Salad
Asian Sesame Chicken Salad
Shredded chicken over cabbage and carrot with a nutty soy-sesame-lime dressing. Great with leftover or poached chicken — barely any cooking.
About this recipe
Asian Sesame Chicken Salad is a salad lunch for 2 that comes together with no stove at all — just prep, toss and serve. It’s built around chicken, and it takes around 15 min start to finish. We sized it for a small household and ranked it on OneToCook by how much of it you already have in the fridge.
Good to know
* Dietary flags are derived from the listed ingredients — always check labels and your own needs for allergens.
Ingredients
- 1 carrot
- 2 stalks spring onion
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 chicken breast buy
- 1/4 small cabbage buy
- 1/2 lime buy
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds buy
Equipment
Method
- 1
PoachPoach.Cook gently in liquid below a simmer — keeps delicate food tender.Glossary → the chicken in simmeringSimmer.Cook in liquid with gentle bubbling, just below a boil.Glossary → salted water 10–12 min until cooked through, then shred (or use leftover chicken to skip this).
~12 min
- 2
Shred cabbage and carrot finely; slice spring onion on the bias.
~4 min
- 3
Whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice and sugar into a dressing.
~2 min
- 4
Toss everything together and finish with toastedToast.Heat dry (no oil) until aromatic and lightly browned — spices, nuts, rice.Glossary → sesame seeds.
~1 min
Smart swaps
Out of something? Try one of these.
- Chicken breast
- chicken thigh (more forgiving), prawns, or firm tofu.
- Spring onion
- thinly sliced onion or chives for the finish.
- Soy sauce
- tamari (gluten-free) or, in a pinch, a mix of Worcestershire sauce and water.
- Sesame oil
- use sparingly — a tiny bit of tahini, or just skip it; it’s a finishing flavour.
- Lime
- lemon, or a splash of rice vinegar for the acidity.
Cook's notes
- Dice the onion before anything heats up so it’s ready when the pan is — a even dice cooks evenly. How to dice an onion →
- Keep the white and green parts separate — whites go in early with the aromatics, greens at the end. How to chop spring onions →
- Cut carrots into thin matchsticks so they soften in the same time as everything else. How to julienne carrots →
- Roll the lime firmly on the bench before juicing — you’ll get noticeably more juice out of it. How to juice a lime →
- Do your chopping first (mise en place). With everything prepped, the actual cooking here is only about 12 min.
Storage & leftovers
Best eaten fresh. If you’re prepping ahead, keep the dressing separate and only toss just before serving so it stays crisp — store the parts in the fridge for up to a day.
Frequently asked
How long does Asian Sesame Chicken Salad take to make? +
Around 15 min from start to finish, almost all of it hands-on.
How many people does this recipe serve? +
As written it serves 2. To cook for 4, roughly multiply the ingredients — but cook in batches if the pan gets crowded, so things sear instead of steaming.
What equipment do I need? +
You’ll want: induction hob, pot. OneToCook only suggests recipes that fit the equipment you tell it you have, so you can filter these out if your kitchen is more minimal.
What can I use if I'm missing an ingredient? +
Common swaps for this dish: Chicken breast → chicken thigh (more forgiving), prawns, or firm tofu; Spring onion → thinly sliced onion or chives for the finish; Soy sauce → tamari (gluten-free) or, in a pinch, a mix of Worcestershire sauce and water. See the full list of smart swaps above.
Can I make Asian Sesame Chicken Salad ahead of time? +
Best eaten fresh. If you’re prepping ahead, keep the dressing separate and only toss just before serving so it stays crisp — store the parts in the fridge for up to a day.
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