Sesame Chicken Salad with Tahini Dressing
The perfect meal for travel days, picnics, camping, and days spent on the lake
This sesame chicken salad is one of our favorite travel-day and lake-day meals. I pack it into mason jars that I place inside a small cooler and it makes a delicious high-protein lunch on days when we’re driving around the country from one campground to the next and want to save ourselves from truck stop food.
This is also one of my favorite things to make on sailing days. It’s simple and easy enough to make in my galley kitchen and, just like I do for travel days in the RV, I pack it into jars so we can eat it on deck while we’re on the water.
But you don’t need to wait for a to-go or picnic situation to try this spicy chicken salad flavored with sesame and tahini. It takes roughly 30 minutes to prepare (less if you start with rotisserie chicken) and will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can serve it on greens or toast, if you like. Or, pile it into a tortilla or wrap and roll it up with a few leaves of lettuce for a hand-held situation. Or, eat it just as it’s pictured here, piled into bowls with extra peanuts and sesame seeds.
Recipe notes
Make this chicken salad even easier by starting with rotisserie chicken. Simply shred the meat of the rotisserie chicken, skip Step #1, and jump straight into mixing up the tahini dressing.
That’s a wrap! Turn this chicken salad into a hand-held by wrapping it up in a flour tortilla or sandwich wrap. I like to add a few lettuce leaves.
More of my favorite recipes for travel days and sailboat days:
Couscous Salad with Fresh Veggies: This healthy, vibrant pasta salad is made with pearl couscous (toasted Israeli-style pasta), whatever fresh herbs and vegetables you like, and dressed simply with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. The salad keeps well for days and can be packed into mason jars for the perfect packed lunch or camping meal.
Israeli Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette and Roasted Nuts: This Middle Eastern salad is low in calories, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free, making it the perfect option for dietary restrictions and anyone interested in clean, plant-based meals. But don't let its health benefits fool you. Israeli Salad is also bursting with flavor and easy to prepare. So whether you're looking for a quick lunchtime bite or a tasty side dish for dinner tonight, this salad has got you covered.
Hummus Platter: This is one of those recipes that’s the perfect thing for so many different situations. It’s one of my favorite things to serve as an appetizer for dinner party guests. It makes a gorgeous no-cook lunch for hot summer days. And, it can be packed into a to-go container for picnics, hikes, or days on the lake.
Mediterranean Chicken Salad: Packed with rotisserie chicken, capers, tarragon, parsley, chives, and plenty of fresh lemon, then layered onto a bun with roasted red peppers, radishes, and cucumbers, this chicken salad is about as far from basic as you can get. This chicken salad is endlessly customizable, meal-prep friendly, requires no cooking, and takes less than 15 minutes to make.
Welcome to Let’s Get Lost! I’m Rebecca, a recipe developer, food photographer, passionate people watcher, and chaser of new experiences. You might know me from my recipe websites, Of Batter and Dough and A Little and A Lot.
My husband and I are nomads without a home base but with many modes of transportation, namely an RV, a motorcycle, and a sailboat. I write recipes and stories for curious people who believe experiences are more important than things and who want more adventure. Find out more.