce bathe the chicken for a good thirty minutes. After that, this grilled chicken salad meal can be put together in a flash.

Grilled Ginger-Sesame Chicken Salad – Ingredients & Utensils Required

Yield: 4 servings as a meal, or 8 as a side dish

Ingredients

Kick off the summer months by heating up your grill and putting together this easy (but amazing) grilled chicken dish.

Marinade/Dressing:

• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 Tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 3 Tablespoons canola oil
• 2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sriracha (optional)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)

Salad:

• 1 lb. napa cabbage, halved lengthwise, very thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 carrots shredded (I purchased pre-shredded and used about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 scallions thinly sliced (white and green parts)
• 2/3 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Utensils & Other Necessities

• Whisk
• Baking dish
• Medium and large bowls
• A grill (because it isn’t grilled chicken without one, after all!)

Instructions

Marinade:

1. In a medium bowl whisk soy sauce, ginger, oils, hoisin sauce, sriracha, and salt. 
2. Transfer 6 Tablespoons of the marinade to a baking dish.
3. Add the raw chicken.
4. Turn the chicken to coat it for 15 minutes. 
5. Cover and refrigerate the baking dish for 30 minutes.

Dressing:

1. Whisk the vinegar and scallions into the remaining marinade.
2. Set it aside. Easy!

Salad:

1. Grill the marinated chicken over medium-high heat. Cook about 4 minutes per side.
2. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes.
3. Cut chicken crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices.
4. In a large bowl, toss chicken, vegetables, and half of the almonds with enough dressing to coat lightly.
5. Plate and add additional dressing and top with remaining almonds and sesame seeds.

And finally…enjoy!

Comment down below…

Tell me all about how this recipe went for you! I’d love to hear what you and your family thought of it. I’d also enjoy reading about any variations or substitutions you might have made. Is there a way to create an even more perfect ginger chicken recipe?

Craving more salad recipes? You also might enjoy these delicious recipes:

• Thai-Inspired Salad with edamame.
• Strawberry Avocado Chicken Salad with homemade poppy seed dressing.
• Cabbage Salad Recipe with bean sprouts, feta cheese, cranberries, and sliced almonds with a simple balsamic dressing.