Easy Chinese Chicken Salad
This Easy Chinese Chicken Salad is a delicious, fun and quick salad to make, that is ready in just 15 minutes!! Wonderfully infused with all the Asian flavors of soy sauce, ginger, rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil that ties the salad together. You will love the crunch of the red cabbage and chow mein noodles paired with sweet mandarin oranges. Makes a perfect salad!!
A popular restaurant salad that can now made at home like my easy house salad, best kale salad, chicken burrito bowl and amazing strawberry spinach salad.
Chinese chicken salad dressing
Wait until you try this dressing!! It is the ingredient most people comment on and enjoy along with the amazing crunchy texture and the depth of flavors.
The sweet and tangy flavors of the Asian salad dressing is always a fan favorite. This is another dressing that you can eat off of a plate it is so good.
The chicken helps this to stand on its own for an easy satisfying salad for lunch or for a light dinner!! You can also skip the chicken to make this as a side dish or an entree.
I love to bring this to potlucks when the weather gets warmer. Try my Mongolian beef recipe and easy orange chicken or my egg roll in a bowl next!!
What you’ll love about this recipe:
Ingredients
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below in the recipe card
Asian Dressing ingredients:
- Rice Vinegar
- Mandarin Juice
- Honey
- Avocado Oil
- Sesame Oil
- Soy sauce – reduced sodium soy sauce
- Ginger – grated
- Sesame Seeds
- Garlic Clove – minced
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt and Pepper – Kosher salt and black pepper
Salad Ingredients:
- Romaine Lettuce – shredded 2 heads of romaine
- Cooked Chicken – use store bought rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken or bake your own seasoned your way
- Red Cabbage – shredded
- Mandarin Oranges – 1 can (15 once) drained and reserved
- Carrots – shredded
- Chow Mein Noodles – provide the great crunch many love in this salad
- Cilantro – chopped
- Roasted Cashews – unsalted chopped
- Green Onions – sliced
- Sesame Seeds
Substitutions and additions
You can also use crushed ramen noodles or the fried noodles of your choice from the grocery store in place of the chow mein noodles.
Instead of cashews you can use unsalted peanuts or sliced almonds.
Add in bell peppers for more crunchy texture.
Step by step instructions for how to make Chinese chicken salad recipe
STEP ONE – In a bowl add the dressing ingredients. Mix until combined. Set aside.
STEP TWO – In a large serving bowl add the salad ingredients. Mix until combined.
STEP THREE – Drizzle the dressing on top of the salad. Toss until fully combined.
Serve and enjoy!
Variations
Switch up the protein and try using cooked steak or shrimp on top!!
Sandra’s Top Tips
- Using the best quality freshest ingredients will make the best tasting salad
- Prepare your ingredients ahead to speed things up
- If you making it ahead of time to store in the fridge do not add the dressing, add the dressing to serve as you need it
- Add more crunchy texture for your tastes with crispy wonton strips or toasted almonds
- This salad is best served cold
What is Chinese chicken salad dressing made of?
This amazing dressing is made of rice vinegar, mandarin juice, honey, avocado oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes and seasoned with salt and pepper!!
Storage instructions
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge covered or in an airtight container for 3 days without the dressing on it. The is a great salad that holds up well for meal planning. If the salad is dressed the romaine lettuce and chow mein noodles will get a little soft if you are putting it in the fridge. I prefer to put the dressing on before serving.
Chinese Chicken Salad
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
Description
This Easy Chinese Chicken Salad is a delicious fun and quick Asian salad to make that is ready in just 15 minutes!!Wonderfully infused with all the Asian flavors of soy sauce, ginger, rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil that ties the salad together. You will love the crunch of the cabbage with the sweet mandarin oranges combined with the chow mein noodles that make it a perfect salad.
Ingredients
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons mandarin juice
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons ginger, grated
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Salad Ingredients
4 cups romaine lettuce, shredded (2 heads of romaine)
3 cups shredded cooked chicken (baked, rotisserie, or leftover chicken) (1 pound)
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
1 (15-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained and reserved
1 cup carrots, shredded
1/2 cup chow mein noodles
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup roasted unsalted cashews, chopped
2–3 green onions, sliced
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a bowl add the dressing ingredients. Mix until combined. Set aside.
- In a large serving bowl add the salad ingredients. Mix until combined.
- Drizzle the dressing on top of the salad. Toss until fully combined.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Storage instructions:
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge covered or in an airtight container for 3 days without the dressing on it. The is a great salad that holds up well for meal planning. If the salad is dressed the romaine lettuce and chow mein noodles will get a little soft if you are putting it in the fridge. I prefer to put the dressing on before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: Asian-American
