Salad with Chicken and Vegetables in Chinese Style

This Chinese Chicken Salad is packed with crisp lettuce, cabbage, carrots, sweet mandarin oranges, crunchy almonds, and cilantro all mixed together with a tasty ginger-sesame vinaigrette!

Let’s discuss my ultimate FAVORITE salad, shall we? This crunchy and scrumptious Chinese chicken salad recipe was inspired by all the salads I adore to order whenever we dine out. If you’ve ever tasted the Cheesecake Factory’s Chinese chicken salad, you know exactly what I mean…DELICIOUS. This salad is filled with all of your favorites, and the Asian salad dressing elevates the flavor even more!

Why You’ll Adore This

• This salad is a favorite among many and incredibly easy to whip up in just 15 minutes!
• Can be effortlessly prepared ahead of time for quick assembly.
• Tastes significantly better (and is less expensive) than ordering take-out, plus it’s a much healthier alternative.
• Ideal for lunches or even dinner since this salad is extremely filling, but it also makes a great side dish!

Ingredients You’ll Require

• chicken – I enjoy using rotisserie chicken for this because it’s quick, simple, and super flavorful! You can also opt for cubed chicken breasts, leftover shredded chicken, or even canned chicken.
• romaine lettuce – crunchy romaine is my absolute favorite, but you could also utilize iceberg lettuce or just additional cabbage.
• cabbage – I prefer to mix napa cabbage and red cabbage, but regular cabbage or just all lettuce works as well.
• carrots – I always julienne my carrots for salads, but you could grate them or simply buy pre-cut matchstick carrots which always simplifies things!
• mandarin oranges – I typically use canned mandarin oranges (ensure they’re in 100% juice), but you can also chop up some fresh oranges.
• cilantro and green onions – for added flavor and beautiful pops of color.
• almonds – I used sliced almonds in this recipe for that extra crunch, but you can substitute cashews or peanuts if you like!

Ingredients for Ginger-Sesame Dressing

• olive oil – I prefer using a decent olive oil that doesn’t need to be pricey; just ensure it’s cold-pressed and organic for optimal flavor (in my view). Avocado oil or vegetable oil could also be used.
• sesame oil – imparts a delightful nutty flavor to the dressing.
• soy sauce – I always choose low-sodium soy sauce, as I find that regular soy sauce can render this dressing too salty. You could also switch the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos to make it gluten-free or paleo-friendly.
• rice vinegar – contributes a nice tangy flavor and some zest to the salad. You can also substitute with apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar.
• honey – adds a hint of sweetness to the dressing without using refined sugars. You can also replace the honey with maple syrup if you don’t have honey handy.
• garlic + ginger – fresh garlic and ginger are definitely the best options!

How to Prepare Ginger-Sesame Dressing

You’ve likely encountered this recipe multiple times on my blog, and that’s because this dressing is an absolute essential in our home! It’s a savory blend of soy sauce, garlic, fresh ginger, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and olive oil. I prefer to use lower sodium soy sauce, as I personally believe regular soy sauce is too salty, but feel free to use whatever you have available. You could also swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos or tamari to keep it gluten-free or paleo.

This ginger-sesame dressing will remain good for about a week in your refrigerator, so feel free to prepare it in advance! I like to store my dressing in mason jars since they have a secure seal, and you can simply shake the jar to mix it when needed. I typically make a larger batch of the dressing and store it in the fridge to have on hand whenever I’m craving this salad. Just make sure to dress the salad just before serving so your veggies maintain their crispness and freshness.

Can this Salad be Prepped Ahead of Time?

Definitely! In fact, I love prepping everything ahead of time so I can quickly assemble this salad for an easy lunch or as a tasty side dish for dinner. To keep the lettuce and cabbage fresh and prevent wilting, I prefer to keep all ingredients in separate containers until I’m ready to combine and toss them together.

• Store the mandarin oranges in a sealed container in the refrigerator and pre-slice the carrots and green onions, keeping them in a sealed bag or container.
• Shred some cooked rotisserie chicken (or use any other leftover chicken you might have) and store it separately in the refrigerator.
• Mix together the ingredients for the sesame ginger dressing and store it in a sealed mason jar in the refrigerator. Just before serving, allow the dressing to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to let the oil return to a liquid state, then give the dressing a good shake or whisk to combine. The Chinese chicken salad dressing can last up to a week in the fridge.

Additional Enhancements

• Incorporate more veggies like red bell pepper strips, snap peas, cucumber slices, shredded zucchini, or even asparagus.
• Change up the protein by using shrimp, salmon, or even ground pork, turkey, or chicken.
• Opt for a meatless option using tofu (highly recommended to marinate it in some dressing!) or skip the protein altogether in this salad.
• Make this a more satisfying salad by including your favorite noodles like soba noodles, ramen noodles, or even lo mein.

Preparation and Storage

This Asian chicken salad can be kept for up to 2 to 3 days when stored in a sealed, airtight container in the fridge.

Modifying this Salad for Your Dietary Needs

• Gluten-Free – simply replace the soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos.
• Nut-Free – omit the almonds and add an enjoyable crunch with some wonton strips or chow mein noodles.
• Paleo – substitute the soy sauce with coconut aminos.
• Keto/Low Carb – replace the honey with Swerve sweetener (or any other keto-friendly sweetener you prefer), and leave out the mandarin oranges.
• Whole 30 – swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos and instead of honey, consider using a little juice from the mandarin oranges for sweetness!

More Salads You’ll Enjoy

Hope you all savor this Chinese Chicken Salad, and if you love it as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your tasty recreations!