This cold sesame noodle salad is packed with shredded chicken, crisp veggies, and a delicious homemade sesame vinaigrette. It’s fresh and light, and can be eaten as a main dish or side dish!
If you love this sesame noodle salad I think you’ll enjoy this sesame chicken and these creamy sesame chicken noodle bowls!
Why You’ll Love This Sesame Noodle Salad
Fresh and flavorful – This Asian noodle salad is great for spring and summer. There’s plenty of crisp crunchy veggies in it and the sesame vinaigrette is super flavorful and easy to make.
Meal prep – If you meal prep lunches for the week this is a great option. It keeps well and you can easily bulk up the protein by adding extra chicken to it.
Great for entertaining – This is a great summer salad to take to barbecues, potlucks, and picnics. You can easily omit the chicken so it’s safe to sit out at room temperature.
Ingredient Notes
Rice noodles – I used udon brown rice noodles. Pad Thai noodles work great as well. You can also use traditional wheat pasta if you prefer.
Chicken – Shredded cooked chicken breast or thighs can be used. It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
Sugar snap peas, carrots, cucumbers, bell pepper, green onions – To avoid having the vegetables get soggy it’s important to use ones that are crisp and can withstand sitting in a vinaigrette.
Sesame Vinaigrette – My homemade sesame vinaigrette recipe uses simple ingredients including soy sauce (tamari for gluten-free), rice vinegar, honey, toasted sesame oil, fresh ginger, and sesame seeds. Is so easy to make and tastes better than any store bought salad dressing.
Cilantro – Fresh and pairs perfectly with the sesame vinaigrette. Omit if you don’t like cilantro.
Sesame seeds – It wouldn’t be a sesame noodle salad without sesame seeds! For extra flavor toast the sesame seeds for a couple minutes in a skillet. I like to use a combination of white and black sesame seeds.
Tips for Making Sesame Noodle Salad
- In a hurry? prep the vinaigrette ahead of time and use rotisserie chicken. You can also cut the veggies 1-2 days in advance.
- Follow the directions for cooking the rice noodles. They cook differently than traditional wheat pasta.
- Cut the veggies similarly so you get a little bit of everything in each bite. I like to cut them in to matchsticks.
- Toss the salad in a different bowl than what you plan to serve it in so it stays clean and looks nice for presentation.
Substitutions and Variations
- Make the salad vegetarian and omit the chicken. For extra protein add in a cup of shelled edamame.
- To make the salad gluten-free use tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Use different veggies. Broccoli, spinach, zucchini, peas, or snow peas would all work well.
- Swap shredded chicken with sliced steak.
- Rice noodles can be substituted with angel hair pasta, spaghetti, or ramen noodles.
- Make it spicy! Add a dollop of chili garlic crunch to the salad.
What to Serve with Sesame Chicken Noodle Salad
Because the salad contains chicken, it can absolutely be eaten on it’s own. However, if you’re wanting additional protein try serving it with this Asian flank steak or teriyaki turkey burgers.
If you want to keep with the chicken theme, chicken skewers are a great option. Try serving the sesame noodles with Thai chicken skewers, coconut lime chicken skewers, or grilled chicken satay.
Storage
You can make the sesame vinaigrette can be made ahead of time and will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
The salad will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Be sure to toss it together before eating it to redistribute the vinaigrette.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
Spring and summer are the time when pasta salads start to show up on the dinner table. Some of my favorites to serve with whatever I’m grilling are Greek orzo salad, tomato corn pasta salad, and summer vegetable orzo salad.
If I’m hosting or headed to a summer cookout this berry pesto pasta salad is always a showstopper. And everyone loves this Mexican street corn pasta salad and chicken caesar pasta salad.
Did you make this sesame noodle salad? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Make the sesame vinaigrette.
Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions. Rinse them under cold water and drain.
While the noodles are cooking prep the vegetables.
Add the noodles, shredded chicken, vegetables, cilantro, and sesame seeds to a large bowl. Pour your desired amount of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss everything together.
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately of cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Calories: 358kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 25gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 170mgPotassium: 430mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 3984IUVitamin C: 56mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
