The Cozy Cookbook is here! 
This Chinese Chicken Salad has the BEST homemade dressing and is easy to make with fresh lettuce, cabbage, chicken, and crispy toppings! This is truly a restaurant-worthy recipe.
Be sure to try my Egg Roll in a Bowl and Korean Beef Bowl recipes next!
Chinese Chicken Salad
There is something so exciting about ordering Chinese Chicken Salad at a restaurant, but it’s even more exciting that you can make an exact replica at home!
The easy homemade dressing makes this dish! And the best part is that you don’t have to turn on your oven or stove to make this! Simply use leftover or rotisserie chicken, some fresh cabbage, lettuce, carrots, and your favorite crunchy toppings!
This is also easy to make ahead of time and serve to guests or bring to a potluck– you will WOW your family and friends with this one!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Ingredients: Nappa cabbage, iceberg lettuce, chicken, carrots, mandarin oranges, green onions, sliced almonds, chow mein noodles, wonton strips, and toasted sesame seeds.
Instructions: Arrange cabbage and lettuce on a serving platter and drizzle with a little dressing. Top with chicken, carrots, oranges, and green onions. Drizzle with more dressing and top with crispy toppings. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.
Pro Tips
- Crunchy Toppings: I use La Choy Chow Mein Noodles and Mee Tu Chinese Noodles, both found in the Asian aisle at the grocery store. Typically these are more economical than purchasing salad toppers from the produce section.
- Make sure your sesame seeds are roasted/toasted for ultimate flavor. (You can do this yourself in a skillet over medium heat if needed, it takes just a few minutes.)
- Nuts: Other delicious nut options include honey roasted peanuts, cashews, or walnuts!
- Hoisin Sauce: I use Sun Luck brand, it’s good!
- Add-ons: Other great additions include goat cheese, avocado, red cabbage, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, baby corn, shrimp, and bell peppers.
- Crispy Chicken: Feel free to make this recipe with my Fried Chicken Tenders!
Storage
- Tossed salad is best if eaten fresh, especially if the crunchy toppings have been added.
- Salad ingredients can be prepared and stored separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days before being tossed and served. Shake dressing prior to serving.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Salad Serving Platters
- Salad Servers
- Cutting Boards
- Salad Dressing Shaker or Mini Food Processor
- Salad Dressing Containers– lunch sizes for on-the-go!
Try These Next
-
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
-
- Beef and Broccoli Ramen
-
- Pineapple Fried Rice
-
- Ramen Noodle Salad
-
- Chickpea Salad
-
- Thai Chicken Salad
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chinese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups Napa cabbage, shredded
- 3 cups Iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 2 ½ cups cooked chicken, diced
- 1 cup carrots, julienned
- 11 oz. mandarin oranges, drained and patted dry
- 1/3 cup green onions, diced
- ½ cup chow mein noodles
- ½ cup crispy wonton strips
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil, can sub avocado, vegetable, or canola oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon peanut butter, optional
- ¾ teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Combine salad dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake very well to combine. (A mini food processor may also be used.) Refrigerate while you prepare remaining ingredients.
- Arrange cabbage and lettuce on a serving platter or in large bowl and drizzle with a little dressing.
- Top with chicken, carrots, oranges, and green onions. Drizzle with more dressing and top with almonds, chow mein noodles, wonton strips, and sesame seeds. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.
Notes
- Crunchy Toppings: I use La Choy Chow Mein Noodles and Mee Tu Chinese Noodles, both found in the Asian aisle at the grocery store. Typically these are more economical than purchasing salad toppers from the produce section.
- Make sure your sesame seeds are roasted/toasted for ultimate flavor. (You can do this yourself in a skillet over medium heat if needed, it takes just a few minutes.)
- Nuts: Other delicious nut options include honey roasted peanuts, cashews, or walnuts!
- Hoisin Sauce: I use Sun Luck brand, it's good!
- Add-ons: Other great additions include goat cheese, avocado, red cabbage, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, baby corn, shrimp, and bell peppers.
- Crispy Chicken: Feel free to make this recipe with my Fried Chicken Tenders!
Storage
- Tossed salad is best if eaten fresh, especially if the crunchy toppings have been added.
- Salad ingredients can be prepared and stored separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days before being tossed and served. Shake dressing prior to serving.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.
Very enjoyable salad! I left out the green onions (don’t like them) and chow mein noodles. I thought I had plenty crunch with the wonton strips and almonds. Will make again. Easy, healthy meal to throw together especially when you use rotisserie chicken like I did.
I’m so happy that you loved it Sandy! I agree, using a rotisserie chicken for a shortcut makes this come together super fast! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! 🙂 -Stephanie
Yum! Easy and delicious! I think I’ll try some chili flakes next time. I used a bag of coleslaw.
Nice work Lynne! I’m so happy you liked it, thanks so much for the review🩷
This was an excellent salad. I used the peanut butter, an option and added chili flakes to the dressing for an added kick. I will make this again and again.
Nice work Leticia! Chili flakes are perfect for adding a little kick. Thanks so much for the great review!💖
Delicious! The dressing is so flavorful and not heavy. I did use the peanut butter and dinner was a hit!
I’m so happy that you loved it as much as I do Lynn! Thank you so much for the review as well, I really appreciate it!! ❤️
We have 6 bottles of asian salad dressing in our fridge right now. Anytime we eat out, if there’s Chinese chicken salad on the menu, thats what my mom wants. So when she says your dressing was the best she’s had, that’s saying something! Fresh is SO much better than bottle. You’ve converted us.
This was really delicious! The proportions of all the ingredients were balanced so every bite was perfect. Even my protein shake chugging brother liked it. And he’s never had a salad for a whole meal before. He ended up having 3 bowls!
I see us eating this regularly this summer. ❤️
Hi Lexie!!! WOW I am sooo thrilled to hear that this was a big success!! I tested the dressing SO MANY times before I perfected it, and I’m thrilled that you love all loved it so much! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review, you made my day! 🙂