Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Salad

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The homemade teriyaki sauce is what really makes this Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Salad special. It’s not a lot of work and the flavor is amazing. 

This salad is perfect for lunch or dinner. But you could also serve the grilled teriyaki chicken with a variety of sides that I mention below.

Pin Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Salad to make later.

I often like to make a main dish salad for lunch, especially in the summer when I want something lighter. My son also enjoys big salads with protein for lunch and dinner. They are a great way to beat the heat and keep the oven off.

This grilled teriyaki chicken salad is moist and delicious. Marinating the chicken helps keep it that way while you grill it.

Piercing the chicken allows the marinade to permeate it giving it more flavor and keeping it moist.

Ingredients for Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Salad

If you make a lot of Asian-inspired recipes, you may have these ingredients on hand. I do not so I had to purchase a few items.

For the Marinade:

• Soy Sauce
• Vegetable Oil
• Brown Sugar
• Rice Wine Vinegar
• Garlic
• Ground Ginger
• Green Onions
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

For the Salad:

• Iceberg Lettuce
• Red Cabbage 
• Edamame
• Sliced Almonds
• Green Onions
• Mandarin Oranges
• Sesame Seeds, for garnish

About A Blog Hop and Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog

What is the #FreakyFriday Blog Hop you ask? A blog hop is when a group of food bloggers gets assigned a blog from the group (secretly) and then choose a recipe to make from the assigned blog with regard to the theme or season. All of the recipes are revealed on the same day. 

My friend, Michaela, from the blog An Affair from the Heart, hosts and organizes these events and for the summer edition, I have been assigned Kathryn’s blog – Kathryn’s Kitchen Stories.

A blog hop is when a group of bloggers gets assigned a blog from the participants (secretly) and then choose a recipe to make from the assigned blog with regard to the theme or season.

All of the recipes are revealed on the same day. The list of recipes and blogs is below and I suggest you check them out.  I mean, there are so many recipes that are perfect for spring and summer.

What I love about Kathryn’s blog is that her recipes are simple and anyone can make them, no matter what their kitchen skill level is. Perfect for a beginner or experienced home cook. This healthy peanut butter oatmeal cookie recipe is one of her favorites.

Other recipes I thought about making for the summer edition included her zucchini corn fritters, raspberry almond scones, and triple berry French toast bake. All very summery choices.

But I chose her teriyaki chicken salad recipe because we love summer salads and it sounded like it had a lot of flavor. I was right! Full of delicious flavors.

Kathryn and I have a lot in common. We both started cooking at a young age and both love to cook and bake.

We are both Italian too! I made pasta alongside my Grandmother and Mom and she has worked in her Italian family’s restaurants on Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey.

The one difference is we live on opposite sides of the country, she’s in California and I’m in Florida, but I kind of think the locales are similar. Hot, sunny, and coastal.

See all of our 2022 Freaky Friday Summer Edition Recipes

Hosted by – An Affair from the Heart

1. An Affair from the Heart – Moose Munch Popcorn
2. Aunt Bee’s Recipes – Breakfast Egg Bites
3. The Culinary Compass – Pull Apart Garlic Bread
4. Devour Dinner – BBQ Nachos
5. Family Around the Table – Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Salad
6. Feast + West – Peach Whiskey Smash
7. Home Cooked Harvest – Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
8. Hostess at Heart – Peanut Butter Cookie
9. Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog – Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe
10. Life Currents – Jalapeño Poppers Puffs
11. Off the Eaten Path –  Cheerwine Bourbon Slush Cocktails
12. The Speckled Palate – Lemon Cooler Cookies
13. Sue Bee Homemaker – Fruit Dip Without Marshmallow Cream
14. The Wimpy Vegetarian – How to Make Enchilada Sauce

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, an Instacart Tastemaker, as well as a member of other various affiliate programs, I earn a nominal commission if products are purchased through links at no additional charge to you.

What type of grill should I use?

You can use any type of grill you have for the grilled teriyaki chicken salad. I used a cast iron grill pan on my stovetop. I didn’t want to turn on my gas grill because it was so hot. 

You can absolutely use your gas or charcoal grill and if you are making this recipe for more than two people it’s probably a good idea.

Having the option to use the cast iron grill pan to make this grilled teriyaki chicken salad gives you flexibility when it’s raining or too hot.

If you grill over a fire, be careful and watch for flair-ups. There’s sugar in the marinade that could burn. 

Do I need to oil the grill?

You can if you want. I did not and the chicken sticking was not an issue. I did blot the chicken with paper towels before placing it on the grill.

The key is to not turn the chicken too soon. That’s when sticking happens. If you’re less confident grilling, go ahead and lightly oil the grill. 

Is it safe to use a marinade as the dressing?

There are varying opinions as to whether you can safely consume the marinade as a dressing. 

I have safely used a marinade for basting my cranberry bbq chicken wings so I had no issue bringing the reserved marinade to a boil and reducing the heat to simmer it for about 5 minutes until it thickened.

DO NOT USE THE MARINADE WITHOUT HEATING IT IF YOU’VE HAD RAW CHICKEN IN IT.

If you absolutely do not want to do this for food safety reasons, that’s perfectly fine you can make a second batch of the marinade.

If you choose this route, go ahead and heat it in a saucepan on the stovetop so that it thickens. Serve it alongside the salad as the dressing.

Substitutions and Tips

• You can substitute romaine for the iceberg or use a combination of the two.
• Use green cabbage instead of red but I love the color it adds. It also adds a great crunch to the salad.
• Use any neutral oil if you don’t have vegetable oil. This marinade is so flavorful you don’t want olive oil overpowering it.
• Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked to 165°F. 
• If you have a store-bought teriyaki sauce you like, you can substitute it but it won’t be as good. The flavor in this homemade teriyaki sauce is out of this world good.
• If you’re watching your salt intake, feel free to substitute it with a low-sodium soy sauce.
• In the spirit of meal planning, you can prep the lettuce and cabbage up to a day or two in advance and make the teriyaki ahead as well. Slice the green onions. Keep all of it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Why you’ll love this salad recipe

• It’s perfect for lunch or dinner. Especially when you want something lighter.
• You can easily adjust the recipe to make more than 2 servings.
• The chicken is moist and delicious due to marinating it.
• The combination of lettuce with purple cabbage makes a flavorful salad.
• The flavors in this grilled teriyaki chicken salad work so well together with the teriyaki, mandarin oranges, and salad.
• Make the salad while the chicken grills.
• Easily add or remove ingredients. For example, if you don’t like edamame simply leave it out. If you enjoy avocado, add a few slices.
• If you don’t want to make a salad, you can serve the grilled teriyaki chicken with rice, couscous, sauteed vegetables, or another side dish for a great meal.

More Main Dish Salad Recipes

• Chinese Chicken Salad – Delicious with a sweet and sour dressing.
• Strawberry Salad with Candied Almonds – Add chicken for a main dish.
• Healthy Avocado Tuna Salad – From Kathryn’s site and perfect to take to work for lunch.

I hope you’ll enjoy this grilled teriyaki chicken salad as much as my son and I did. It’s definitely going to make regular appearances on my menu plan.

Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a comment and 5-star review on the recipe card below. If you really love this recipe, please share it on your social media!

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Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Salad

Enjoy Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Salad for lunch or dinner. Super easy to make and full of flavor.

5 from 28 votes

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Marinating Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2 servings

Author: Ellen Folkman

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

Teriyaki Marinade

• ¾ cup Soy Sauce
• ⅓ cup Vegetable Oil
• ½ cup Brown Sugar
• 3 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Corn Starch
• 2 ½ tsp. Ground Ginger
• 4 cloves Garlic minced
• 2 whole Green onions sliced

Salad

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
• ½ head iceberg lettuce; roughly chopped
• ½ cup red cabbage; shredded
• ¼ cup edamame beans
• ¼ cup mandarin oranges; drained
• ¼ cup sliced almonds
• 3 tablespoons green onions; sliced
• Sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

• Make the Marinade: In a medium bowl or gallon-size ziplock bag, whisk together all of the ingredients until combined. Pierce the chicken breasts with a fork a few times to allow the marinade to get into the chicken and place them in the marinade. Make sure to coat the chicken and flip it a few times in the marinade if using a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for a least an hour to up to 4 hours..
• Preheat grill to medium heat. Place the marinated chicken on the grill, reserving the marinade. Cook and turn occasionally until the chicken is completely cooked through reaching the internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the chicken is fully cooked. The chicken will take about 15-20 minutes to cook thoroughly.
• Remove the chicken from the grill and slice. Add the reserved teriyaki marinade to a saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil and immediately reduce the heat. Simmer until it turns into a sauce, about 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add to a small bowl for serving. Garnish with some sliced green onions.
• To assemble the salad, place the lettuce and cabbage on a serving platter. Top with sliced chicken, edamame, mandarin oranges, sliced almonds, and green onions. Garnish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Serve with teriyaki dressing on the side.

Recipe Notes

DO NOT USE THE MARINADE WITHOUT HEATING IT IF YOU'VE HAD RAW CHICKEN IN IT.

https://familyaroundthetable.com/grilled-teriyaki-chicken-salad/