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Home » Chicken Recipes » Chinese Chicken Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad

A photo of Vered DeLeeuw.
by Vered DeLeeuwUpdated Sep 26, 2024
2 Comments
5 from 18 votes

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This Chinese chicken salad is wonderfully flavorful. You can make it in advance and refrigerate until you're ready to serve it. I like to make a big batch and enjoy it over a few days. It's perfect for lunch or as a light weeknight dinner.

Chinese chicken salad is served with chopsticks.

This salad is so good! The dressing, based on sesame oil and soy sauce with a hint of garlic and ginger, is phenomenal. I also love the crunch that the shredded cabbage provides. I love main-dish salads you can make ahead of time, such as taco salad, Thai chicken salad, and chicken Cobb salad. When I anticipate a busy week, I make a big batch of this salad on Sunday and have ready-made meals for several days.

Ingredients

The ingredients needed to make a Chinese chicken salad.

Here's an overview of the ingredients needed to make this salad. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.

For the Salad:

  • Shredded cooked chicken: I use pre-cooked chicken breasts. You can use baked chicken breast, grilled chicken breast, poached chicken, or broiled chicken breast. You can also use rotisserie chicken. Just make sure to remove the skin.
  • Shredded green cabbage: Adds a wonderful crunch to the salad. To make life easy, I often use a bag of coleslaw mix that includes shredded carrots, red cabbage, and green cabbage.
  • Sliced green onions: I only use the green parts. They add color and flavor. Mix them into the salad or sprinkle them on top for a pretty presentation.

For the Sesame Dressing:

  • Soy sauce: I use reduced-sodium soy sauce in most of my recipes. You can also use a gluten-free alternative.
  • Sesame oil: I like to use toasted sesame oil. It's so flavorful!
  • Rice vinegar: If you don't have any on hand, it's OK to use white wine vinegar instead. I don't recommend using plain distilled vinegar. It's too acidic.
  • Honey: Just one tablespoon to balance out the other flavors. You can omit this ingredient if you wish.
  • Minced garlic and ginger: You can mince them by yourself or use the stuff that comes in a jar. Freshly minced will taste better. I don't recommend using garlic or ginger powders. They're not as flavorful.
  • Red pepper flakes: They don't make the salad truly spicy. They merely add an extra layer of flavor.

Variations

  1. Some recipes call for canned mandarin oranges, but I'm not fond of fruit in savory salads. I also don't add grapes to my keto chicken salad. But feel free to add ¼ cup of them if you wish.
  2. You can skip the crunchy noodles often added to these salads. The cabbage provides plenty of crunch. If you'd like, you can add ¼ cup of slivered almonds.
  3. Instead of shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix, you can use broccoli slaw. It's very good!
  4. If you enjoy spicy foods, increase the amount of red pepper flakes. Start with ½ teaspoon and taste. You can always add more.

Instructions

Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this salad:

In a large bowl, toss together the shredded chicken, shredded cabbage, and sliced green onions (or reserve the green onions and sprinkle them on top of the salad after it's ready).

Adding cabbage to the bowl.

In a small bowl or jar, mix the dressing ingredients.

Mixing the dressing.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Adding the dressing to the salad.

Cover and refrigerate for one hour to allow the flavor to meld. Toss again before serving.

Chinese chicken salad is served with chopsticks.

Expert Tip

One of the best things about this salad is that you can make it in advance and refrigerate it.

In fact, it tastes better as the flavors are allowed to meld, so it's best to make it a few hours before you plan on serving it.

Recipe FAQs

Is this salad truly Chinese?

This is a Chinese-American fusion dish. I've been to China in the 1990s, and I was never served this type of salad. However, it's inspired by Chinese flavors and ingredients and is very good!

How can I make this salad crunchy?

While some recipes call for crunchy noodles, those are unnecessary. The cabbage adds plenty of crunch, and you can also add a handful of slivered almonds.

Can I skip the honey?

Yes, you can. But I use just a tablespoon, and I like how it balances out the other flavors.

Serving Suggestions

Much like no-mayo chicken salad and avocado chicken salad, this is a main dish salad. It has chicken and vegetables, and it's very substantial and filling.

Of course, it's the perfect lunch. But I also like serving it for dinner, especially in the summer when I don't feel like cooking.

There's no need to serve this salad with sides. Just serve a bowl of it for a tasty, satisfying meal. It goes perfectly with a refreshing glass of cucumber water!

Storing Leftovers

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. But remember to start counting on the day the chicken was cooked. I don't recommend freezing this salad.

Chinese chicken salad served in a black bowl with chopsticks.

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Recipe Card

Chinese chicken salad is served with chopsticks.
5 from 18 votes
Save this RecipeSaved! Rate this Recipe Print Recipe

Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

Check out this flavorful Chinese chicken salad that you can make in advance and refrigerate. I like to make a big batch and enjoy it over several days.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Rest time1 hour hr
Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 322kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
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Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds chicken breasts - cooked and shredded
  • 12 ounces coleslaw mix - or ½ green cabbage, shredded
  • ⅓ cup green onions - thinly sliced, green part only; 2 ounces

Dressing:

  • 4 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce - or a gluten-free alternative
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey - real or sugar-free
  • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root - minced
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Garnish:

  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Use your hands to shred the chicken breasts. Place the chicken pieces in a very large mixing bowl.
    Shredded chicken in a bowl.
  • Add the shredded cabbage and the green onions and toss everything together.
    Adding cabbage to the bowl.
  • In a small jar, add the dressing ingredients. Shake well to mix. You can also whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
    Mixing the dressing in a bowl.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
    Adding the dressing to the salad.
  • Cover and refrigerate for one hour to allow the flavors to meld. Toss again before serving and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
    Serving Chinese chicken salad.

Notes

  • If you need to cook the chicken, you can follow this recipe for baked chicken breasts.
  • The nutrition info assumes that real honey was used. 
  • One of the best things about this salad is that you can make it in advance and refrigerate it. In fact, it tastes better as the flavors are allowed to meld, so it's best to make it a few hours before you plan on serving it.
  • You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. But remember to start counting on the day the chicken was cooked. I don't recommend freezing this salad.

Nutrition per Serving

Serving: 0.25 recipe | Calories: 322 kcal | Carbohydrates: 12 g | Protein: 39 g | Fat: 13 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Sodium: 793 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 7 g

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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.

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  1. barb says

    May 16, 2024 at 1:02 pm

    5 stars
    This salad was perfect. I followed the recipe exactly, didn't change a thing. Served it in lettuce wraps. Hubby said this is better than what you'd get at a restaurant! Thank you for this delicious recipe.

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      May 16, 2024 at 4:20 pm

      I'm glad you and your husband enjoyed this recipe, Barb! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.

A photo of Vered DeLeeuw.

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Healthy Recipes Blog was founded in 2011 by Vered DeLeeuw. It features real food recipes with a focus on low-carb and gluten-free ingredients. All recipes are nutritionally reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. Contact us at HealthyRecipesBlog@gmail.com.

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