Asian Sesame Chicken Couscous Salad (Printable)

Chewy pearl couscous with rotisserie chicken in savory sesame-soy dressing with crisp cucumbers.

# What Goes In:

→ Couscous Salad

01 - 1 cup pearl couscous
02 - 2 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
03 - 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
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 such as canola or sunflower

# How to Make It:

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 to 10 minutes until tender. Drain excess liquid and spread couscous on a baking sheet to cool quickly.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, chili sauce if using, and neutral oil 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 Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in 30 minutes flat, which means real weeknight relief without the guilt of takeout.
  • The sesame-soy dressing does all the heavy lifting—every single ingredient tastes like it belongs there.
  • Cold or warm, it never gets soggy because pearl couscous has the perfect chew and structure.
02 -
  • Spread the couscous on a sheet to cool instead of leaving it in the pot—the difference between fluffy grains and a clumpy mess is honestly that simple.
  • Make the dressing while the couscous cools so all your flavors meld before they hit the salad; this tiny thing elevates everything.
03 -
  • Toast your own sesame seeds in a dry skillet for five minutes and the flavor difference becomes impossible to ignore.
  • Make extra dressing and keep it in a jar in the fridge—it's brilliant drizzled over roasted vegetables, rice bowls, or even simple grilled chicken.
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