Copycat Panera Asian Sesame Chicken Salad is a healthier version of the fan-favorite, fresh and flavorful salad from Panera.
If you’ve been reading IGE for any length of time, than you know I have a fondness for making healthier versions of my favorite, not-so-healthy restaurant dishes at home, such as…
P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps (less grease!), Food Court Baked Ziti (less cheese!), Chipotle Burrito Bowls (less funky chicken!) rise to the top as some of my top picks.
But some of my favorite dishes to grab on the go, don’t necessarily need a makeover. They’re light and satisfying on their own, without having to go back to the drawing board. One such meal is Panera’s Asian Sesame Chicken Salad.
This salad is perfectly light, crunchy, sweet and savory. The only thing that needed changing was the location of the salad. As in, from Panera’s kitchen, to my own!
The recipe for this salad is broken into 3 parts for easy preparation.
Part 1: The Chicken
Start by mixing up a savory marinade for boneless, skinless chicken breasts that includes sesame oil, gluten-free Tamari (or soy sauce if not GF), ground ginger, and garlic powder.
Marinate the chicken for 15 minutes, or up to an hour, then grill or saute in a non-stick sprayed skillet until cooked through. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes then slice and set aside.
Part 2: The Dressing
This recipe for Panera’s perfectly sweet & tangy Asian Sesame Dressing is SPOT ON, plus it’s a cinch to make. Start by whisking sugar into boiling vinegar until it fully dissolves, about 30 seconds.
Cool the vinegar slightly then add it to a bowl or jar with a tight fitting lid with canola or vegetable oil, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and toasted sesame seeds. Shake or whisk to combine. Dressing = done!
Part 3: The Toppings
Toppings are what make the world go round, and this salad has no shortage of them. I like chopped cilantro, mandarin oranges, sliced almonds, plus baked wonton strips for crunch.
(Note: this recipe was written prior to being diagnosed with Celiac Disease — wontons are not gluten free!)
Assembly:
Pile romaine lettuce and baby spinach onto a plate, then top with the chicken and toppings. Drizzle with the dressing then dive in!
Panera’s version:
and mine!
The addition of mandarin oranges, which Panera doesn’t use, to this salad is such a yummy addition. That burst of juicy freshness is fantastic with the bold cilantro and sesame-laced dressing.
Now if only I could find a recipe for Panera’s Cinnamon Crunch Bagel…
Ingredients
- 5oz bag chopped romaine lettuce
- 5oz bag baby spinach
- 4 chicken breasts, ~2lbs
For the Chicken Marinade:
- 3 Tablespoons gluten free reduced-sodium Tamari, or soy sauce if not GF
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
For the Dressing:
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons canola oil
- 1-1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Salad Toppings:
- 11 oz can mandarin oranges packed in water, drained
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- crispy wonton strips
- toasted sesame seeds
- chopped cilantro
Directions
For the chicken:
- Whisk together chicken marinade ingredients then marinate chicken for 15 minutes. Grill or saute cook in a non-stick sprayed skillet until cooked through, then let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before cutting into slices. Set aside.
For the dressing:
- Bring vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat then add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Let cool. Combine with the rest of the dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl then shake or whisk to combine.
For the salad:
- Divide lettuce and spinach between four plates. Top with sliced chicken, salad dressing, and toppings.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I’ve been craving this Panera salad and decided to give this recipe a try. Absolutely perfect. In fact, I like it even better than the original.
Thanks!
An instantly healthy food? It would have to be red raspberry topped chocolate ganash cake,with fresh Vanilla whipped cream.
Can’t wait to try!
I was looking for this recipe because my mom just found the panera salad dressing in the store and wanted to know what was on the salad and I can say that yours looks way better. I am on the same mission to find ways to make the things that I like in restaurants at home. I was reading through the whole post thinking this sounds amazing and I know I found someone just like me when you said that the only thing you need is the recipe for the cinnamon crunch bagel!!! They are my absolute favorite. My only pregnancy foods were the baked potato soup and cinnamon crunch bagel from panera!! Totally digging through your blog now when I really need to be washing all the dishes and eating lunch!
You can always buy gluten free soy sauce :)
Do I understand correctly, that you are toasting the sesame oil in a dry skillet? Knowing me, I’d probably burn the oil if I tried to toast it. Could I just use toasted sesame oil? Recipe sounds delicious & pics are lovely.
Hi Judy! It’s toasting the sesame seeds and not the oil, but you couldn’t definitely skip this step if you like!
Out of this world! Dressing was so tangy and amazing. Definitely a keeper. :)
I feel like this was a lot of vinegar – I made the dressing but all I tasted was the vinegar. I think next time I’ll make the dressing without it, because before I added it to the rest of the ingredients, it smelled like the panera dressing.
If I want to store this for future Mea after I make it, is it okay to put the chicken in the fridge mixed with the salad and eat it cold the next day? Just wondering since I plan on packing some meals for work with this recipe (:
Hi Eunice! If the chicken is chilled then added to the lettuce, that’s totally fine!
Yum-oh!
This looks and sounds delicious!
I eat low carb and will have to make some minor changes to this, but it looks like the exact flavour profile I want.
Just a thought: I’d toast those sesame seeds first, like before doing the chicken. That way, there’s only one pan.
I just made this, as the Asian Sesame Chicken Salad is a favorite of mine at Panera. I have to say, this recipe is 1000% spot on. Also, I did not use salt or sesame seeds and it is just as good. So thankful I found this page!
This recipe is really very good. I marinated the chicken for 3 hours and I do think that helped add a lot of flavor. Followed recipe closely and I think it’s quite a find!
I have the Panera bottled dressing. I asked my husband and son to take it and the dressing here. The recipe here is really so much better than the bottled.
I was able to do won tons but if I didn’t have them, I might have just fried up some uncooked ramen noodles. They are incredible in salads.
This is what I get every time I go to Panera. I must PIN! Thank you for the recipe. :)