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. Don’t let the long(ish) ingredient list scare you – it comes together lickity split.
Part 1: The Chicken
Start by mixing up a savory, sesame-flavored marinade for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, that combines sesame oil and soy sauce or gluten-free tamari (dish will not be GF if using soy sauce) with ground ginger, garlic powder and some other far-east flavors.
Marinate the chicken in the mixture for 15 minutes, or up to an hour, then grill or cook in a non-stick sprayed skillet until done. 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.
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Once cooled, combine it with canola oil, sesame oil, salt & pepper.
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Next, add in toasted sesame seeds. You don’t HAVE to toast the seeds, but it adds so much, plus it takes like 2 minutes. Just add the seeds to a dry skillet over medium heat, and shake the pan every 30 seconds or so until they’re are golden brown. Presto.
Add ’em in, and shake ‘er up!
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Dressing = done!
Part 3: The Toppings
Toppings are what make the world go round, and this salad has no shortage of them. I used chopped cilantro, mandarin oranges packed in water (just rinse and pat dry if they’re packed in syrup.)
sliced almonds, and baked wonton strips. You could snag some fried wonton strips from your grocery store’s Chinese buffet ($.50 or so) or do what I did and cut wonton squares into strips, spray with non-stick spray, and bake at 400 degrees for 3-4 minutes. I wouldn’t buy a package of wontons just to make these strips, but dear Ben cleaned out the freezer for us this weekend (cabin fever makes husbands do crazy things,) and found a whole, unopened package of wonton wrappers, which is why I made my own vs buying. This is far longer than I wanted to talk about wonton strips.
(Note: this recipe was written prior to me getting 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 zee dressing, and dive in!
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Copycat Panera Asian Sesame Chicken Salad
Description
Copycat Panera Asian Sesame Chicken Salad is a healthier version of my favorite salad from Panera!
Ingredients
- 1 bag chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 bag baby spinach
- 4 medium chicken breasts
- For the chicken marinade:
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free Tamari (dish will not be GF if using soy sauce)
- 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 sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown
- Salad toppings:
- Chopped cilantro
- 11oz can mandarin oranges packed in water or 100% juice (rinse in water if packed in syrup)
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- Baked or fried wonton strips
- Sesame seeds
Directions
- For the chicken: Whisk together chicken marinade ingredients, and marinate chicken for 15 minutes. Grill, or cook in a non-stick sprayed skillet until done, then let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Cut into slices.
- For the dressing: Bring vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat, then add in the sugar and stir until dissolved. Let cool. Combine with the rest of the dressing ingredients in a jar, and shake to combine.
- Divide lettuce and spinach between four plates. Top with sliced chicken, salad dressing, and toppings.
Notes
Dressing from Art + Food + Life
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Panera’s version:
and mine!
The addition of mandarin oranges, which Panera doesn’t use, to this salad was totally clutch. That burst of juicy sweetness is fantastic with the bold cilantro, and sesame-laced dressing.
The textures in this salad were out of this world too. Love it when a recipe remix comes together like this!
Now if only I could find a recipe for Panera’s Cinnamon Crunch Bagel…
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Maggie @ Mama Maggie's Kitchen 01.20.2014
This is what I get every time I go to Panera. I must PIN! Thank you for the recipe. :)
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Savannah 11.18.2013
I’m trying your version of this Panera salad dressing tonight! You’re right, it is the toppings that make the salad! (And by “topping” I really mean dressing.) I have yet to find a dressing that tastes like the asian sesame chicken salad at Panera. It is like my favorite dish. I’d honestly eat nothing but salad if I could find the right dressing so I’m praying this tastes like it! Okay, enough rambling… Thank you so much for the recipe.
kat 09.29.2013
I just happened upon your blog and it’s funny because your two favorite things at Panera are also mine! I also loved the portobello mozzarella sandwich, which I’ve recreated!
I ended up purchasing the dressing from Target, but I will try your recipe when the bottle runs out. So delicious!
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Jessi 08.14.2013
I made this for my family and they all loved it (save one picky eater). I did change up the dressing a bit, it was too bitter for my taste! A little soy sauce and brown sugar did the trick! But I will definitely make this again! I wish I had leftovers for tonight but they ate it all!!
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BRBorah 05.16.2013
I just tried the one on the Panera page…you’re totally right! It’s horrible. I had to double the amount of sesame oil and add at least 1/4 cup of brown sugar for it to be edible. I’m glad I found this recipe, excellent job! This is WAY better.
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Maggie 04.10.2013
Just discovered your blog and I’m obsessed with it. Made this salad for dinner tonight and it was deliciously perfect. Husband old it too! Can’t wait to try some of your ther recipes.
Andrea 03.30.2013
Just made this tonight for me and my husband. AMAZING! Can’t thank you enough for the great recipe.
Min 03.18.2013
I don’t believe I’ve ever even been to a Panera (not one within hours of where I live), but this salad is fabulous!! I forgot to heat the vinegar, but I shook it a bunch to dissolve the sugar and it was delicious anyway. We grilled our chicken and made the baked wontons…yum. I will definitely be making this again! I’m also wondering if I may post this recipe on my blog and link back to you for credit? I’d love to share it with my readers!
Please let me know. cowgirlmin07 at gmail dot com
Lynn 02.16.2013
I spotted this one Pinterest recently, it looked so good that I had to make it. Everyone loved it.
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Mary 01.11.2013
I love this salad and now I can make it at home thanks to you! :D
Kristin 12.18.2012
This recipe was absolutely spot-on and oh so delicious!! I can tell this will be a frequently requested recipe in our home!!
stephanie 11.29.2012
Hi canned mandarin oranges are hard to found here where I live but I happen to have fresh ones, would they work just as well? And in the recipe you use 11 oz, how many pieces is that?
Iowa Girl Eats 11.29.2012
I would use 2 or 3 fresh ones!