Hot summer days demand quick and easy meals that still pack a flavorful punch. This 20-minute Asian grilled chicken salad is perfect for those hot weeknights when you don’t want to turn on the stove.
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The weather has finally turned warm for us here in Utah. May was unseasonably cold, but now we’re getting temperatures in the 80s and 90s. This week we broke out the kiddie pool, went to a splash pad, and did an experiment with melting crayons in the sunshine on our back deck. Welcome summer!
Along with all the fun summer activities, I’ve been looking for summery meals that will keep my boys’ very active little bodies fueled up for adventure while keeping my kitchen cool. This grilled chicken salad has been a perfect fit!
Here’s how we came to love this recipe:
Right after Little Brother was born, my wonderful mother came to take care of me for a few days while we all got used to life as a family of four. She cleaned, she cooked, she gave Little Man lots of attention so he wouldn’t feel abandoned, and she snuggled Little Brother so that I could nap when I needed. She’s an awesome mom and grandma that way.
While she was here, one night she created this delicious grilled chicken salad for dinner. It wasn’t anything she had a recipe for. She just looked in my fridge and pulled together an amazing meal out of practically nothing. I guess you develop super powers like that after spending the better part of four decades cooking meals every night.
In any case, this meal has become one of our favorite easy summer go-to dinners. My husband requests it often on super hot days (and he’s a meat and potatoes kind of guy most of the time), and the rest of us love it, too.
If you’re thinking, “There is NO WAY my kids will eat a salad for a main dish”…hear me out. My boys actually love this meal! They don’t eat everything in the bowl, but a lot of the ingredients are totally kid friendly, so I just give them little piles of the stuff I know they’ll eat: oranges, chow mein noodles, chicken, carrots, apples, etc. I try to give them some of the salad itself, too, just because I believe that the more we expose our kids to a variety of foods the more likely they are to eat them eventually. Still, even if my toddler doesn’t go for the spinach (my five-year-old actually LOVES it), the boys are still getting lots of healthy filling foods for their dinner.
One note: I didn’t include any kind of dressing for this salad. We’re not much of a toss-the-dressing-with-the-salad kind of family because my husband doesn’t actually like salad dressing (feel free to tell him he’s weird–I do). I just drizzle a little store bought poppy seed dressing on and call it good. If you want some dressing inspiration, check out this Asian citrus vinaigrette from A Family Feast. I think it sounds delicious!
Asian Grilled Chicken Salad
Note: You can use several different kinds of chicken in this meal to keep it simple, but still full of flavor. My favorite is to quickly grill up my favorite make-ahead teriyaki chicken (get the recipe here). To make it even simpler, sometimes I’ll use the pre-cooked/sliced grilled chicken I buy in the frozen section at Costco (that stuff is brilliant!), or you can even use leftover rotisserie chicken. The options are endless!
Ingredients:
Note #2: I’m including ingredient amounts for each item below, but it is really flexible. It’s a salad after all, people. Feel free to add more or less of what you like.
- 2 cups cooked chicken (*see note above)
- 5 cups chopped lettuce (spinach, romaine, butter crunch…or a combination!)
- 1/2 cup carrots, sliced lenth-wise (or shredded)
- 1/2 cup red cabbage, sliced thinly
- 1/4 cup shelled edamame
- 8 oz. can Mandarin oranges, drained
- 1 small apple, diced
- 1/2 cup crunchy chow mein noodles
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Directions:
- Wash and chop lettuce and place in a large bowl.
- Top with carrots, cabbage, edamame, oranges, and apple.
- Slice or dice chicken and add it to the top.
- Garnish with chow mein noodles and almonds.
- Drizzle with your favorite Asian dressing, if desired.
Source: The Many Little Joys
(courtesy of my mom’s amazing ability to pull a meal together out of thin air)
ENJOY!
This looks really delicious! I crave salad all summer! Adding this to my meal plan!
I love summer salads, too. When it’s 95 degrees, I just want something cool and refreshing!
Totally understand why it’s your favorite! Looks yummy!
Kid-friendly, yes. However, I’m not sure I want to share… Just kidding. This looks amazing and delicious. I cant wait to try it out.
Thanks, Dani. Feel free to make it in secret and keep it all to yourself! 🙂
My stomach is actually growling as I read this… YUM! Something the whole family can enjoy.
Never read food blogs hungry. ☺️ But, really, I hope you make this and love it!
I am totally making this soon! Yummy and healthy!
This looks SO good! I love any chicken salad, and this one looks especially yummy!
This time of year the cool, refreshing salads just call my name!
This looks so delicious and is quite healthy
Thanks, Victoria. I love dinners that are full of fruits and veggies. I can eat more that way. ☺️
YUM! I pinned this to make soon! I love a good, colorful salad!
Thanks, Kim. I hope you enjoy it.
Yummy!! I am a salad fan! This looks tasty and satisfying! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thanks, Charissa! It’s great for really toasty days.
Delicious!
Wow this sounds absolutely amazing – anything with mandarin oranges = heaven.
Right? I love fruit in salad!
I love mandarin oranges on salads – especially Asian ones. Definitely will need to try this one out!
Looks so refreshing and simple for a warm summer night! My kids have finally started eating salad (meaning one or two lettuce leaves). Great idea to load them up with other parts of the salad that they will more readily eat.
What a great summer salad!! Our family eats salads at least 2 times a week during the summer, light, healthy, yet satisfying and filling. Can’t wait to try scheduled a pin!!
I love this salad! My mom made a similar salad when we were growing up. We asked for it all the time. I have to use a gluten free alternative to the chowmein noodles, but the crunch is the point, so there are lots of options. Thanks for reminding me of this. Adding it to my meal rotation. 🙂
I’m so glad, Amanda. For gluten free, you could just add extra almonds for the crunch factor. 🙂