Crunchy Ramen Salad with Grilled Chicken is a sweet and savory salad with marinated grilled chicken, crunchy ramen noodles, almonds, sweet red bell peppers and more!
I don’t know about you, but it’s blazing hot where I am! Here in Central Texas it’s sittin’ right around 100 degrees and I just about can’t stand to go outside! It’s so hot, I don’t even want to turn on my oven, so what’s better than a salad to beat the summertime heat?! It’s great…I can send my sweet, never-see-me-sweat, honey out to grill the chicken breasts while I stay cool, collected and keep my makeup from melting in the air-conditioned house preparing the salad!
I think you’ll enjoy this salad! It’s loaded with Grilled Chicken Breast, Crunchy Ramen Noodles, Lettuce, Green Onions, Sugared Almonds, Fresh Pineapple and Sweet Red Bell Peppers, all tossed in a Sweet Soy Vinaigrette. It’s perfect for a great summer meal!
Crunchy Ramen Salad with Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 11 oz. pkg spring salad blend
- 1 package chicken flavored ramen noodles
- 3 T vegetable oil
- 1 cup green onions sliced
- 1 red bell pepper slices
- 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
- 1 cup whole almonds coarsley chopped
- 4 T sugar
- Dressing:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup oil
- 2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 T sesame oil
- 4 T soy sauce
Instructions
- For the dressing, combine packet of seasoning from Ramen soup, 1/2 c. sugar, 1 c. oil, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until well blended.
- Place chicken in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and pour half of the dressing over chicken. Seal tightly and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Reserve remaining unused dressing for salad.
- Preheat grill to medium-high (about 400 degrees).
- Remove chicken breasts from marinade and pat dry with clean paper towels. Place on preheated grill and grill over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes per side (maybe a minute or two more depending on thickness). When done, place chicken breasts on a clean baking sheet or plate and loosely cover with foil. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine salad mix, red bell pepper, pineapple and green onion in a medium-sized bowl. Cover and refrigerate until right before serving.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, crush ramen noodles and drizzle with 3 T oil; toss until well coated and spread onto a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven, stirring often to lightly toast noodles. Keep an eye on it and don’t let it burn! Remove and cool completely.
- In a small pan, cook and stir 1 c. almonds and 4 T. sugar over medium heat until almonds are caramelized (they will be light brown and coated with melted sugar), approximately 4-6 minutes. Spread the almonds on foil or wax paper. After they cool, break apart.
- Right before serving, toss lettuce mixture, Ramen noodles, sugared almonds and sliced, grilled chicken breasts with enough dressing to coat (to taste). Serve in a large bowl and enjoy!
- **Try to prepare the dressing the day before so that you can marinate the chicken overnight**
I am passionate about good food, cooking for family and friends, and creating recipes that form lasting memories from one generation to the next. I hope you find inspiration for cooking and creating here!
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