Description
A vibrant and flavorful Asian Chicken Cranberry Salad that combines tender rotisserie chicken, crunchy nuts, sweet dried cranberries, and a zesty homemade dressing. This salad is perfect for a refreshing lunch or light dinner, featuring a mix of textures and the bright flavors of sesame, ginger, and mandarin oranges.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 2 small bags of coleslaw mix (about 12 cups)
- 4 cups rotisserie chicken, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups toasted sliced almonds (or cashews)
- 1 ½ cups dried cranberries (Orange Cranberries recommended)
- ¾ cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 cup sesame sticks (optional)
- 1 ½ cups chopped cilantro
- 1–2 small cans mandarin oranges, drained (optional)
- ¼ cup black sesame seeds (or regular sesame seeds)
Dressing Ingredients
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar (regular or white)
- 4 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 3–4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 Tbsp honey or brown sugar
- 4 Tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons water (for blending)
Instructions
- Prepare the salad base: In a large bowl, layer the coleslaw mix with finely chopped rotisserie chicken, toasted almonds or cashews, dried cranberries, diced red onion, sesame seeds, sesame sticks if using, chopped cilantro, and mandarin oranges if desired.
- Make the dressing: Add extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, low-sodium soy sauce, chopped garlic, honey or brown sugar, minced ginger, toasted sesame oil, and 3 tablespoons of water into a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Toss and serve: Lightly pour the dressing over the salad mixture according to your preferred moisture level. Gently toss the salad to evenly coat all ingredients with the dressing. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
- The salad can be customized by substituting almonds with cashews or a mixture of both.
- Sesame sticks and mandarin oranges add extra texture and sweetness but are optional.
- Use low-sodium soy sauce to keep the sodium content in control.
- Adjust the amount of dressing to achieve your desired salad moisture level.
- Leftover dressing can be stored separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Keywords: Asian chicken salad, cranberry salad, healthy chicken salad, coleslaw chicken salad, sesame dressing, rotisserie chicken salad
