Chinese Chicken Salad | Feasting At Home

This Chinese Chicken Salad recipe is made with crisp napa cabbage, sesame chicken, crunchy veggies, fresh herbs, and the best dressing ever, topped with sesame almond brittle. Vegan-adaptable.

Chinese Chicken Salad is a classic American dish that originated at Madame Wu’s Garden in Santa Monica, California. It was popular in the 1960s-90s, as a “luncheon salad,” and versions of it sprang up pretty much everywhere. Interestingly, it is making a comeback on restaurant menus today and honestly, I couldn’t be more thrilled; it holds a sweet nostalgia for me reminding me of my teenage years lunching with my mom.

Why You’ll Love This Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe!

One problem that commonly occurs with this salad is a lack of flavor balance. Sometimes it is way too sweet, sometimes it is too acidic, and sometimes it lacks punchy flavor and depth. This Chinese chicken salad dressing recipe will take all the guesswork out of it for you. It’s bright, zesty, and tangy, and will just make you happy. Trust me, I’ve made salads for a living.

Crunchy napa cabbage is the star of the recipe, along with crisp veggies. The sesame chicken is delicious and light, but can easily be swapped out for miso-baked tofu. To minimize overly processed foods, we skip the store-bought crunchy ramen noodles as the topping, and make a sesame almond brittle for a satisfying crunch.

Chinese Chicken Salad Ingredients

• Napa cabbage: The star of the recipe -use shredded Napa cabbage ( also called Chinese cabbage) as the hearty base. You may be temped to use other cabbage, but we find Napa cabbage offers the best texture here.
• Red bell pepper, carrots, and cucumber: Thin slices and matchsticks. You can sub snow peas for the cucumber if you wish.
• Chicken breasts: You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken or roast chicken. Or make it vegan with Miso Baked Tofu.
• Chopped cilantro and green onions: For fresh, aromatic, and herbal flavor to garnish.
• Soy sauce and sesame oil: Add depth and umami to the chicken.
• Almonds and Sesame seeds : Use these to make a crunchy brittle topping with maple syrup, if desired.
• Microgreens: We love broccoli sprouts for this salad! Adds a touch of extra flavor and a major nutritional boost!

ChinEse Chicken Salad Dressing

The secret? We use a mixture of fresh orange juice and zest along with extra virgin olive oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce (or gluten-free liquid aminos), toasted sesame oil, ginger, maple syrup, salt and pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. The orange juice truly elevates!

How to Make Chinese Chicken Salad

1. Make the chicken. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the chicken breasts in a bowl and toss with soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt. Transfer to a parchment-lined sheet pan and until cooked through. Let cool, then shred with two forks. *See notes for rotissarie chicken

2. Make the almond sesame brittle. Using a medium non-stick skillet, toast the almonds over medium heat until golden stirring frequently. Add the sesame seeds and stir until they begin to pop. Pour in the maple syrup, stir 30-45 seconds, and remove from the heat. Fluff them up a bit, then let them cool completely.

3. Make the Chinese chicken salad dressing. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. You can prep this 3 days ahead of time and store in a jar in the fridge.

4. Assemble! To a large bowl, add the shredded chicken, cabbage, bell pepper, carrots, cucumber, cilantro, and green onions. Add enough dressing to lightly coat the salad, tossing as you go.

5. Garnish. Scatter the sesame almond brittle over the top of the Asian chicken salad, along with the orange zest and microgreens. Serve with extra dressing on the side.

Variations

• Chicken: Instead of making the sesame chicken, simply use leftover rotisserie or roast chicken. Shred the chicken, then season with a little soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt.
• Vegan: Sub the chicken with Miso Baked Tofu.
• Shrimp: If you prefer to add seafood as the protein, shrimp is a great choice for this salad!
• Brittle: Instead of the sesame almond brittle, feel free to use store-bought crunchy noodles, toasted sesame seeds, or other nuts like roasted peanuts or toasted cashews.
• Other veggies and crunchies to add! Red cabbage, romaine lettuce, snap peas, fried garlic, wonton strips, mandarin oranges, chow mein noodles, or crispy rice noodles.

Chef’s Tips

• Meal prep: This makes for a great weekday or weeknight meal because you can do so much prepping in advance. Make the chicken, brittle, and dressing in advance, then just assemble when ready to eat!
• Lightly dress the salad and serve the rest on the side. This prevents the salad from getting soggy!

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours. If possible, store the dressing separately.

Serving Suggestions

With the chicken or tofu as the protein, this makes a hearty stand-alone meal. However, there are many great side dishes you could serve if feeding a crowd or if you want to add a little something extra.

Give this salad a try, and I hope you enjoy it! Please remember to rate the recipe ⭐️ and leave your adaptations in the comments so others can read them too.

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