Chinese Chicken Salad is loaded with vibrant flavors and textures. Great for a main dish salad that’s filling and satisfying!
Chinese Chicken Salad is loaded with vibrant flavors and textures. Great for a main dish salad that’s filling and satisfying!
Chinese Chicken Salad is a favorite main dish when eating out BUT it’s easy to make at home too!
Salad is often restricted to the warm months but Chinese Chicken Salad is a great year-round choice thanks to its filling, wholesome ingredients, and great flavors.
I love the bright, fresh flavors of the salad ingredients and the dressing. It’s colorful and has a great fresh crunch!
What Is Chinese Chicken Salad?
Chinese Chicken Salad is a robust salad featuring chopped or shredded chicken.
Asian ingredients and flavors that have become popular in the United States combine to make the salad a fresh, brightly flavored, crunchy main dish.
This is not a totally traditional Chinese Chicken Salad recipe but with all the variations I’m not sure there IS a ‘traditional’ recipe!
Some versions include mandarin orange segments or fried Chow Mein noodles.
Instead I opted for fresh ingredient that give the burst of flavor and the crunch.
Ingredients in Chinese Chicken Salad
What’s in Chinese Chicken Salad? Loads of wholesome delicious ingredients!
- Soft Napa cabbage
- Red cabbage
- Cilantro
- Carrots
- Green onions
- Shredded chicken breast
- Sliced almonds finish the presentation and give another crunch
How to Make Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing
The dressing is a combination of wonderful Asian flavors:
- Sesame oil
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Chili oil for a light bit of heat
- Tamari or soy sauce for some salt
- fresh Ginger
- Brown Sugar
- Garlic
It’s tangy, salty, spicy and bright in flavor adding the finishing touch on the salad.
Add all ingredients to a jar and seal. Shake to combine and set aside for the flavors to infuse while making the salad.
Tip for Adding Dressing to Chinese Chicken Salad
If you’ll be serving the salad in one sitting, use all of the dressing.
If you will serve it over a few meals, dress individual portions of salad and store the rest in the refrigerator. The salad in a sealed container or covered with plastic wrap and the dressing in a sealed jar.
This will keep the salad fresh and crunchy until the dressing is added.
Make it Gluten-Free!
This Chinese Chicken Salad does not contain Chow Mein noodles as some recipes do. That takes the gluten away from the ingredients.
When making the dressing use Tamari, which is a gluten-free version of soy sauce!
How to Cook Chicken for Chinese Chicken Salad: a TRICK!
Shredded chicken breast adds tasty protein to the Chinese Chicken Salad.
The recipe calls for making the shredded chicken via my own special trick/recipe which makes flavorful shredded chicken, without a fuss and a cool shredding method (no forks or fingers required).
Unlike most shredded chicken, this version has real flavor and does not taste like stewed chicken.
It’s an easy method that you’ll want to use for many other recipes!
What to Serve with Chinese Chicken Salad
Since Chinese Chicken Salad is a main dish that contains a variety of ingredients it’s fine to serve it solo.
If you want to add more to the menu here are some suggestions:
- Pot Stickers (I make frozen gluten-free pot stickers that are as good as those homemade; keep it easy)
- Egg Rolls
- Fruit Skewers
- Spicy Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice
- Spicy Garlic Sriracha Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Singapore Street Noodles
What is Chinese Chicken Salad?
Chinese Chicken Salad is a colorful, crunchy fresh salad with a flavor-packed Asian dressing. Shredded chicken, cabbage, carrots, green onion and almonds makes a satisfying main dish or side dish salad.
Is Chinese Chicken Salad gluten-free?
Yes! If Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) is used in the dressing the recipe is gluten-free. All salad ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
Chinese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Ingredients for the dressing:
- 1/3 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Tamari (if gluten-free) or regular Soy Sauce (if not gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon Chili Oil
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh diced Ginger Root
- 1 large Garlic Clove , diced
Ingredients for the Chinese Chicken Salad:
- 1 recipe Homemade Moist Shredded Chicken Breast (equivalent of 3 cups shredded chicken)
- 5 cups Shredded Napa Cabbage (I cut across the cabbage and separate the slice into individual strands of cabbage)
- 3 cups Finely Shredded Red Cabbage
- 2 cups Grated Carrots
- ½ cup chopped fresh Cilantro leaves
- 4 large Scallions (green onions), trimmed and sliced (both white and green portions)
- ¼ cup Sesame Seeds (white, black or a mix)
- ¼ cup Sliced Almonds
Instructions
- Prepared the dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients into a small jar with a lid. Seal, shake vigorously and set aside for the flavors to infuse.
- Prepare the homemade moist shredded chicken breast. While the chicken breasts are cooking, in a large bowl combine the Napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, cilantro and green onions; toss to combine, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Allow the freshly shredded chicken to cool slightly and combine with the salad and the sesame seeds; toss.
- Dressing the salad: if you plan to serve the entire salad, add all of the dressing and toss. If you plan to use the salad over multiple meals, dress individual servings of the salad and store the salad and dressing separately to keep the salad crisp. Sprinkle the top of the salad with sliced almonds just before serving to keep them crunchy.
Originally published: January 6, 2017
Ella says
Thank you for this recipe! I brought this to a gathering and it was a hit! I didn’t have chili oil and so I used sriracha sauce instead. Also, I had to add about an extra half portion more of the marinade to the salad for a more flavorful taste. I just keep adding and tasting, but made sure it did not get soggy.
B says
We both loved this salad. Especially liked the dressing.
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
So hungry for this! This needs to happen at my house very soon!!
Allyson Zea says
I love love love this salad!!!
Sam says
This is my current go-to weeknight dinner. YUM.
Allison says
I love the crunch in this! Healthy and satisfying! Thanks for sharing.
Jocelyn says
What an absolutely gorgeous and delicious chicken salad!!! I love how fresh and delicious it is!
Catalina says
This salad has everything a good meal needs! I will try it soon!
Brenda says
Excellent salad, love the combination of flavors and textures!
Chrissie Baker says
Thanks Toni we truly enjoyed this dish. My little girl happily continued eating even after we had long finished dinner!!
priyanka says
Wow this looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it.
Thank you for the great recipe!
Have a great day.
Priyanka
Melanie Bauer says
This looks spectacular! I’d love to try this, so much flavor that makes it simply irresistible!
Catalina says
This couldn’t look any more perfect! I have to put this on my menu this week! I love all these colors!
Jennifer Farley says
I had this for lunch today and loved it! I’ll definitely make it again.
Rachel says
This looks so good. I could eat this every day. It is my ideal lunch.
Susie says
My new favorite lunch salad!
Liz says
I was looking for a Chinese chicken salad that didn’t use that Ramen seasoning packet and I found yours! It tastes amazing! I can’t wait to try it again!!
Taylor says
Love all the flavor in this! So yummy!
Beth Klosterboer says
Thanks for this fabulous recipe! It was so yummy.
Rob says
I’ve been looking for a new Chinese chicken salad recipe, can’t wait to try this one!
Melissa says
The flavor and texture of this salad is amazing!
Scott says
Napa cabbage is the best. We have one really good recipe for using it and are looking for another. Perfect timing!
Stef says
Oooh.. this sounds wonderful. I love all the of the flavors in it. Thanks for the tip about the dressing. I hate when my leftover salad gets all soggy. I’ve never made something like this before and now it’s totally on my list.