Chinese Chicken Salad
Your new favorite Chinese Chicken Salad! The best mix of salad ingredients paired with a homemade Asian salad dressing so good, you’ll lick the bowl.
Today, I’d like to celebrate the staying power of cabbage in your refrigerator.
Compared to lettuce? It will sit in the drawer for weeks! Happy as a clam. No wilting, molding, or complaining.
If you have one knocking around in your drawer, let’s put it to use. If you don’t, pick one up. Maybe in a month you’ll want to make this salad!
As a rule, Chinese Chicken Salads vary wildly in ingredients. Some contain every imaginable ingredient that might possibly be tasty: Carrots, bell peppers, bean sprouts, edamame, celery, bok choy, mushrooms, pea pods, scallions, nuts, noodles, wonton strips, seeds, the works.
Too many things! I prefer to focus on just a few: A small but mighty selection of nutrition, protein, and color.
Top it off with the best, tastiest, easiest, most addictive Asian Salad Dressing ever. Made with mostly pantry ingredients, you can use this one as a marinade, too! It’s FANTASTIC.
If you have trouble finding Napa cabbage, both Savoy cabbage and regular green cabbage will work. Although if you can’t find Napa, you probably won’t find Savoy. Right?!
Save this Chinese Chicken Salad to your “Salads” Pinterest board!
And let’s be friends on Pinterest! I’m always pinning tasty recipes!
Chinese Chicken Salad
Your new favorite Chinese Chicken Salad! The best mix of salad ingredients paired with a homemade Asian salad dressing so good, you'll lick the bowl.
Ingredients
For the Salad Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For the Salad:
- 4 cups cooked chicken shredded or diced
- 1 pound Napa cabbage cored and finely shredded
- 2 cups red cabbage cored and finely shredded
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 bunch scallions thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro minced
- 1 cup chow mein noodles
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds for garnish, optional
Instructions
To make the dressing:
In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine oil, vinegar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil. Shake vigorously until combined.
Allow flavors to blend at room temperature while preparing the rest of the salad. Or, refrigerate for up to 4 days.
To make the salad:
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cabbage, carrots, scallions, and cilantro. Shake the dressing to recombine and pour over the salad.
Toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle with chow mein noodles and sesame seeds, if using, and serve.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.
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Hey Meggan,
I loved your recipe. Made it twice already. I am planning to add this recipe in my Best of October recipe roundup to be published on the 31st of October, this year. I know it’s an old post but I have found this recipe useful, and the fresh flavours don’t really go out of style. I would love to add a picture of the salad in my blog post. I hope it is alright by you.
Would love to hear back.
Thank you.
Hi Shreyashi, thank you so much for your kid words! I’m glad you liked the salad. Recipes never really get “old”, so even though it’s an old post, like you said, a fresh flavors never go out of style! Especially salads! You can certainly use an image as long as you link back. I look forward to seeing your post at the end of the month! :)
I also love Chinese chicken salads and yours looks so scrumptious! Can hardly wait to try it at home. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much, Susan! I hope you enjoy it.
I used this as a base and it was AMAZING! I subbed scallions for the white onion and sesame-oat sticks for chow mein noodles. I also used marinated shaved pork, seared then chopped in place of chicken. I found a bag of “Cruciferous Crunch” at Trader Joe’s that I used for the cabbage. The dressing was so good as written that I made a double batch to keep for other salads. I prepped it all on Sunday then assembled big bento boxes each morning before work. I ate this for 3 straight days and was sad when I had to find something else on the 4th day!
Heather, this is really quite spectacular. I do love that cruciferous crunch from TJ’s and all your subs. I might remake this recipe to include some of them! I’ll credit you if I do. :) So glad you enjoyed it! I’m craving this salad now!
You’re so right about the humble cabbage – it will sit there for weeks and come to no harm!
Chinese recipes are a perfect way to use it up. I’ve never made a Chinese salad like this, Meggan, but agree that it looks delicious.
I love your way of thinking too that less is more when it comes to the ingredients.
I love produce that sticks around for a while! Cabbage is so nice that way. cilantro, on the other hand…little bugger. This salad is a classic! I love the dressing!!
This was great! Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you!!! Seriously, makes my day. I love that salad too, but I’m always delighted when someone else likes it too. :) Take care and thanks again!
Thank you Meggan for this awesome recipe! Like Heather said, it’s a nut-n-bolts base – you can add 1,000 things! I add chopped water chestnuts, toasted slivered almonds, mandarin oranges and crushed ramen noodles. To the dressing I add a clove of shredded garlic and some of the mandarin orange syrup. Nom Nom!
Meggan, Joe added to perfection I can tell by his comment. This salad has become a regular that we eat several times a month. So good for us too. I’m going to check out some of your other salads now that I’m here again:)
My friend made it for her 70th Birthday Party and everyone loved it.
Meggan,
I am excited to maje this salad for tomorrow’s VT vs ND tailgate! Can I cut the cabbage today for tomorrow? I don’t want it to turn brown, etc. The dressing is already made and in the fridge. Thanks for helping!
Hi Carol!!! Sorry I didn’t get back to you in time. YES you can cut the cabbage today for tomorrow (or yesterday for today….). It’s super hardy and won’t turn brown. You could store it in water even, if you were worried about it. Sorry for not getting back to you in time. BUT HOORAY FOR TAILGATING!!!!!!
Love this salad however I did cut down on ginger by half since I’m not a big fan of it, added a small clove of minced garlic and a tablespoon of honey. Dressing was unbelievable