Menu

Special Sesame Chicken Salad

12 reviews
Contest Ribbon Contest Winner
Test Kitchen Approved
Total Time

Prep: 30 min. + chilling

Makes

22 servings

Updated: Jul. 20, 2023
With its delicious mix of crunchy peanuts, tangy dried cranberries and mandarin oranges, this colorful Asian chicken salad is a definite crowd-pleaser. Water chestnuts and a teriyaki dressing give this main dish its Asian flare. —Carolee Ewell, Santaquin, Utah
Special Sesame Chicken Salad
Special Sesame Chicken Salad Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Next Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 package (16 ounces) bow tie pasta
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 2/3 cup white wine vinegar
  • 2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 cans (11 ounces each) mandarin oranges, drained
  • 2 cans (8 ounces each) sliced water chestnuts, drained
  • 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
  • 1-1/3 cups honey-roasted peanuts
  • 1 package (9 ounces) fresh spinach, torn
  • 1 package (5 ounces) dried cranberries
  • 6 green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and place in a very large bowl.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, teriyaki sauce, sugar and pepper. Pour over pasta and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  3. Just before serving, add the remaining ingredients; gently toss to coat.

Test Kitchen Tips
  • Place parsley or cilantro sprigs in a small glass container and snip with kitchen shears until chopped to desired fineness. This is a helpful way to avoid dirtying a cutting board.
  • Canola oil is high in monounsaturated fat, a type that helps to decrease blood cholesterol levels, and low in saturated fat, which can increase blood cholesterol.
  • Check out 20 of our favorite Asian-inspired recipes.

    • Nutrition Facts

    1 cup: 302 calories, 16g fat (2g saturated fat), 11mg cholesterol, 358mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate (13g sugars, 3g fiber), 10g protein.