Cold Noodle Salad with Chicken (High-Protein Sesame Noodles)
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This cold noodle salad comes together in minutes and is seriously high in protein thanks to all the chicken and edamame. Eat the Asian cold noodles on their own or with my Air Fryer Frozen Dumplings for a little variety!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Cold Noodle Salad with Chicken (High-Protein Sesame Noodles)
- 🕦 Ready in: 25 minutes
- 🤝 Serves: 5
- 🧑🍳 Main ingredients: rice noodles, chicken breast, edamame, soy sauce
- ✨ Summary: A high protein cold noodle salad with so much going on you’ll honestly forget it took less than 30 minutes to make. So good!!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Balanced texture: You get chewy noodles, tender chicken, crisp cucumber and buttery edamame all in one bowl. Cold noodle salad recipes can feel a bit flat, but this one has real contrast going on.
- Filling: A lot of Asian cold noodle salads lean so heavily on noodles that you’re hungry an hour later. This one packs in 650g of chicken and a solid portion of edamame for extra plant-based protein, so it eats like a full meal. Same kind of lunch energy I go for in my High Protein Dense Bean Salad with Chicken.
- So much flavour: You won’t believe how flavourful this Chinese cold noodle recipe is. We’ve got soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and fish sauce doing a lot of heavy lifting in that dressing.
If you’ve got leftover chicken sitting in the fridge, it’s also brilliant in One Pot Chicken & Rice,Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip (High Protein & Extra Creamy), or Chicken Fajita Salad Bowl.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Cold noodle dishes are always quite flexible. Here are the key ingredients for this recipe:
- Rice noodles: I like using rice noodles when making a cold noodle salad recipe. They’re light, chewy and soak up the sesame dressing really well. They also keep this cold noodle salad naturally gluten-free.
- Chicken breast: Poaching the chicken keeps it juicy and evenly cooked, which makes a real difference once everything’s chilled. Leftover Sauteed Chicken Breasts or grilled chicken work too if you’ve already got some.
- Edamame: Edamame adds extra protein & a slight creaminess that sits nicely against the crunchy veg in this cold pasta salad. Frozen edamame is fine here and keeps things quick.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
- Make it spicy: Feel free to add chilli flakes, sliced red chillies or a drizzle of chilli oil in the dressing when making this Thai noodle salad. The heat works really well with the cucumber and sesame. For something even spicier, check out my Spicy Korean Gochujang Noodles.
- Make it vegetarian: Swap the chicken for Crispy Tofu or just bulk up the edamame for a delicious vegetarian cold noodle salad.
- Add more veggies: Shredded cabbage, sugar snap peas or bean sprouts all work well in an easy cold noodle salad & add good texture too.
- Peanut dressing version: If you’re craving cold noodle salad with spicy peanut sauce, just whisk a tablespoon of peanut butter into the dressing with a splash of warm water to loosen it. You can adjust the heat level to your liking.
How to make the best Cold Noodle Salad
Step 1: Whisk your dressing ingredients together in the base of a large bowl, then add the cooked, cooled noodles. Toss them immediately with tongs to coat them in the dressing and prevent sticking.
Step 2: Pour the cooked and cooled edamame beans and the sliced spring onions in with the noodles.
Step 3: Layer in the rest of your fresh ingredients, including the sliced cucumber, carrot ribbons, and the cooked, shredded chicken.
Step 4: Toss everything together until the chicken, vegetables, and noodles are thoroughly mixed and evenly coated.
If you’re after more quick lunch and dinner ideas, try Easy Devilled Sausages (Sweet & Savoury One-Pan Dinner), Tender Pepper Steak Recipe (Better Than Takeout), or Jennifer Aniston Salad.
Tips for the best result
- Keep the poaching water at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil. That’s what keeps the chicken tender instead of going rubbery, which is crucial for this cold chicken noodle salad.
- Salt the poaching water generously. It’s your main window to season the chicken all the way through before it’s sliced and tossed into the salad.
- Toss the noodles in the cold noodle salad dressing as soon as they’re rinsed and cooled. Rice noodles stick together fast if you leave them sitting on their own.
- This cold noodle salad also holds up really well if you want to make it a few hours ahead. The flavors settle nicely in the fridge and it pairs well with something simple like my Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli Recipe.
Why Poached Chicken Works So Well in Cold Noodle Salad
Cold chicken can go dry and a bit sad really quickly, which is why poaching makes such a difference in this Asian chicken noodle salad. A gentle simmer keeps the meat juicy, tender and evenly cooked, and that matters a lot once the salad has chilled down.
It also gives you proper control over seasoning. Well-salted poaching water means the chicken is seasoned from the inside out, rather than relying entirely on the dressing to carry the dish.
That’s especially useful in a cold noodle salad, where flavors can taste a bit muted straight from the fridge. Starting with well-cooked, well-seasoned chicken gives the bowl a lot more flavour.
Serving Suggestions
I usually eat this cold noodle salad on its own because it’s already got protein, veg and noodles sorted. It also could be made as part of a bigger Asian spread if you want something crunchy, spicy or fresh alongside it.
Try it with:
- Extra Crispy Pork Cutlet (Pan-Fried in Cast Iron)
- Easy Din Tai Fung Cucumber Recipe
- Easy Sweet Chilli Chicken {Chinese Fakeaway!}
- Quick & Easy Boom Boom Shrimp (No Deep Frying!)
- Best Miso Dressing Recipe {Quick and Easy!}
- Easy Salt and Pepper Chips Recipe (Chinese Takeaway Style)
- Gyoza Dipping Sauce {In Just 5 Minutes!}
Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions
The cold noodle salad holds up well, which makes it good for packed lunches or easy next-day dinners.
Refrigerator: Store the chicken rice noodle salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Give it a quick toss before eating as the dressing settles at the bottom.
Freezer: I wouldn’t freeze this one. Rice noodles and cucumber don’t survive the thaw well at all, and fresh herbs go dull and watery, so it’s just not worth it.
Reheat: I prefer it cold straight from the fridge, or after about 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature. If you want it slightly warm, a short blast in the microwave in short bursts is fine, just enough to take the chill off without overcooking the chicken.
Recipe FAQs
Rinse under cold water after cooking, then get them straight into the dressing while they’re freshly drained. Coating them right away is what stops them clumping.
Yes, it’s a good one for meal prep. The chicken, edamame and noodles hold up well for up to 3 days. If you want the freshest texture, keep the coriander separate and stir it through just before eating.
Poached is my pick. It gives you the most tender texture and the most evenly seasoned meat. Grilled or rotisserie works in a pinch, but poaching gives you a softer bite that blends into the Asian noodles more naturally.
Rice noodles are great and always a go-to for sesame chicken noodles. They stay light and chewy, which balances the chicken and edamame without making the whole thing feel too heavy.
If you have leftover edamame, cucumber or coriander, use them in Healthy Noodle Bowls (10 Minute Meal Prep),Creamy Shrimp Salad Sandwich (Better than a Lobster Roll!), or Vegetarian Burrito Bowl.
If you tried this Cold Noodle Salad recipe, it would mean so much to me if you couldleave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Cold Noodle Salad with Soy Chicken & Sesame Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 nests of Itsu rice noodles
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds
- 30 g spring onion, thinly sliced
- 650 g chicken breast, sliced in half and grilled
- 500 g frozen edamame
- 2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
- Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Dressing
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- Black pepper
Method
- Poach the chicken in salted water, brought to a low simmer. This should take around 10 minutes. Cook to an internal temp of 165°F or 74°C.
- Let the chicken rest and cool before slicing into thin pieces.
- Meanwhile, cook the frozen edamame according to packet instructions in your microwave or over the hob. Rinse in cold water to cool.
- Cook your noodles according to packet instructions, then also rinse in cold water.
- Whilst the noodles are cooking, add the sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar and a crack of black pepper to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine, then add the cooled noodles straight into the bowl.
- Combine with tongs immediately to prevent any sticking. Next, add the spring onion, cucumber, chicken, edamame beans, carrots and coriander. Stir to combine until everything is thoroughly mixed.
Notes
- When poaching your chicken, ensure you don’t cook it at a rolling boil. It should be a gentle simmer to prevent the chicken from going tough.
- Heavily salt the water to ensure your chicken is well seasoned.
- If you love spice, add some chilli flakes or fresh chillies into the noodle salad.
- Once the rice noodles are rinsed, immediately add them to your dressing to ensure that they don’t stick together.
Nutrition
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