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I developed this Chinese Chicken Salad with a variety of colors, textures, and flavors. Choose and select the best possible salad without going overboard or adding “everything but the kitchen sink.”
Meggan’s notes
When I was in culinary school, we spent a lot of time talking about balance in recipes. You want to balance flavors, colors, and textures whenever possible. If you’re plate is full of nothing but soft, mushy foods, that can get pretty boring! And if every flavor hits you in the head like a hammer, you’ll end up with a headache.
That’s why this recipe has a specific selection of vegetables but not every vegetable under the sun. Cabbages, scallions, and cilantro round out the greens while carrots and color. Chow mein noodles add crunch, and chicken adds protein and softness.
A simple, delicious dressing with all the Asian flavors you know and love ties it all together. The dressing also doubles as a marinade or appetizer dipping sauce. It’s so good, you might want to drink it!
Table of Contents
Chinese Chicken Salad Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Rice vinegar: It might also be labeled as “rice wine vinegar” (they are the same thing).
- Hoisin sauce: Usually used as a sweet glaze for meat, hoisin sauce is made from soy beans, fennel, garlic, and chili peppers. Easy to find in the Asian foods section of any grocery.
- Canola oil: Or any neutral oil, like grapeseed oil or light olive oil.
- Ginger: Store the whole root ginger in the freezer (peeled or unpeeled) for up to 4 months and grate it as needed using a box grater or microplane grater. To peel the ginger, scrape of the skin with the tip of a spoon or a vegetable peeler.
- Napa cabbage: Lighter in texture (almost fluffy) than regular cabbage. If you can’t find it, use Savoy cabbage, bok choy, or plain old green cabbage. Find out how to cut cabbage like a pro, too.
- Chicken: Leftover rotisserie chicken or yesterday’s grilled chicken breasts work great. You can even use some of the salad dressing as a marinade before cooking, to boost the flavor up even more (Safety first: make extra dressing for the marinade, then discard whatever comes into contact with raw meat).
- Cilantro: If you don’t like cilantro, leave it out or substitute something else (fresh basil or parsley would both be good).
How to make Chinese Chicken Salad
- To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil. Allow flavors to blend at room temperature while preparing the rest of the salad.
- In a large bowl, add chicken, green and red cabbage, carrots, scallions, and cilantro.
- Drizzle with salad dressing.
- Toss to combine and sprinkle with chow mein noodles and sesame seeds.
Asian Chicken Salad Recipe Tips and Variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 6 generous, entrée-sized servings.
- Make ahead: Make the dressing up to 4 days before you need it. Just store in the refrigerator until you’re ready. The salad is best when tossed just before you’re ready to eat.
- More mix-ins: Try slivered, toasted almonds, ramen noodles, edamame, bean sprouts, bok choy, wonton crisps, pea pods, or mandarin orange segments.
- Rainbow Thai Salad with Mango: A vegetarian version of the Thai Chicken Salad, this version has kale, carrots, and sweet slices of mango.
- Thai Chicken Salad: This colorful salad is loaded with fresh herbs and vegetables, grilled lemon chicken, and a pantry-friendly peanut dressing. It’s a great recipe to add to your meal rotation if you’re looking for nutrient-dense, unprocessed meals.
- More Asian flavors: Start off your next Asian meal with Cream Cheese Wontons or Pot Stickers. Try a side dish of quick Brown Fried Rice or Baby Bok Choy Salad with Sesame Dressing. For a delicious main dish, try Hibachi Steak with Wasabi Potatoes and a drizzle of Teriyaki Sauce (inspired by The Cheesecake Factory).
Serving Asian Chicken Salad
Asian Chicken Salad is a great stand-alone lunch or light dinner option perfect for al fresco dining in the summer. But, don’t be afraid to think outside the salad! Tuck your chicken salad into a tortilla or pita bread for a delicious wrap, or add pasta or rice for a heartier side dish.
Complete your menu with a platter of Pot Stickers, a bowl of Chicken Ramen, or with a basket of spicy Chinese Chicken Wings. Asian Chicken Salad is a great option for meal prep, too. Because the salad is based on cabbage and carrots, it stays crunchy all week long.
Storing Chinese Chicken Salad
Store leftover salad covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cabbage holds up better than lettuce, so this salad has staying-power.
Chinese Chicken Salad FAQs
You can make your own Hoisin sauce with common pantry ingredients.
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
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Chinese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated (see note 1)
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For the salad:
- 4 cups cooked chicken shredded or diced
- 1 pound napa cabbage cored and finely shredded (about 4 cups, see note 2)
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 bunch scallions thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (see note 3)
- 1 cup chow mein noodles
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds for garnish, optional
Instructions
- To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil. Allow flavors to blend at room temperature while preparing the rest of the salad.
- In a large bowl, add chicken, green and red cabbage, carrots, scallions, and cilantro. Drizzle with salad dressing and toss to combine. Sprinkle with chow mein noodles and sesame seeds.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Ginger: Store the whole root ginger in the freezer (peeled or unpeeled) for up to 4 months and grate it as needed using a box grater or microplane grater. To peel the ginger, scrape of the skin with the tip of a spoon or a vegetable peeler.
- Napa cabbage: Or substitute green cabbage, savoy cabbage, or even bok choy.
- Cilantro: If you don’t like cilantro, substitute fresh parsley or basil.
- Yield: This recipe makes 6 generous, entrée-sized servings.
- Storage: Store leftover salad covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cabbage holds up better than lettuce, so this salad has staying-power.
Meggan,
I am excited to maje this salad for tomorrow’s VT vs ND tailgate! Can I cut the cabbage today for tomorrow? I don’t want it to turn brown, etc. The dressing is already made and in the fridge. Thanks for helping!
Hi Carol!!! Sorry I didn’t get back to you in time. YES you can cut the cabbage today for tomorrow (or yesterday for today….). It’s super hardy and won’t turn brown. You could store it in water even, if you were worried about it. Sorry for not getting back to you in time. BUT HOORAY FOR TAILGATING!!!!!!
My friend made it for her 70th Birthday Party and everyone loved it.
Meggan, Joe added to perfection I can tell by his comment. This salad has become a regular that we eat several times a month. So good for us too. I’m going to check out some of your other salads now that I’m here again:)
Thank you Meggan for this awesome recipe! Like Heather said, it’s a nut-n-bolts base – you can add 1,000 things! I add chopped water chestnuts, toasted slivered almonds, mandarin oranges and crushed ramen noodles. To the dressing I add a clove of shredded garlic and some of the mandarin orange syrup. Nom Nom!
This was great! Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you!!! Seriously, makes my day. I love that salad too, but I’m always delighted when someone else likes it too. 🙂 Take care and thanks again!
I love produce that sticks around for a while! Cabbage is so nice that way. cilantro, on the other hand…little bugger. This salad is a classic! I love the dressing!!
when you buy cilantro cut the tip ends off the stems, about 1/2 inch. put the cilantro stem down in a jar or cup of water (like you would flowers) cover cilantro tops loosly with a plastic bag, to hold in moisture and keep in your refrigerator, lasts a remarkably long time. refresh the water every couple of days.
You’re so right about the humble cabbage – it will sit there for weeks and come to no harm!
Chinese recipes are a perfect way to use it up. I’ve never made a Chinese salad like this, Meggan, but agree that it looks delicious.
I love your way of thinking too that less is more when it comes to the ingredients.
I used this as a base and it was AMAZING! I subbed scallions for the white onion and sesame-oat sticks for chow mein noodles. I also used marinated shaved pork, seared then chopped in place of chicken. I found a bag of “Cruciferous Crunch” at Trader Joe’s that I used for the cabbage. The dressing was so good as written that I made a double batch to keep for other salads. I prepped it all on Sunday then assembled big bento boxes each morning before work. I ate this for 3 straight days and was sad when I had to find something else on the 4th day!
Heather, this is really quite spectacular. I do love that cruciferous crunch from TJ’s and all your subs. I might remake this recipe to include some of them! I’ll credit you if I do. 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it! I’m craving this salad now!
I also love Chinese chicken salads and yours looks so scrumptious! Can hardly wait to try it at home. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much, Susan! I hope you enjoy it.
Hey Meggan,
I loved your recipe. Made it twice already. I am planning to add this recipe in my Best of October recipe roundup to be published on the 31st of October, this year. I know it’s an old post but I have found this recipe useful, and the fresh flavours don’t really go out of style. I would love to add a picture of the salad in my blog post. I hope it is alright by you.
Would love to hear back.
Thank you.
Hi Shreyashi, thank you so much for your kid words! I’m glad you liked the salad. Recipes never really get “old”, so even though it’s an old post, like you said, a fresh flavors never go out of style! Especially salads! You can certainly use an image as long as you link back. I look forward to seeing your post at the end of the month! 🙂