Ever had that moment when you’re staring into your fridge at 11pm, wondering why meal prep feels like solving a quantum physics equation? I certainly have—especially back in 2017 when my kitchen looked like a tornado hit a produce section. Asian Chicken Mason Jar Salad with Peanut Dressing: 5 Best Ways became my salvation during that crazy summer when I worked 60-hour weeks and nearly burnt down my apartment trying to deep-fry wontons at 2am (not my proudest culinary moment).
Before we dive in, I should probably mention that I’m a firm believer in what I call “reverse layering”—a technique most food blogs would call sacrilege, but trust me, it’ll change how your salads taste on day three. The way these flavor prisms develop over time is nothing short of magical. And yeah, I know most people say dressing on the bottom, but have you actually tested that theory yourself? Didn’t think so.
Let’s get crackin’ on this lunch game-changer that’s gonna make your coworkers jealous AF.
My Mason Jar Obsession (It’s Getting Out of Hand)
I didn’t always believe in jar-based meal architecture. Actually, I was a hardcore “everything in plastic containers” gal until my cousin Mitch (who isn’t even a cook, mind you) brought Asian-inspired jar salads to our 4th of July cookout back in 2019. The audacity! But then I tasted his version and immediately went home to experiment.
My first attempt at Asian Chicken Mason Jar Salad with Peanut Dressing was a catastrophic failure that resulted in soggy cabbage and what I now call “peanut cement” at the bottom. I legit cried while eating it at my desk the next day. This was before I developed my signature “heat-shock” technique for the chicken, which I accidentally discovered while on the phone with my insurance company (multitasking gone wrong but so right).
Living in the midwest, I’ve struggled to find authentic Asian Chicken Mason Jar Salad ingredients—the closest international market is 47 minutes away and sometimes closes randomly on Tuesdays for reasons nobody can explain to me. So I’ve adapted. Sometimes aggressively.
I’ve probably made this recipe 133 times (I keep a weird food journal, don’t judge), and each variation taught me something new about how flavors meld in the enclosed jar ecosystem.
(Speaking of which, don’t use those fancy jar lids with the rubber seals—trust me on this one. The flavor gets weird. Like, “did someone put pennies in my lunch” weird.)
Ingredients (The Building Blocks of Jar Magnificence)
For the Peanut Glory Dressing (yes, I named my dressing):
- 3 heaping spoonfuls smooth peanut butter (NOT the natural kind that separates—unless you enjoy oil slicks)
- 2½ tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos if you’re doing that whole thing)
- A generous thumb of fresh ginger, microplaned (store-bought pre-grated ginger is the devil’s work)
- 1 lime, juiced (roll it under your palm first—it’s called “juice activation” in my kitchen)
- 2-3 garlic cloves, absolutely demolished (I use my grandma’s garlic smash method where you hit it with the flat side of a knife while screaming the name of your ex)
- Drizzle of sesame oil (about ¾ tsp if you’re boring and need exact measurements)
- 1-2 tsp honey or maple syrup (depending on how rough your week has been)
- ½-1 tsp sriracha or sambal oelek (I usually go overboard here and regret it halfway through lunch)
For the Jar Assembly:
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie, leftover grilled, or my “midnight panic-cook” method)
- A happy handful shredded purple cabbage (more than you think you need)
- 1 medium carrot, spiral-cut or matchsticked (the thinner the better for proper flavor soaking)
- ⅓-ish English cucumber, de-seeded and chopped into half-moons
- ½ red bell pepper, sliced into the thinnest strips your knife skills allow
- Edamame beans, a generous scatter (about ⅓ cup if you need training wheels)
- Green onions, sliced on a dangerous bias (3-4 stalks)
- Fresh cilantro leaves (unless you’re one of THOSE people with the soap gene)
- A sprinkle of black or white sesame seeds (or both if you’re feeling fancy)
- Chopped peanuts for the “crunch bomb” on top (technical term)
The Mason Jar Alchemy Process
STEP THE FIRST: Make your Peanut Glory Dressing by chucking all dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisking like you’re trying to beat the world record for emulsification. If your arm doesn’t hurt, you haven’t whisked enough. Taste it. Add more of whatever you think it needs. Taste again. Repeat until you’ve eaten half the dressing before it even hits the jars. (Oh, and if it’s too thick, add a splash—actually, make that a half-splash—of warm water.)
STEP B: Prepare your chicken using the heat-shock method—cook it normally, THEN drop it into ice water for 7 seconds before drying and chopping. Why? Because it creates what I call “moisture lockdown” that prevents the chicken from turning into a weird texture by day 3. Is this scientifically proven? Absolutely not. Do I swear by it? With my whole heart.
THIRD PHASE: Now here’s where my Asian Chicken Mason Jar Salad with Peanut Dressing: 5 Best Ways approach differs from conventional wisdom. I like to put a small buffer layer of cucumber between the dressing and other ingredients. The cucumber creates what I call a “flavor dam” that controls how much dressing seeps upward during storage.
QUADRANT 4: Layer in this order (from bottom to top):
- 2½ tbsp dressing
- Cucumber barrier
- Carrot strips
- Bell pepper
- Edamame
- Chicken
- Cabbage
- Green onions
- Cilantro and peanuts get added just before eating!
Don’t pack the jars too tightly—leave about an inch at the top for what I call “shake space.” You need room for the big mixing moment when you’re ready to eat!
STAGE 5: Screw those lids on tight—I mean really crank ’em. Then store upright (never on their sides, not even during transport—learn from my catastrophic briefcase incident of 2021).
When ready to eat, turn that beautiful jar upside down for about 30 seconds, then right-side up, then give it a gentle shake—what I call the “salad shimmy.” Check out this similar on-the-go lunch idea for busy weekdays
Unconventional Wisdom (AKA My Hard-Earned Jar Knowledge)
• These salads last 3-4 days in the fridge, but—here’s my controversial take—they taste BEST on day 2! The flavors do this magical mellowing thing as they sit. First-day salads are for amateurs.
• If your office has one of those mini-fridges that freeze everything on the top shelf, DO NOT store your jars there. I learned this the hard way when my carefully crafted Asian Chicken Mason Jar Salad with Peanut Dressing exploded during a staff meeting. (The cleaning fee came out of my paycheck.)
• Temperature revelation: Let your jars sit out for 13.5 minutes before eating. Cold dulls flavor, and slightly room-temp dressing distributes better. My old chef instructor Marco would roll his eyes at this advice, but he also put ketchup on sushi, so who’s the real villain here?
★ Secret tip: If your salads start looking sad by day 3, perform the “crunch revival”—throw in a small handful of uncooked ramen noodles right before eating. Sounds bizarre but works like magic!
• Never, EVER use metal utensils to eat from your mason jar. The scraping noise will make your coworkers hate you, and it can create tiny scratches where bacteria hide. Use bamboo utensils or just dump the whole thing onto a plate like a civilized human.
For more on building the perfect balanced lunch, check out this comprehensive guide from a nutritionist I actually trust.
The Perfect Jar Arsenal
BALL WIDE-MOUTH PINT JARS ★★★★★
These aren’t just jars, they’re architectural vessels for my lunch masterpieces.
I’ve dropped these from counter-height onto tile and they didn’t even chip—though my kitchen floor wasn’t as lucky.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YDS1H3V
BAMBOO TRAVEL UTENSIL SET ★★★★★
Forget the sporks your company keeps in the breakroom—these changed my packed lunch life.
The knife in this set couldn’t cut through warm butter, but I still carry it for emotional support.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XXRVNRL
Remixing Your Jar Game
Want to switch things up? Try my “Forbidden Fusion” variation where you substitute the chicken with chunks of baked tofu marinated in fish sauce and brown sugar (sounds terrifying, tastes incredible).
For my carb-loving friends, try the “Noodle Nest” version where you add a layer of cold rice noodles tossed in sesame oil. I once served this at a potluck and told everyone it was an ancient family recipe. They believed me even though my family’s idea of exotic cuisine is tacos from a kit.
For those avoiding peanuts, try sunflower seed butter with a touch more lime—what I call the “Sunshine Drizzle” variation. It’s about 78% as good as the peanut version, but doesn’t trigger anaphylactic shock in your allergic coworkers, so there’s that.
The Big Question Everyone Asks
Q: Don’t the ingredients get soggy if they sit in dressing for days?
A: This is where my controversial “strategic layering” comes into play. By creating barrier zones between moisture-emitting ingredients and those that need to stay crisp, you’re essentially creating microclimates within your jar. The cucumber buffer system protects delicate ingredients while allowing controlled flavor migration. I’ve blind-tested this against conventional methods with my most brutally honest friends (especially Derek, who once told me my thanksgiving turkey tasted “like punishment”), and my method won 9 times out of 10. The one loss was when I accidentally used expired sesame oil, which wasn’t the jar’s fault.
Final Thoughts from a Jar Enthusiast
Look, meal prep doesn’t have to be boring, and Asian Chicken Mason Jar Salad with Peanut Dressing: 5 Best Ways proves that lunches can be the highlight of your workday rather than the sad desk obligation we’ve all come to expect.
I’m constantly tinkering with this recipe—sometimes with disastrous results (the kimchi experiment of February 2022 is still mentioned in hushed tones in my household). But that’s the beauty of cooking, isn’t it? The willingness to fail spectacularly on the path to creating something that makes you genuinely excited about lunch?
What’s your favorite make-ahead meal? Have you tried the reverse layering technique? Could you even tell I once placed third in the Midwestern Regional Meal Prep Challenge? (I didn’t, but doesn’t that sound impressive?)
Until next time, may your jars remain unbroken and your dressings perfectly emulsified!
—Chef Jess, Certified Container Meal Enthusiast and Reformed Sandwich Apologist
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