Salads often get a bad reputation as being bland or unsatisfying. However, with the right ingredients and a flavorful dressing, a salad can be a nutritional powerhouse and a truly delicious meal. This Keto Asian Chicken Salad recipe is a testament to that, offering a delightful combination of textures and flavors while remaining low in carbs and keto-friendly.
This Asian-inspired salad is not only easy to make but also incredibly versatile. You can customize it to your liking by adding more veggies, swapping out the protein, or adjusting the level of sweetness in the dressing. Whether you're looking for a quick lunch, a light dinner, or a crowd-pleasing dish for a gathering, this salad is sure to impress.
Why You'll Love This Keto Asian Chicken Salad
- Flavorful and satisfying: This salad is packed with umami flavors from the dressing, combined with the crunch of vegetables and the protein of chicken.
- Low-carb and keto-friendly: By using keto-friendly sweeteners and avoiding high-carb ingredients like wonton strips and sugary dressings, this salad fits perfectly into a ketogenic lifestyle.
- Easy to customize: Feel free to add your favorite veggies, swap out the protein, or adjust the dressing to your preferences.
- Great for meal prep: You can prepare the salad and dressing ahead of time and store them separately to prevent the salad from becoming soggy.
- Versatile: Enjoy it as a main course, a side dish, or a potluck contribution.
Ingredients for Keto Asian Chicken Salad
Here's what you'll need to make this delicious salad:
For the Salad:
- Chicken: Cooked, shredded chicken is the star of this salad. You can use rotisserie chicken for convenience, grill or roast your own chicken breasts, or use leftover cooked chicken.
- Coleslaw Mix: This provides a satisfying crunch and a mix of shredded cabbage. You can also use chopped cabbage if you prefer. Napa cabbage is a great option and can be found in the produce section of most grocery stores.
- Bell Pepper: Adds sweetness and color. Red, orange, or yellow bell peppers work well.
- Green Onions: Provide a mild onion flavor.
- Cilantro: Adds a fresh, herbaceous note.
- Almonds: Sliced almonds add crunch and a nutty flavor. If your almonds are raw, roast them dry in a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes until golden brown.
- Optional additions: Avocado, sesame seeds, keto-friendly ramen noodles (crushed), chopped celery, radishes, snow peas, Chinese cabbage, red onions.
For the Keto Asian Dressing:
- Avocado Oil: A mild-tasting oil with a high smoke point. You can also use vegetable, safflower, sunflower, or peanut oil. Avoid EVOO, coconut, or sesame oil for the dressing base.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: Adds tanginess and acidity.
- Soy Sauce: Provides umami flavor. For a gluten-free option, use tamari, coconut aminos, or liquid aminos.
- Monk Fruit: A keto-friendly sweetener. You can also use Lakanto, Swerve, erythritol, or any other low-carb sweetener you prefer.
- Sesame Oil: Adds a nutty aroma and flavor. Use toasted or dark sesame oil for the best flavor.
- Optional additions: Fresh ginger root, chili garlic sauce, hot pepper flakes.
Making the Keto Asian Chicken Salad: Step-by-Step
Making this salad is a breeze! Here's how to do it:
1. Prepare the Chicken
If you're starting with raw chicken, place some cling film/plastic wrap over the chicken thighs and beat them with the flat side of a meat mallet till they are nice and even. Season on both sides with salt, pepper, and curry powder. Heat the avocado oil in a skillet and once smoking hot add the chicken and fry for about 3 minutes on each side till golden brown and fully cooked. Then set it aside on a plate to rest. Alternatively, you can use shredded leftover cooked chicken and skip this step.
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2. Make the Keto Asian Dressing
In a mason jar or a bowl, combine the avocado oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce (or a substitute), monk fruit (or other sweetener), and sesame oil. Shake or whisk to combine until well emulsified. Adjust the sweetness and tanginess to your liking. If you want a little heat, add chili garlic sauce or hot pepper flakes.
For a peanut butter based dressing, microwave the peanut butter and water for 30 seconds and then whisk till you get a nice runny mixture. Add in the soya sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, stevia and salt and pepper and mix well. Also add in the resting juices from the chicken.
3. Assemble the Salad
In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, almonds, and any other veggies you're using. Add the cooked, shredded chicken to the bowl.
4. Dress the Salad
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Start with half the dressing and add more to taste. Be careful not to overdress the salad, as it can become soggy.
5. Serve and Enjoy
Serve the salad immediately or chill for later. If you're not serving it right away, store the dressing separately and add it just before serving to prevent the salad from becoming soggy.
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Tips and Variations
- Make it ahead: Prepare the salad and dressing ahead of time, but store them separately. Toss together just before serving.
- Add more crunch: For extra crunch, add some keto-friendly ramen noodles, crushed.
- Spice it up: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of chili garlic sauce to the dressing for a spicy kick.
- Make it vegetarian: Substitute the chicken with tofu, paneer, halloumi, or fresh buffalo mozzarella.
- Add healthy fats: Diced avocado adds creaminess and healthy fats.
- Use different proteins: Try using beef steak or seafood instead of chicken. Cooked shrimp, ground pork, or tofu are also great options.
- Adjust the sweetness: Taste the dressing and add more sweetener if needed. Remember that different sweeteners have different levels of sweetness.
- Make it Whole30/Paleo: Replace the keto sweetener with 1 to 2 pitted Medjool dates (soaked in hot water if hard). Use unsweetened almond butter, white wine vinegar, and coconut aminos.
Nutritional Information
Here's an estimate of the nutritional information per serving (without optional additions):
- Calories: Approximately 255
- Fat: 13g
- Carbs: 9.3g
- Fiber: 3.2g
- Protein: 25.1g
- Net Carbs: 6.1g
Note: Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy only and may vary depending on the specific ingredients and amounts used.
Serving Suggestions
This Keto Asian Chicken Salad is delicious on its own as a main course. It's also great as a side dish or a potluck contribution. Here are some other serving suggestions:
- Serve it over a bed of lettuce for a lighter meal.
- Wrap it in lettuce cups for a low-carb appetizer.
- Pair it with a side of steamed vegetables or a keto-friendly soup.
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