Asian Sesame Chicken Couscous Salad (Print Version)

Chewy pearl couscous with tender chicken, crisp cucumers, and savory sesame-soy dressing

# 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 chili sauce (optional)
15 - 1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola or sunflower)

# How-To Steps:

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 blended.
03 - In a large bowl, combine cooled couscous, shredded chicken, cucumber, scallions, and cilantro. Drizzle with sesame-soy dressing and toss gently to coat evenly.
04 - Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the salad and toss once more. Serve immediately at room temperature or chill for 30 minutes for a colder preparation.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you can set the table, perfect for those evenings when planning ahead wasn't an option.
  • The sesame-soy dressing does all the heavy lifting flavor-wise, making even rotisserie chicken feel like something special.
  • It's hearty enough to be a complete meal but light enough that you won't feel sluggish afterward.
02 -
  • Don't skip spreading the couscous on the baking sheet to cool—if you try to dress it while it's steaming hot, the dressing will evaporate and won't coat properly.
  • Seed your cucumber deliberately because watery salad that's been sitting for an hour tastes like disappointment, but a salad that stays crisp tastes like you planned ahead.
03 -
  • Make extra dressing and keep it in a jar in the fridge—it's just as good drizzled over greens or roasted vegetables later in the week.
  • The sesame seeds should be added at the very end, right before serving, because they stay crunchier that way and taste more like themselves.
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