Asian Sesame Chicken Couscous Salad (Printable)

Chewy pearl couscous with rotisserie chicken in a savory sesame-soy dressing with crisp cucumbers and fresh herbs.

# What You Need:

→ Couscous Salad

01 - 1 cup pearl couscous (Israeli couscous)
02 - 2 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
03 - 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
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 (canola or sunflower)

# How-To Steps:

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 8–10 minutes until tender. Drain excess liquid and spread couscous on a baking sheet to cool quickly.
02 - While couscous cools, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, chili sauce if using, and neutral oil in a small bowl 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 option.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout, but tastes like someone actually fussed over it.
  • Pearl couscous has this chewy bounce that makes every bite feel textured and interesting.
  • The sesame-soy dressing carries enough heat and depth that you won't miss any fancy ingredients.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the couscous—warm grains will absorb the dressing unevenly and turn mushy instead of tender with personality.
  • The dressing tastes sharper straight from the bowl than it will once it's coating everything; season conservatively at first and adjust after tossing.
03 -
  • Toast your own sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes until fragrant, or buy them already toasted if you're short on time and need this meal on the table.
  • Grate the ginger directly over the dressing bowl so you don't lose any of the juice that carries all the flavor.
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