You’ll love the combination of textures in this crunchy Chinese chicken salad with tender shredded chicken, crisp cabbage, and a sweet-savory sesame ginger dressing. It’s fresh, bold, and totally irresistible! Plus, I’m sharing all of my secrets for making a salad so good it converts even the biggest salad skeptics.
Just call me the queen of big, hearty salads! I’ve been making this Chinese chicken salad for yearsit is a total staple in our houseand I feel like I’ve officially perfected the balance of crunch and flavor. It’s one of those recipes that never gets old because every single bite has something delicious going on.
My goal is to show you how easy it is to make a restaurant-quality salad at home, and why you should never settle for a bottled dressing again. Like this Chinese chicken salad with its toasted sesame notes and crunchy wonton strips! It’s a vibrant combination of flavors that really shine when you use fresh ingredients and whisk up that homemade dressing yourself.
Ingredients in Chinese Chicken Salad
This ingredient list builds layers of texture and flavor that make the salad taste far more complex than the simple preparation suggests.
How to Make Chinese Chicken Salad
This recipe comes together with simple prep work and a quick shake of the dressing no cooking required beyond the chicken itself.
1. Prepare the chicken
If using a rotisserie chicken, remove the skin and shred the breast and thigh meat with two forks into thin, even strips. If cooking chicken from scratch, poach two boneless skinless chicken breasts in lightly salted water for 15 to 18 minutes until cooked through, then let them cool before shredding. Season the shredded chicken lightly with salt and set aside.
2. Make the sesame ginger dressing
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, neutral oil, honey, grated fresh ginger, and minced garlic until smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust more honey for sweetness, more vinegar for sharpness, more soy for salt. The dressing should be bold and well-balanced, with the ginger and sesame coming through clearly. Set aside.
3. Prepare the vegetables
Thinly slice the napa and red cabbage, shred the carrots, and slice the green onions. Drain the mandarin orange segments if using canned. Rough-chop the fresh cilantro. Add everything to a large salad bowl and toss lightly to distribute the colors and textures evenly.
4. Toast the almonds and sesame seeds
In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sliced almonds and sesame seeds together, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and fragrant. Watch them carefully they go from perfectly toasted to burnt very quickly. Toasting them deepens their flavor dramatically and is absolutely worth the extra two minutes.
5. Assemble the salad
Add the shredded chicken to the bowl of vegetables and pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the top. Toss well to coat everything evenly. Taste and add more dressing as needed every component should be lightly coated and glistening. Add the mandarin oranges and edamame and toss once more, gently so the oranges don’t break apart.
6. Finish and serve
Just before serving, scatter the wonton strips or chow mein noodles, toasted almonds, sesame seeds, and extra cilantro over the top. Serve immediately so the crunchy toppings stay crisp and the salad looks its most vibrant and fresh.
How to Serve Chinese Chicken Salad
This salad is a complete meal on its own, and honestly, it needs nothing else alongside it. I love serving it in a wide, shallow bowl so all the colors and textures are visible it is genuinely one of the most beautiful salads you can put on a table.
For a more substantial spread, serve it alongside steamed dumplings or a bowl of miso soup. The light broth and the crispy, hearty salad complement each other wonderfully without competing.
It also works beautifully as a meal prep option. Keep the dressing, crunchy toppings, and salad base separate in the refrigerator for up to two days, then toss everything together fresh when you’re ready to eat. This way the cabbage stays crisp and the wonton strips stay crunchy right until the moment of serving.
Recipe Tips
- Use a rotisserie chicken for the quickest, most flavorful result with minimal effort.
- Add the crunchy toppings only at the last moment before serving to prevent sogginess.
- Make the dressing up to three days ahead and refrigerate it the flavors deepen beautifully overnight.
- Massage the dressing into the cabbage for a minute if you prefer a slightly softer, less raw texture.
- Swap mandarin oranges for fresh mango slices in summer for a tropical variation.
- Add sliced avocado for extra creaminess and richness in every bite.
- Toasting the almonds and sesame seeds is not optional raw nuts taste flat and one-dimensional in comparison.
- Toss the salad with the dressing no more than 20 minutes before serving or the cabbage will begin to soften too much.
Chinese Chicken Salad
Course: Meal PrepCuisine: Asian/AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
Ingredients
For the salad:
3 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 1 rotisserie chicken)
3 cups napa cabbage, thinly sliced
2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
½ cup edamame, shelled
1 cup mandarin orange segments (fresh or canned, drained)
3 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
½ cup wonton strips or chow mein noodles
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
For the sesame ginger dressing:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons neutral oil (avocado or canola)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, minced
Directions
- Prepare the chicken:
If using a rotisserie chicken, remove the skin and shred the breast and thigh meat with two forks into thin, even strips. If cooking chicken from scratch, poach two boneless skinless chicken breasts in lightly salted water for 15 to 18 minutes until cooked through, then let them cool before shredding. Season the shredded chicken lightly with salt and set aside. - Make the sesame ginger dressing:
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, neutral oil, honey, grated fresh ginger, and minced garlic until smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust more honey for sweetness, more vinegar for sharpness, more soy for salt. The dressing should be bold and well-balanced, with the ginger and sesame coming through clearly. Set aside. - Prepare the vegetables:
Thinly slice the napa and red cabbage, shred the carrots, and slice the green onions. Drain the mandarin orange segments if using canned. Rough-chop the fresh cilantro. Add everything to a large salad bowl and toss lightly to distribute the colors and textures evenly. - Toast the almonds and sesame seeds:
In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sliced almonds and sesame seeds together, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and fragrant. Watch them carefully they go from perfectly toasted to burnt very quickly. Toasting them deepens their flavor dramatically and is absolutely worth the extra two minutes. - Assemble the salad:
Add the shredded chicken to the bowl of vegetables and pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the top. Toss well to coat everything evenly. Taste and add more dressing as needed every component should be lightly coated and glistening. Add the mandarin oranges and edamame and toss once more, gently so the oranges don’t break apart. - Finish and serve:
Just before serving, scatter the wonton strips or chow mein noodles, toasted almonds, sesame seeds, and extra cilantro over the top. Serve immediately so the crunchy toppings stay crisp and the salad looks its most vibrant and fresh.
