Retro Chinese Chicken Salad

Why We Love This Recipe

I have always been a big fan of classic fusion dishes – those terrifically creative recipes that combine flavors from two (or more) different countries to create one unique yet familiar food. Think Szechuan beef burgers, Mexican caprese salad, apple pie cream cheese wontons, and buffalo ahi tuna tacos… They are all crazy-good enough to work! This vintage Chinese Chicken Salad recipe is a favorite Chinese-American wonder for potlucks, easy lunches, and make-ahead meals. It combines tons of fresh shredded vegetables with pre-cooked shredded chicken and crunchy Chinese noodles or wonton strips, tossed in an easy homemade ginger dressing. The recipe is perfection on its own, but feel free to mix things up with optional ingredients! (Check out our list of suggestions below.) Because we use cooked chicken, the whole salad only takes about 15 minutes to put together! You can even prep it a day ahead (but hold off on the dressing) for a super quick and easy salad.

Ingredients You Need

For the Salad –

Shredded cooked chicken – leftovers or rotisserie chicken breast or thighs Nappa cabbage – shredded, or romaine lettuce Red cabbage – shredded Carrots – shredded Sugar snap peas – chopped, or snow peas Scallions – chopped green onions Chinese chow mein noodles – or wonton strips for crunch

For the Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing –

Rice vinegar – or apple cider vinegar Sesame oil – smooth, lightly nutty taste Vegetable oil – canola or sunflower Honey – or agave Garlic paste – or minced garlic Ginger paste – or minced ginger Salt and pepper – to taste

How to Make Chinese Chicken Salad

First, shred the pre-cooked chicken into bite-size pieces. Then shred and chop all the fresh produce. Set out a large bowl. Add Napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, snap peas, and scallions. Add the cooked chopped chicken to the bowl. Make the ginger dressing recipe: Set out a small bowl, or measuring pitcher, for the dressing. Combine the rice vinegar, sesame oil, vegetable oil, honey, garlic paste, ginger paste, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Whisk well until smooth. Pro Tip: If making ahead, cover the salad and the dressing in separate containers, and refrigerate until ready to use. Right before serving, pour the ginger dressing over the salad. Toss well to coat. Then sprinkle on the Chinese crunchy noodles. Toss again and serve.

Optional Salad Add-Ins

Mandarin orange segments – canned and drained Almonds – toasted slices Cashews – raw and whole or chopped Edamame – shelled, lightly cooked, and cooled Sesame seeds – a nice bit of light texture Fresh cilantro or mint – chopped Bell peppers – your choice of color, seeded and sliced

Serving Suggestions

Hearty but not heavy, this refreshing chicken salad is great to enjoy as a main or side dish! It’s wonderful to pair with other Asian-inspired dishes like potstickers, wonton soup, or egg drop soup. Load a generous portion of the salad into tortillas, rice pancakes, or butter lettuce for satisfying lunch or dinner wraps. The recipe is fabulous to make for dinner and meal prep for the next day’s lunch!