Chicken and Rice Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing

With a ginger, sesame, and lime dressing, this colorful Chicken and Rice Salad is packed with flavor! Enjoy it for an easy dinner or lunch.

I don’t know about you, but I am tired by the end of the week.  My Friday night routine these days consists of (1) an easy dinner, (2) bathe the kids, read stories, and put them to bed, and (3) relax on the couch with a Netflix show.

I made this Chicken and Rice Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing earlier this week, and that was a very good move.  It’s super easy to whip up, and makes quite a few servings.  We were able to eat it for dinner one night and then lunch for the following two days.

Having a healthy lunch prepared ahead of time is the best, isn’t it? I also like to prep the shredded chicken ahead of time and use it in multiple meals with my Instant Pot shredded chicken recipe.

Lately, I’ve gotten into a new cooking routine on Mondays and Tuesdays, which are my days off from teaching.  I’ve been preparing dinner in the early afternoon, while William naps, and then it’s all ready to go when we get hungry in the evenings.

I started doing this mainly because it allows me to take natural light photographs of new recipes, which just isn’t possible at dinnertime these days.  It’s also much less stressful to cook when one kid is napping, than to try to keep the peace between two of them later on when everyone is getting hungry (i.e., cranky).  While I work in the kitchen, Julia either helps me or does her quiet time activities.

This Chicken and Rice Salad was a great recipe to prepare earlier in the day, because it can be enjoyed cold, straight from the refrigerator.  It’s made with brown rice, which I prepare on the stove top using my perfect brown rice recipe or with my Instant Pot Brown Rice Recipe.

Between the brown rice, veggies, and protein-rich shredded chicken and peanuts, this salad is a filling, healthy dinner or lunch.

5 from 1 rating

Chicken and Rice Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing

Servings: 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

With a ginger, sesame, and lime dressing, this colorful salad is packed with flavor! Enjoy it for an easy dinner or lunch.

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Ingredients

For the salad:

• ▢ 1 ½ cups brown rice
• ▢ 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• ▢ 1 large carrot, shredded
• ▢ 6 green onions, sliced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• ▢ ½ cup dry roasted peanuts

For the dressing:

• ▢ 3 ½ tablespoons lime juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
• ▢ 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

 

• Cook brown rice according to package directions, or follow my recipe for Perfect Brown Rice. Transfer rice to a large bowl and let cool.
• Add chicken, bell pepper, carrot, green onions, and cilantro to bowl with rice. Stir to combine.
• In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and stir to evenly distribute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve salad at room temperature or chilled, topped with peanuts.

Serving: 1/6 recipe, Calories: 363kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 196mg, Potassium: 466mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 2470IU, Vitamin C: 31.6mg, Calcium: 38mg, Iron: 1.6mg

Nutrition information is an estimate.

Cuisine: American

Course: Lunch, Main Dish, Meal Prep

Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.