Asian Sesame Chicken Couscous Salad (Printable Version)

Chewy pearl couscous with tender chicken, crisp cucumbers, and savory sesame-soy dressing for a perfect flavor blend.

# What You'll Need:

→ Couscous Salad

01 - 1 cup pearl couscous (Israeli couscous)
02 - 2 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
03 - 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
04 - 1 large cucumber, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced
05 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced
06 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
07 - 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

→ Sesame-Soy Dressing

08 - 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
09 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
10 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
11 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
12 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
13 - 1 garlic clove, minced
14 - 1 teaspoon sriracha or other chili sauce (optional)
15 - 1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola or sunflower)

# Directions:

01 - Bring water or chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in pearl couscous, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain excess liquid and spread couscous on a baking sheet to cool quickly.
02 - While couscous cools, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, chili sauce if using, and neutral oil in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, combine cooled couscous, shredded chicken, cucumber, scallions, and cilantro. Drizzle with sesame-soy dressing and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the salad and toss once more to distribute evenly.
05 - Serve immediately at room temperature or chill for 30 minutes for a colder salad.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's ready in 30 minutes, which means you can have restaurant-quality lunch without the delivery fee.
  • The sesame-soy dressing is so addictive you'll find yourself making extra just to keep in your fridge.
  • It tastes even better the next day, making it your secret weapon for meal prep.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad more than an hour before eating it, or the couscous will absorb all the liquid and turn dense and heavy.
  • If the cucumber is very watery, salt the slices lightly and let them sit in a colander for 5 minutes—this draws out excess moisture so the salad stays fresh and crisp.
03 -
  • Toast your own sesame seeds in a dry skillet for 2 to 3 minutes if you can—the flavor is exponentially more intense and fragrant.
  • If your ginger is particularly fibrous, grate it on the fine side of a box grater and let it sit in the dressing for 5 minutes before whisking; it releases its oils more fully that way.
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