Chinese Chicken Salad

This recipe for Chinese chicken salad is loaded with chicken, veggies, wontons and almonds, all tossed in a sesame ginger dressing. An impressive salad that’s perfect for potlucks and parties!

I often serve salads when I’m entertaining, especially during the warmer months. Some of my favorites include ramen noodle salad, BBQ chicken salad and this fresh and delicious Chinese chicken salad.

I love to order Chinese chicken salad at restaurants, but I had never attempted to make it myself at home.  I’m a big salad eater, especially at lunch time, and I decided it was time to create my own version of the restaurant favorite.  Dare I say this is even better than the restaurant version?

How to make Chinese chicken salad

This salad starts with a base of shredded green cabbage, purple cabbage, carrots and green onions. Cooked chicken and almonds are added to the mix, and everything gets tossed in a savory Asian ginger dressing. The finishing touch is a generous sprinkling of wonton strips and sesame seeds.

How to make Chinese chicken salad dressing

The dressing for this salad is a blend of rice vinegar, vegetable oil, sesame oil, fresh ginger and hoisin sauce. Hoisin sauce is a sweet and savory Asian condiment that can be found in the ethnic aisle of most grocery stores. You’ll want to grate your ginger on a the fine edge of a box grater, or on a microplane so that it’s in tiny pieces that blend into the dressing.

Tips for chinese chicken salad

• I like to shred my own cabbage using a mandoline. If you’re looking to save some time, you can buy a bag of coleslaw mix instead.
• You can use any cooked chicken you have on hand – I used diced grilled chicken but rotisserie chicken and leftover chicken also work just as well.
• Wonton strips can be found in the salad dressing aisle near the croutons.
• You can prepare the salad ingredients and dressing up to 8 hours before you plan to eat, then toss everything together right before serving.

Asian chicken salad variations

There are so many ways to alter the ingredients in this recipe to suit your tastes.

• Protein: Try grilled shrimp or cubed tofu instead of chicken.
• Greens: Use shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce instead of cabbage.
• Avocado: Add one diced avocado to the mix for a fresh new flavor.
• Oranges: Add one small can of drained mandarin oranges for a sweet and savory salad.
• Noodles: Try using chow mein noodles or broken up ramen noodles instead of the wonton strips.

I make this salad constantly –  it’s great for a ladies lunch, the perfect potluck offering and makes for a simple yet satisfying dinner.

More great salad recipes

• Cucumber Salad
• Chicken Chopped Salad
• Shrimp Salad
• Three Bean Salad
• Greek Salmon Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad Video

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5 from 7 votes

Chinese Chicken Salad

This recipe for Chinese chicken salad is loaded with chicken, veggies, wontons and almonds, all tossed in a sesame ginger dressing. An impressive salad that's perfect for potlucks and parties!

Course Salad

Cuisine Asian

Keyword chicken salad, Chinese chicken salad

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 minute

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 374kcal

Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the salad

• 4 cups green cabbage shredded
• 1 cup purple cabbage shredded
• 1 cup carrots shredded
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions plus more for garnish
• 3 cups cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds toasted
• 3/4 cup wonton strips
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

For the dressing

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger finely grated
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions

• Place the green cabbage, purple cabbage, carrots, green onions, chicken and almonds in a bowl.
• For the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl; whisk until well combined.
• Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture. Toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle the wonton strips and sesame seeds over the salad.
• Garnish with sliced green onions, then serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 380mg | Potassium: 273mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 75.5% | Vitamin C: 32.5% | Calcium: 7.3% | Iron: 6.2%

This post was originally published on November 1, 2016 and was updated on May 14, 2019 with new content.