To me, these Asian Grilled Chicken Salads were almost too pretty to eat.  ALMOST. The rich yellow of the mango next to the green edamame and cucumbers and bold red bell peppers is so beautiful to me.  And even better, it tasted just as beautiful.

In fact, my husband declared 2 bites in that he’d eat this every night for dinner.  That’s when I knew I had a winner.

A great component of this salad is the soy ginger marinade for the chicken. The marinade has such strong, delicious flavors that it really transforms the chicken in a short time.  Which is great for amping up dinner without the need to marinate overnight or all day.  Because honestly, WHO remembers to marinate their chicken after breakfast?! Who?! I want to know.  If you are one of those people who remembers, identify yourself. I want to shake your hand and admire you.

This is real people marinade.  Make it super fast when you get home, throw the chicken in there then let it sit while you tackle kiddo bathtime, homework, or even just sit quietly by yourself enjoying an episode of Wheel of Fortune watching the news.

Not going to lie, the other great component of this salad is the chow mein crunchy noodles.  Those things are delicious.  Like crack.  Have one out of the can and next thing you know you’re eating them by the handful! No? Just me? It’s a nice texture boost.  Not a fan of chow mein noodles? Try adding some roasted sunflower kernals! Or some sliced almonds.

Asian Grilled Chicken Salads
Serves 4

Chicken *set aside 1 hour for marinade time!*:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – halved widthwise into two cutlets each
1/2c soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T ginger, minced or finely grated
1 T honey or agave
2 tsp sesame oil

Salads: 
2 Romaine Hearts, chopped into bite size pieces
1/4 head Red Cabbage, chopped
1 mango, 1/2 inch diced
1 cucumber, 1/2 inch diced
1 avocado, 1/2 inch diced
1 cup shelled edamame
1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 inch diced
5 scallions, chopped into 1/4inch pieces
Chow Mein Crunchies
Soy Ginger Salad Dressing, like Tessemae’s

To make the chicken:

In a medium sized bowl or gallon sized ziplock bag, combine soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey/agave, and sesame oil.  Stir or massage bag to combine.  Add the chicken cutlets and toss to coat.  Let sit for at least one hour.

Heat a medium, non-stick pan over medium high heat.  Dump chicken and marinade contents into the pan.  Cook, gently shaking skillet occasionally, until chicken is browned, about 4-6 minutes. Turn with tongs; cook until browned and opaque throughout,  3-4 minutes more.  The marinade may start to brown in the pan, but that’s okay – it will create a nice crust on the chicken.  If browning too quickly or too much though, lower the heat.

Remove chicken from pan and set aside.  Let rest 5 minutes, then chop into 1 inch pieces.

To assemble the salads:

Divide ingredients into four bowls.  Starting with romaine as the base layer, add the mango, cucumber, cabbage, avocado, and edamame on top, arranging in small piles.  Add the chicken.  Sprinkle with scallions and chow mein crunchies.  Add Soy Ginger Dressing to taste.  Serve immediately.