This Japanese chicken salad is made with a perfectly tender and juicy chicken breast served over fresh salad vegetables, boiled eggs and my special homemade Japanese dressing. It's extremely easy to make a packed with nutrients!
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Japanese Chicken Salad?
When it comes to Japanese chicken salad, I have to be honest and say that it doesn't really exist. Sure, there are tonnes of chicken dishes that we eat with salad, but the term "chicken salad" is not really used in Japan.
However, today I will be showing you how to make a Japanese style chicken salad specifically with an ingredient we call "salad chicken". It's simple, nutritious and easy to make too!
What is "Salad Chicken"?
Salad chicken (サラダチキン) is simply skinless chicken breast that has been boiled or steamed with distinctive seasonings.
Chicken breast is actually the cheapest and least popular part of the chicken Japan. This is because fatty meat is of course, juicier and tastier whereas chicken breast has a reputation of being dry or lacking in flavour.
In recent years, Japanese people have been becoming more health conscious. New gyms have been popping up all over the country and health foods rich in protein are also growing in popularity.
Salad chicken is in low calories, high in protein dish and can be used in a variety of recipes. You can find it in any Japanese convenience store or supermarket and it comes in various flavours.
It's great for a quick meal or snack and it's actually extremely easy to make at home too!
What vegetables to use
There's no real rule for what vegetables to use with salad chicken and it's easy to customize. I personally use:
- Steamed broccoli
- Boiled eggs
- Mini tomatoes
- Mixed leaf lettuce
You could also use things like cucumber, avocado, cabbage etc.
Tips and tricks to make the juiciest salad chicken
As chicken breast has a reputation for being dry, one of the most important elements of salad chicken is maintaining the moisture. Here are a few tips and tricks I use to ensure the chicken breast stays moist and tender!
Piercing
You might think that piercing the chicken would make moisture seep out, but in this case, it helps tenderise the meat and also allows it to absorb the condiments and steam. Piercing the chicken helps make it juicy and lightly flavoured all the way through.
Sake
Sake helps tenderise meat as well as neutralise any odors, that's why it's commonly used in Japanese marinades!
If you can't find sake, substitute with sherry or dry white wine.
Corn Starch
I use a thin coating of corn starch to improve the texture of the chicken. This mimics the effect of "velveting", a Chinese technique where meat is marinated in wine, egg and corn starch to create a protective layer.
Whether the meat is fried, deep fried or steamed, velveting is a great technique for helping meat retain its moisture and becoming extra soft.
Microwaving
While you can boil or steam salad chicken, but the easiest way to cook is actually using a microwave!
The microwave will not only cook the chicken from the inside out, but also boil the condiments and steam the outside of the meat. It's also quick and convenient.
Timing varies depending on the size of your chicken, but for a 250-300g piece of chicken breast (just over ½ lb) I microwave for 2 minutes on each side at 600W. It seems short, but as I mentioned before, it's important not to overcook the breast.
Steaming
One of the most important steps is allowing the chicken to rest in the steam.
Not only does this step make the chicken extra juicy and succulent, but it also cooks it further in the residual heat. If you skip this step, there's a chance your chicken might not be fully cooked!
Patience is pretty important here so don't be tempted to skip the resting time!
Japanese style "Wafu" Dressing
Japanese style is known as "wafu" (和風) and our salad dressings usually contain typical condiments used in every day cooking such as soy sauce, mirin, miso paste etc. It's also common to add fragrant ingredients such as garlic or ginger to give them more of a kick. Japanese dressings don't use herbs so much.
In my wafu dressing, I use the following ingredients:
- Soy sauce
- Mirin
- Sugar
- Sesame seeds
- Toasted sesame oil
- Olive oil
- Garlic paste
- Lemon juice
- White pepper
Because mirin contains alcohol, I boil the dressing in a saucepan for a few minutes. I also dissolve the sugar during this time.
For extra depth of flavour, I also like to use the leftover juices from the cooked chicken. There's no waste in this recipe!
Step by step recipe
Japanese Chicken Salad (with homemade dressing)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 portions 1x
Description
How to make a light, refreshing and nutritious chicken salad with Japanese style "salad chicken" and homemade soy based dressing. (Serves 2)
Ingredients
Salad Chicken
- 250g chicken breast
- 2 pinches salt
- 1 tsp corn starch
- ½ tbsp sake
- 1 tsp Chinese chicken stock powder (I use Yuki Garasupu)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp mirin
Homemade Wafu Dressing
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tbsp white toasted sesame seeds
- ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic paste
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch white pepper
- Juices from the chicken
Suggested Salad Ingredients
- 2 boiled eggs
- 200g steamed broccoli bitesize florets
- 100-150g (4-5 cups) mixed leaf lettuce
- 100g mini tomatoes (approx 8) halved
Instructions
- Dry the surface of the chicken breast with a paper towel.
- Stab with a fork all over on both sides.
- Sprinkle both sides with a pinch of salt and a light coating of corn starch.
- Take a microwavable bowl and add sake, Chinese chicken stock powder, sugar, mirin and salt. Mix well.
- Add the chicken breast to the bowl and place cling film loosely over the top. Microwave for 2 mins on 600W.
- Flip the chicken over (be careful of the steam), place the cling film back on and heat for another 2 mins 600w.
- Leave the bowl in the microwave and allow the chicken to rest in the steam for 10 minutes. It will continue to cook in the residual heat.
- To make the dressing, add soy sauce, mirin and sugar together in a small saucepan. Heat up and allow to boil for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat.
- Allow the dressing to cool for a few minutes and then transfer it to a small jug or bowl. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and mix.
- Remove the chicken from the microwave and transfer it from the bowl to a chopping board. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then cut into slices.
- Pour the chicken juices from the bowl into the dressing and mix.
- Arrange your vegetables in a large bowl and place the chicken on top.
- Drizzle with sauce just before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
To quick steam the broccoli, wash thoroughly, cut into bitesize pieces and place in a microwavable bowl. Add 1 tbsp of water and lightly wrap with clingfilm (or place a plate on top) and microwave for 3 minutes on 600W. Be careful of the steam when uncovering.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Meat
- Method: Microwaving
- Cuisine: Japanese
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