Grilled Sesame Chicken and Eggplant Salad

By David Tanis

Total Time: About 1 hour
Rating: 5(288)
Notes: Read community notes

This is a salad that is French by design and Chinese by flavor. The ginger and sesame notwithstanding, it is essentially very much like a salade composée, a “composed salad” where the ingredients are arranged and dressed but not tossed, with grilled chicken breast and a zesty vinaigrette. The jalapeño is optional, so you can turn down the heat.

Featured in: The French Chef’s Detour to China

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

For the Marinade

4boneless skin-on chicken breasts, about 8 ounces each
Salt and pepper
2large eggplants, about 2 pounds
1tablespoon grated ginger
1tablespoon grated garlic
2tablespoons soy sauce
3tablespoons roasted peanut oil
1teaspoon sesame oil
2tablespoons rice wine
½teaspoon Chinese chile paste or ¼ teaspoon cayenne

For the Vinaigrette and Garnish

2teaspoons rice vinegar
1teaspoon grated ginger
1teaspoon brown sugar
2teaspoons Dijon mustard
1teaspoon sesame oil
3tablespoons roasted peanut oil
½teaspoon kosher salt
1tablespoon lime juice
Bibb or Romaine lettuce leaves
1pound small cucumbers, peeled and cut in ¼-inch slices
½cup thinly sliced scallions
¾cup cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
2tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1jalapeño, green or red, thinly sliced, optional
Lime wedges

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Remove the tenderloins from the underside of the chicken breasts and reserve for another purpose. Trim breasts if necessary and flatten them slightly with a meat mallet. Season on both sides with salt and pepper and place in a shallow dish. Using a clean knife and cutting board, peel eggplant and cut into ½-inch slices, then season with salt and pepper. Place eggplant slices in a separate shallow dish.
Step 2
Prepare the marinade: stir together ginger, garlic, soy sauce, peanut oil, sesame oil, rice wine and chile paste in a small bowl. Pour half the marinade over chicken and remaining marinade over eggplant, turning over to coat well. Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes. (You may do this step up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerate. Return to room temperature before cooking.)
Step 3
Make the vinaigrette: whisk together rice vinegar, ginger, brown sugar, mustard, sesame oil, peanut oil, salt and lime juice. Set aside.
Step 4
Heat a stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat, or use a charcoal or gas grill. Grill eggplant slices until nicely browned and softened, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and hold at room temperature. Lay chicken breasts on the grill skin side down and let cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side until firm to the touch, about 2 minutes more. Remove breasts to a platter and let rest 5 minutes.
Step 5
Line a large platter with lettuce leaves. Cut chicken into ¼-inch slices and arrange over lettuce. Arrange grilled eggplant around the platter. Lightly salt cucumbers and dress with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette, then scatter over salad. Spoon the rest of the vinaigrette evenly over salad. Top with scallions and cilantro, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Garnish with optional jalapeño slices and lime wedges and serve.

Ratings

5 out of 5

288 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Alan C Brown6 years ago

I know this will be good and am just allowing the chicken to marinate a little longer but I can report it takes a whole lot longer than an hour!! I am a little OCD when it comes to cooking and don't skip any steps but I am pretty good with a sharp knife, even boned the chicken breasts since I wanted the skin on. So plan on at least an hour and a half prep.

Judy H-M6 years ago

I baked the chicken in the marinade at 350 degrees for 15 minutes and then seared it on the grill for about 5 minutes.

I didn't have time to grill the eggplant so I roasted it at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. The dish turned out well, though as others have mentioned, it took a while to prep. It was delicious and I will make it again! Everyone loved it!

Penni Gladstone6 years ago

Delicious ! Used all dark meat (thighs) So amazingly tasty.
Did not use the jalapeño as afraid it would be too hot for some guests. I only had one Tbs of sesame seeds so I put in another of pepita notes. Excellent.

Lyn6 years ago

Quite delicious! It took about 40 minutes. I marinated the chicken and eggplant only for as long as it took to pull everything else together. If time-starved, I imagine pre-washed supermarket lettuce would speed things up.
I used chicken thigh fillets instead, which I always prefer (unless poaching). The grilling added a lovely char and smokiness. I think the next time I'll use less mustard, as it was quite dominant, and pre-dress the lettuce a little before plating.

judy1 year ago

I made the full amount of marinade and vinaigrette with half the amount of chicken and eggplant. The eggplant was the star of the show! Will use this marinade as a springboard for other grilled eggplant dishes. The chicken was good, though I think skin-on boneless thighs might be a better choice, since the breasts were a little dry by the time they got up to 165°.

Charlotte2 weeks ago

Added a little bit of creamy peanut butter to the dressing and think it made a world of difference!

David C3 months ago

Yes, lots of prep time, but totally worth it. Marinated the chicken and the eggplant for a full three hours, and used about triple the amount of garlic and ginger (as I always do). I think what made the biggest difference was using unfiltered peanut oil. Tbh, I’ve never seen “roasted peanut oil” in the store, so I gambled on the very pricey unfiltered stuff. It packs an amazing punch, and kinda made the dish taste like a delicious Thai satay, complete with cucumber dressing and peanut sauce.

jo7 months ago

Excellent— could prepare components ahead of time for later assembly. Roasted eggplant in oven, chicken thighs indirect grill.

Michele8 months ago

I followed Judy H-M's suggestion of baking the chicken in the marinade and then grilling, which worked well. I made a half recipe for two diners, following the recipe to the letter. I personally prefer a little more depth of flavor so might use a bit less oil and a bit more of some of the other seasonings, should I make the recipe again. It was a nice change for us in the way of main course salads. Thank you, David Tanis.

MP9 months ago

This marinade is fantastic!

Laura G.10 months ago

David Tanis writes good recipes, and this was tasty. Next time I will as other ppl have suggested marinate the chix longer than 20 mins. Used skinned deboned thighs as not a fan of white meat. Broiled the chix in toaster oven for c. 30 minutes while cooking eggplant on stovetop griddle. Subbed soba noodles for lettuce (using same marinade)--I know that's a big sub, but wanted a one-dish meal, and there was enough veg. with the eggplant and cuke. Next time I might cut the eggplant into batons.

Cynthia1 year ago

Made this vegan by grilling mushrooms (a mix of shiitake and portobello) instead of chicken. Added avocado and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds as garnishes. Delicious!

Beth1 year ago

Don’t understand the great reviews. We generally love grilled eggplant but we did not like the spice combination.

ABR1 year ago

Delicious! However, I do recommend marinating the chicken longer than 30 minutes. I did not have roasted peanut oil available at my local grocery store, so I just used extra virgin olive oil and it still tasted great. I did want something crunchy because I did find myself getting some palette fatigue with all the softer textures, so I think next time I would add wonton strips or keep the skin on the cucumbers for an extra crunch.

judy1 year ago

S Veronique1 year ago

fabulous!! will include in regular repertoire

Nanci Brogan2 years ago

There was not nearly enough salad dressing. I recommend doubling it. I used thinly sliced chicken breasts, even though they didn't have skin. Loved the many flavors!

elizabeth3 years ago

Very very good...

conniethecook4 years ago

Love this combo! Have made the eggplant with zucchini added as side dish for grilled swordfish. It was a big hit.

Chef Egon5 years ago

for the eggplant, pierce all over with a fork and microwave for 10 min in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Let cool then hand shred the eggplant into strips and mix with the dressing. This makes a nice side dish on its own

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