CopyCat Chick-fil-A Asian Salad

Ingredients

Grilled Chicken:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup dill pickle juice
½ cup whole milk
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon celery salt
¼ teaspoon onion powdered
¼ teaspoon garlic powdered
¼ teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons olive oil

Honey Sesame Dressing:
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
5 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons raw honey, can reduce to 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ tablespoons sesame seeds
¼ cup sesame seed oil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Honey Thai Almonds:
1 ½ cup blanched, slivered almonds
⅓ cup raw honey
1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 ¼ teaspoons onion powder
1 ¼ teaspoons garlic powder
1 ¼ teaspoon paprika
1 ¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Asian Salad:
5 cups romaine lettuce
5 cups spring mix
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 cup green cabbage, shredded
½ cup carrots, julienned
½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup wonton strips
½ cup honey Thai almonds
2 grilled chicken breasts
½ cup honey sesame dressing
1 cup mandarin orange segments

Directions

Grilled Chicken:
Make the brine by whisking the pickle juice and milk together.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towel, then place one breast into a zip-top freezer bag. Pound the chicken thin with a meat mallet, then put it on a plate and repeat with the other breast.

Place both chicken breasts in the zip top bag and pour the brine inside. Seal shut and place in the fridge for 4 to 24 hours for the meat to marinate.

When you’re ready to cook the chicken, allow it to warm up to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

While the chicken is warming up, stir together the powdered sugar and other seasonings to make the rub.

Once the chicken has warmed up, pat both breasts dry with paper towels and then rub the spice mixture onto both sides of each piece.

Heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron grill pan over medium high heat for 2 minutes. Place one breast on the grill and cook for 1 minute to get a good sear, reduce the heat to medium low, and cook for 4 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 4 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 165 F with a meat thermometer. Repeat with the other breast.

Remove the meat from the pan and let it rest on a clean plate tented loosely with foil for 10 minutes. Take the foil off and allow the meat to cool another 5 minutes, then cut it into nugget-sized chunks.

Pour the juices from the plate on top of the chicken for added color and flavor.

Honey Sesame Dressing:
Place all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk. Transfer to a mason jar with a lid and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Honey Thai Almonds:
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a small baking tray with parchment paper.

Melt the honey in a small skillet over low heat, then add the slivered almonds and spices. Stir and adjust seasonings, adding more cayenne if you like more heat.

Spread out the almonds onto the lined baking tray and roast for 15 minutes, making sure to stir them every 5 minutes as you don’t want them to burn. The nuts are done when they have changed color and taste toasty.

Remove the tray from the oven, sprinkle on some granulated sugar, and allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Break them up into small chunks with a rolling pin or meat mallet. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Asian Salad:
Rinse and pat dry the romaine lettuce. Cut the ribs out with a sharp chef’s knife, then stack the leaves 4 high and slice into bite-sized pieces.

Toss the romaine lettuce with the spring mix, then place 2 ½ cup of greens onto each plate.

Sprinkle on the red and green cabbage and the carrots to provide color and crunch, then add the two cheeses (Monterey Jack and cheddar).

Place the canned mandarin orange segments on top (roughly 10 per salad), then add the optional wonton strips and the honey Thai almonds if desired.

Carefully arrange ½ breast of grilled chicken nuggets in the middle of the salad. When ready to serve, drizzle on the honey sesame dressing.