Chinese Chicken Salad
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Make a restaurant-quality Chinese chicken salad at home with this easy recipe featuring crisp veggies and tender chicken tossed in a delicious sesame-ginger dressing.
Chinese chicken salad is a California-style dish that perfectly blends the flavors of Chinese and American cuisine. Although it was a trendy restaurant menu item in the 1990s, for me, it’s a timeless favorite that will never go out of style. In fact, I would happily eat a salad like this every night of the week if I didn’t have a family to feed! The combination of fresh veggies, like Napa cabbage, crunchy carrots, and crisp bell peppers, combined with tender chicken and a sesame-ginger dressing make for a light and refreshing meal that always leaves you feeling satisfied.
In this version, I’ve swapped out the traditional fried wonton strips with nuts to make the salad a bit healthier. However, if you prefer the crispy crunch of wontons, go ahead and add them in! The recipe is very easy to throw together, especially if you use leftover or rotisserie chicken instead of cooking your own — give it a try to see why it’s one of my all-time favorites!
Table of Contents
“Great salad—crunchy and flavorful, and very easy. I used some of the dressing to marinate pounded chicken breasts for a couple of hours then grilled them. Will definitely make again!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chinese Chicken Salad
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the dressing: In a food processor or blender, combine all of the dressing ingredients.
Blend until smooth.
Assemble the salad: Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Add dressing, little by little, and toss to combine, until the salad is dressed to your liking.
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately.
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Chinese-Style Chicken Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
Make a restaurant-quality Chinese chicken salad at home with this easy recipe featuring crisp veggies and tender chicken tossed in a delicious sesame-ginger dressing.
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- ⅓ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3½ tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup Asian/toasted sesame oil
- ⅓ cup peanut or vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1½ inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped (see note)
For the Salad
- 4 cups chopped Napa cabbage
- 4 cups chopped romaine (or substitute more Napa cabbage)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- ½ cup grated carrots, from 2 carrots
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ⅓ cup salted cashews or peanuts
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Assemble the salad: Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing, little by little, and toss to combine, until the salad is dressed to your liking. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately.
- Note: For easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger, click here.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 608
- Fat: 48 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Sugar: 19 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Sodium: 989 mg
- Cholesterol: 53 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Another lovely Asian salad to have on a hot summer day. I substituted rotisserie chicken and added peanuts. A big hit with my husband.
Forgot to mention I didn’t add the honey as I am on a keto diet. Didn’t affect the taste at all
The salad dressing was delicious and will be my new go to dressing for all Asian salads. I didnt follow the chicken recipe as I had lots of vegetables in my garden that i needed to use so i stir fried instead
Made this salad for my husband who is not especially enthusiastic about a salad for dinner. This was delicious and he loved it! It has great texture, lots of crunch and flavor and satisfied even his “manly” appetite. It takes a few minutes to prep the veggies, but it’s well worth it. I made extra salad veggies and refrigerated them separately without the chicken meat so I could use them for another meal. If you are going to do the chopping, why not get two meals out of it, right! Thanks, Jenn! Another “go to” on my list!
exactly my same sentiments. hubby also doesn’t care much for salad dinners…but he liked this one. The sauce was not to sweet but just right with roasted sesame oil. I sautéed sliced chicken breasts because I cannot buy ones with skins; instead of the romaine, I finely sliced white cabbage, a carrot, red bell pepper, mini cucumbers and sweet onion which gives a nice crunch with the thinly sliced raw vegetables and peanuts. This recipe is definitely one to share with friends and keep in the recipe box. Thank you Jenn.
Appallingly sweet! …and I only used 3 T honey. Next time I would up the amount of sesame oil, perhaps by 2 times and use ½ to 1 T of honey.
How many cups of romaine/cabbage is the equivalent of four romaine lettuce hearts, chopped?
Good question Jackie! I haven’t made this in so long, but I think it may be about 10 to 12 cups of chopped romaine.
Hi – If I only have boneless/skinless chicken breasts would you recommend the oven (would the cook time be different than the skin on/bone in?) or the grill? Thanks!
I’d pound and grill them after seasoning them with a little salt and pepper. Hope that helps!
YUM! Snuck a couple bites while making a double recipe for a potluck this evening. Here’s the wonderful thing: I hadn’t yet tried it myself but I know using any of Jenn’s recipes will always land a hit.
I’m thinking shrimp or using a precooked chicken shredded will easily work here too. Or adding mandarin oranges to the side along with those wonton fried strips for those that love them. So good, can’t wait to eat a giant bowl tonight!
I love this salad dressing! I make it frequently and just use it on my every day normal salads and it makes them all so good! Thank you for this salad dressing recipe, its so easy and contains clean ingredients!
Delicious, Definitely a keeper. Will make again!
Your recipe did not disappoint. I can not wait to try others. Thank you for a great meal. Keeper!!
Alexis
Sonoma, California
Out of this world! Thank you so much for this spectacular dressing recipe!
Is the sesame oil in the sesame ginger dressing roasted or unroasted?
Hi Eugene, either one is fine!
Whats the portion size for this?
I think a portion would be about 2 generous cups. Hope you enjoy!
I don’t use peanut oil but I like the nut flavor. Would it be better to substitute vegetable oil or a combination of vegetable oil and peanut butter?
Hi Kami, I would just use vegetable oil in place of the peanut oil.
The calorie count seems extremely high. Is this for the entire salad or per serving?
Hi Polly, Please see the updated nutritional data – it was incorrect. The calorie count is for one dinner-size portion.
Sounds like a fantastic recipe. Wondering if you meant roasted sesame oil or unroasted?
Hi Julie, unroasted is fine. Enjoy!
Love this recipe for chicken salad, so delicious, fresh and satisfying. Your pictures are lovely too.
Just tried the Chinese Chicken Salad, and it was wonderful!! Been trying your recipes for the last year and have never been disappointed!! Thank you for all the recipes!! Can hardly wait for the cook book!!
Best…Dennis
I made this today for my husband and I and we both loved it!! The only thing I omitted was the cilantro, other than that followed the recipe to a “T”. It was quick and easy to make. Try this one, you will not be disappointed.
I would really like to try this salad recipe, however, my husband can’t have nuts. Is there a substitute for the peanut oil or can I just leave it out?
Thanks
Vegetable oil would be a good substitute. Enjoy!
Has anyone tried this dressing substituting Equal for the honey, or without any sweetener at all? I’m on a doctor-supervised, ultra-low-carb dietary regimen: the complex carbs in all those lovely veggies are fine in sensible quantities, but simple carbs like honey and sugar and corn syrup are a huge no-no.
Use medjool dates! They are very sweet and honey like in flavor but have potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, fiber and other micronutrients. They are a natural, whole food and while eating a whole bag would not be optimal, a couple blended with the dressing would add nutrition and the sweetness . Please don’t use artificial sweeteners! Don’t forget to remove the pit first!
thx.
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe! Looking forward to more. I’m curious to what the nutritional facts of this recipe are. I’m watching my weight and would appreciate knowing how many calories I’m consuming each time…great thanks in advance.
Hi Nessa, The recipe has been updated with nutritional data. Sorry for the wait 🙂
Your website now has so many popups on it that it is really annoying. Can’t hardly see the recipe for all the junk popping on top of it! Didn’t used to be that way.
Thanks, Linda. I will look into it and see if I can remove some of them.
If I don’t have a blender what dressing could I buy that would be comparable? Thanks!
Hi Mallori, I’m sorry, I don’t know of a store-bought dressing that would be comparable. But it’s fine to make the dressing by hand; just chop the garlic and ginger very finely.
Jen’s dressing recipes are amazing. Most of them I would drink straight down. 😉 Seriously, they are worth the time.
I want to compliment you on an excellent recipe. The dressing is spot on; tangy, not overly sweet and very refreshing. I’ve made your recipe three times in the last three weeks – my wife and I love it that much. Very, very well done. I look forward to reviewing other recipes on your website!
So glad you enjoyed it!
This looks great. I was thinking of substituting Trader Joes organic baked tofu/teriyaki seasoned for the chicken.
wondering if anyone has tried this with tofu…
Another fantastic recipe. This salad deserves 6 stars!!! I substituted roasted, slivered almonds and added peeled and sectioned orange slices. WOW!
Can I make the salad dressing ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days?
Hi Phyllis, Yes, that’s fine.
Is 3 days the max the dressing will keep? Would it keep in the fridge for a week or is it best to eat it sooner?
Hi Christine, I’d say it would keep well for 4-5 days. Enjoy!
I have tried multiple recipes for a salad like this one, and this one is perfection! Bright flavors, and the best combination of ingredients. The dressing is just right… sweet and spicy and fresh tasting.
Definitely worth all five stars! I made this recipe for a potluck and it was very much appreciated.
Absolutely delicious and easy to make!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was awesome. Constantly changing flavors coming through alive in your mouth. Another awesome recipe.
Wonderful recipe, light yet filling. Perfect for those days that are in the triple digits. Served with garlic bread and fresh fruit for dessert.
I had a salad similar to this while visiting Seattle Washington and have been craving ever since, this was perfect! I added a few black sesame seeds. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
This salad is amazing! I wouldn’t change a thing, but my husband prefers it without the chicken added.
I eat this salad 2 to 3 times a week ( depending on my work schedule) . I love it!!!
This salad was So Good! the only thing i changed was that I put a Thai pepper in the blender with the rest of the dressing ingredients, just because we always like a little heat. I will surely be making this time and time again as it makes perfect summer dinner.
The chinese chicken salad was delicious. So easy and everyone enjoyed it. I served it to guests for a summer lunch. I will be serving this recipe again.
Everything is better with ginger! I saw a great tip on a cooking show yesterday and want to share it. Buy fresh ginger peel and freeze it in chucks then take out of freezer and grate frozen. It grates really well and I did not notice any difference in taste. I don’t know about you but I hate thinking I have fresh ginger and finding it with mold on it, such a waste.
This is a great cool dish for a hot summer’s night — paired with mojitos! I adjusted it a bit for less salt and healthier oils by using only 3 Tbsp of lite soy and decreasing the peanut oil to 1/4 cup. I made up the difference with canola. It might have lost a little taste, but was still delicious! I also only used 1 head of romaine with the same mix of vegetables and chicken, and thought the balance was good.
Will definitely make again!
Looks great. Can you give a calorie and fat count per serving? Thanks!
hands down my favorite salad. so stoked to try this out!!
Looks amazing, Would it work with shrimp?
Yes!
This will be dinner tonight with fresh greens from the garden…thanks
It’s just 10:45 am, but my mouth is watering.
this is the best!!
This is such a good combination for the dressing. I like tasty dressings.
Mmm I was just thinking I needed new salad ideas for summer. Love this…
The dressing looks so delicious!
This looks AHHH-MAZING! Definitely on my “must try” list!
Great recipe! We will be featuring it tomorrow for our “Like it with Loosen” Friday Facebook series, which pairs tasty recipes with Dr. Loosen Rieslings. We’ll pair this one with Dr. Loosen “Blue Slate” Riesling. You can see the pairing suggestion at http://www.facebook.com/drloosen.