Korean Chicken Salad (Dak Nangchae)
This Korean chicken salad combines with shredded poached chicken breast, cucumber, onion, and apple slices, then dressed with a tangy sesame mustard dressing. This light, mayo-free salad is great for BBQs and potluck parties.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless & skinless)
- 1 inch ginger (thinly sliced)
- 1 Korean cucumber or English cucumber (seeded and thinly sliced)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 medium white onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 sweet red apple (thinly sliced)
- 4 tsp Korean mustard (yeongeoja) (See notes below for substitute)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Korean plum extract (maeshil cheong) (or apple juice)
- 2 tsp sweet rice wine (mirim)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (divided)
Instructions
- 1
Put a few thin slices of ginger in a pot of water. Bring to boil. Add the chicken breasts, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- 2
Remove the pot from heat, and leave chicken breast to stand with lid on for 20 minutes or longer. Shred the chicken breast.
- 3
Meanwhile, soak onion slices in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain; set aside.
- 4
Slice cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Slice the cucumber in thin diagonal slices. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt on the cucumber slices and toss. Let sit for 5 minutes, then gently squeeze out the excess moisture from cucumber.
- 5
In a small mortar, roughly grind up toasted whole sesame seeds with a pestle. Do not grind the sesame seeds too finely. You will want them coarsely crushed.
- 6
In a small mixing bowl, combine Korean mustard paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, salt, Korean plum extract, rice wine, sesame oil and 1-1/2 tablespoon of crushed sesame seeds; mix well.
- 7
Put the salad in a serving dish and garnish with the remaining crushed sesame seeds. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator up to 30 minutes.