Pineapple Soy Glazed Chicken Bahn Mi Salad

I recently discovered bahn mi, and, damn, is it delicious. As a result, I’ve been bahn mi-ing all the things, starting with this Pineapple Soy Glazed Chicken Bahn Mi Salad.

Pineapple Soy Glazed Chicken Bahn Mi Salad with Peanut Dressing

This salad is quite epic, if I do say so myself. It comes fully loaded and bursting with bold Asian flavor.

Let’s start with the pineapple soy glazed chicken. The marinade also doubles as the glaze that gets brushed on the chicken during its grill session. If you don’t own a grill, it’s no biggie. Bust out your trusty cast iron pan and put a sear on it.

Pineapple Soy Glazed Chicken Bahn Mi Salad with Peanut Dressing

The glaze soaks into the chicken as it soaks in the refrigerator overnight. I highly recommend marinating the chicken for at least 8 hours. For maximum flavor, 24 hours is the ticket to flavor town.

The marinade that is set aside to use for the glaze gets mixed with a bit of cornstarch and brought to a boil until thick and shiny. After a few minutes on the grill, it gets generously brushed onto each side of the chicken breasts, adding a bold and slightly sweet flavor to the outside of each juicy breast.

Pineapple Soy Glazed Chicken Bahn Mi Salad with Peanut Dressing

To say the chicken is killer is an understatement. I mixed up the marinade the day before I planned on making the salad and let it mingle with the flavors overnight in the fridge. I sprinkled each breast with a bit of salt and pepper before slapping it on the grill. Whew, talk about flavor! It does not disappoint.

Pineapple Soy Glazed Chicken Bahn Mi Salad with Peanut Dressing

And then there’s the bahn mi veggies. I’m a huge fan of pickled everything, so bahn mi veggies are right up my alley. I always have a fresh batch of pickled something or other in the fridge for snacking, so these bahn mi veggies made the perfect addition to my collection.

I used a combination of thinly sliced radishes, carrots, and cucumber for my recipe. The pickling ingredients are as follows: rice vinegar and granulated sugar. Two ingredients! Let the veggies soak up the flavor of the pickling marinade for at 30 minutes (or overnight) and you’re ready to bahn mi all the things.

Pineapple Soy Glazed Chicken Bahn Mi Salad with Peanut Dressing

Because I couldn’t decide whether I wanted a noodle salad or a lettuce salad, I combined the two. I’ll will forever take my noodles with a side of fresh lettuce. Crunch and carbs! For this Pineapple Soy Glazed Bahn Mi Salad, I used soba noodles and local red leaf lettuce. So, so good! Feel free to use any variety or lettuce available at your local farmers’ market. Choose something with a nice crunch.

The real crunch factor comes from the roasted Diamond of California Cashews. They’re toasty, salty, and add a lovely texture to the salad. The roasted cashews were Squirrel’s favorite ingredient. He enjoyed the salad with an extra handful of cashews.

Pineapple Soy Glazed Chicken Bahn Mi Salad with Peanut Dressing

You guys, the peanut dressing. I puffy heart the peanut dressing. It’s slightly sweet, tangy, and oh, so smooth. I’ve been using the leftovers as a dip for my farm fresh veggies. I can’t get enough of the sweet and savory dressing, but it’s especially tasty in this hearty salad.

Pineapple Soy Glazed Chicken Bahn Mi Salad with Peanut Dressing

Pineapple Soy Glazed Chicken Bahn Mi Salad

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Ingredients

Pineapple Soy Glazed Chicken

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chili paste
  • 1 heaping teaspoon ginger paste
  • cup crushed pineapple

Roasted Cashews

Peanut Dressing

  • ¼ cup peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 heaping teaspoon ginger paste
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha
  • Salt and pepper

Bahn Mi Veggies

  • 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
  • 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
  • 1 cup thinly sliced kirby cucumbers
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Salad

  • 8 cups red leaf lettuce
  • 6 ounces dried soba noodles, cooked according to package instructions
  • 1 large red pepper, sliced
  • 1 and 1/2 cups sliced English cucumber
  • 2 jalapeños, thinly sliced
  • 3 scallions, sliced
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

  • To prepare marinade, add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Reserve 1 cup of the marinade and set it aside. Using a rolling pin or meat tenderizer, beat the chicken until it's about 1/2-inch thick. Place the chicken breasts in the bowl with the remaining marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  • To make the cashews, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the cashews to a bowl. Drizzle the oil over the cashews; toss to combine. Add salt and cayenne pepper to the bowl and stir to evenly coat the cashews. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Allow the nuts to cool completely. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
  • While the chicken is marinating, make the peanut dressing by adding all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. The dressing will stay fresh in the fridge for 7-10 days.
  • To make the bahn mi veggies, add vinegar, sugar, and salt to a small sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. While the mixture is cooling, prep the veggies and add them to a large mason jar. Pour the warm vinegar mixture over the top. Screw on the lid and give the mixture a shake to coat all of the veggies with the vinegar mixture. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Drain the veggies before adding them to the salad.
  • When you're ready to serve the salad, preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Alternatively, you can heat a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add the reserved cup of marinade to a small pot and whisk in the cornstarch. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Allow the mixture to thicken and reduce, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Remove the chicken from the marinade and sprinkle each side with kosher salt and pepper. Grill for 5-7 minutes on each side, brushing the chicken with the glaze as it grills, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
  • To assemble the salad, add lettuce and soba noodles to a large bowl. Add red pepper, cucumbers, jalapeños, cilantro, scallions, tomatoes, drained bahn mi noodles, and roasted cashews. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Add the chicken to the top of the salad. Serve with the peanut dressing.
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Pineapple Soy Glazed Chicken Bahn Mi Salad with Peanut Dressing

Disclosure: Thank you to Diamond Nuts for sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting my site while I work with brands I use in my kitchen.