One of my favorite dishes on our site is our kou shui ji recipe. Literally translated as “drool chicken” (mmm…drool.), it’s a spicy Sichuan poached chicken dish smothered in a flavorful sauce. This spicy chicken salad is kind of a riff on it, with a much simpler version of kou shui ji sauce serving as the dressing.
I’m also using a rotisserie chicken, because I’ve lately discovered that rotisserie chickens are a working girl’s best friend. After a long commute to work, a long day, and a long commute home, the LAST thing I want to do is spend an hour putting dinner together. This spicy chicken salad checks of all the right boxes.
Fast? Check. Takes 20 minutes from start to finish (and that’s a conservative estimate). Ba-bam.
Healthy? Check. There’s lettuce. And an inconspicuous lack of carbs.
Filling and satisfying enough to make you happy to be eating salad for dinner? Check. Plenty of protein, and a sauce/dressing that makes you happy to be alive.
The other great thing about this salad is the addition of herbs––cilantro and mint, to be exact. They add a really great extra dimension of flavor. You can also feel free to customize this salad to your tastes, adding extra things like toasted nuts, avocado, or other herbs. The world’s your oyster!
Recipe Instructions
In a medium bowl, stir together the sesame paste, chili oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, scallions, and toasted sesame seeds.
Add the chicken to a serving bowl…
….and spoon on some of the dressing.
Toss with the salad greens and herbs…
And serve with any additional dressing on the side.
Spicy Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame paste
- 2 tablespoons chili oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or lime juice)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 2 scallions (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted)
- 1 cooked rotisserie chicken (de-boned and shredded)
- 8 oz. mixed salad greens
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together the sesame paste, chili oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, scallions, and sesame seeds. Add the chicken to a serving bowl, and spoon on some of the dressing. Toss with the salad greens and herbs, and serve with any additional dressing on the side.
