Oriental Peanut Teriyaki Salad
Long before I created this blog, I had this oriental salad recipe in my wheelhouse. I remember it vividly. It was a spring day, five years ago, and I just served my dad this salad. The look on his face when he took his first bite was priceless. It was the first time I realized that I could bring sheer joy to people through food. My dad commented that the slight hint of peanut butter in my salad dressing was a perfect combination with the classic teriyaki chicken, nutty almond slivers, and subtle-tasting veggies. He said, they all sing in a beautiful orchestra, without one overpowering the other—as each bite was a burst of flavors. Try it for yourself and you’ll see why!
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 medium carrots, about 2 2/3 cups
- 1 English cucumbers, about 2 ¼ cups
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- ½ cup almond slivers
- ¼ cup scallions
- 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
- 1 cup my Stellar Oriental Salad Dressing
- 1 T. peanut butter
- 1 T. toasted white sesame seeds and more for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 To begin, cut the chicken in strips or bite-size pieces and add to a Pyrex, like a flat 8” x 8” glass container. Then, pat the chicken dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture and pour the teriyaki sauce over the meat to coat. Next, let the chicken marinate for 2 hours in the fridge or until the meat turns darker brown. This step can be done the night before since the chicken can be marinated overnight.
- Step 2 Next, the day of, prep the veggies. Wash and peel the carrots if they’re non-organic and chop them in a matchstick cut or sliver. Then, slice the cucumbers in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds, which otherwise would add unwanted moisture to your salad. Then, chop the cucumber in a matchstick cut as well and set aside in a large mixing bowl with the carrots. Lastly, chop the white and green parts of the scallions and add them to the same mixing bowl.
- Step 3 Now, heat a 10-12” nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken and marinade. Cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes or until the juices run clear, the meat is not red or pink, and the internal temperature is 165° F. Remove from the heat and discard the juices, draining them into a disposable container, not emptying them down the sink. Add to a second mixing bowl and stir in 1 T. of sesame seeds. Refrigerate if you aren’t serving right away.
- Step 4 Finally, assemble the salad by tearing the romaine lettuce in bite-size pieces and tossing in the chicken, carrots, cucumber, and almonds. Next, add 2 T. of peanut butter to my Stellar Oriental Salad Dressing and dress each salad with approximately 1 T. of dressing, when it’s ready to be served. Throw in the chicken and toss the salad, garnishing with sesame seeds and sprinkling on the scallions. Enjoy!
My Oriental Peanut Teriyaki Salad is exploding with a palate of Asian flavors— from that classic teriyaki sauce to a dressing full of sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Plus, the peanut butter in this dressing makes you want to lick the spoon! And you cannot forget the textural crunch of carrots and slivered almonds, rich in antioxidants. For all these reasons and more, this fast became my go-to salad!