Chilled Chicken Noodle Salad (Printable)

Tender chicken, crisp vegetables, and noodles combined with a flavorful sesame dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Noodles & Protein

01 - 9 oz thin egg noodles or rice noodles
02 - 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded (10 oz)

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
04 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 1 cucumber, deseeded and julienned
06 - 2 spring onions, sliced
07 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

→ Sesame Dressing

08 - 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
09 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
10 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
11 - 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
12 - 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter or tahini
13 - 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
14 - 1 garlic clove, minced
15 - 1 tsp chili flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

16 - 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
17 - Lime wedges (optional)

# How-To:

01 - Cook noodles following package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, mix shredded chicken, noodles, julienned carrot, bell pepper, cucumber, spring onions, and chopped cilantro until evenly distributed.
03 - Whisk together toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey or maple syrup, peanut butter or tahini, grated ginger, minced garlic, and chili flakes until smooth.
04 - Pour dressing over salad mixture and toss thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Transfer to serving dish or individual bowls. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and add lime wedges if desired. Serve immediately or chill up to 2 hours before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 35 minutes and tastes like you spent way more time in the kitchen than you actually did.
  • The sesame dressing is so good you'll find yourself making extra just to drizzle over other things.
  • It's endlessly flexible—whatever vegetables you have on hand will work beautifully.
  • Perfect for meal prep because it actually tastes better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the noodles after cooking—this removes the starch and prevents them from turning into a single clumpy mass as the salad sits.
  • Make the dressing while the noodles are still warm so they can absorb all those sesame and ginger flavors more effectively.
  • If you're making this ahead, keep the sesame seeds separate and add them just before serving—they lose their crunch if they sit in the dressing for too long.
03 -
  • Make extra dressing because you'll want to drizzle it over the finished salad or use it another night over roasted vegetables or grain bowls—it keeps in the fridge for almost a week.
  • If you're cooking the chicken specifically for this, poaching it gently in broth keeps it incredibly tender and adds flavor to every strand.
  • The salad actually tastes better after the first couple of hours in the fridge because the noodles absorb all the dressing flavor and the vegetables soften just slightly.
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