Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe

chinese chicken salad topped with cilantro in a white bowl.

Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chinese chicken salad

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 580kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

This healthy Chinese Chicken Salad recipe is high in protein and tastes like it came from a restaurant! You'll want to eat it on repeat.

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Ingredients

Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing

3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
1 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 garlic clove , minced
1 inch fresh ginger , finely grated
fine sea salt and black pepper

Salad Assembly

1 pound cabbage , shredded
1 large carrot , shredded
2 green onions , chopped
⅓ cup fresh cilantro , chopped
¼ cup sliced almonds (optional; for crunch)
1 pound cooked chicken breasts , chopped or shredded
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional garnish)

Instructions

Prepare the dressing: In a small jar with a lid, combine the vinegar, toasted sesame oil, olive oil (if using), tamari, honey, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, and a 1/4 teaspoon each of fine sea salt and ground black pepper. Stir well until the honey has dissolved. (It may stick to the bottom of the jar, so take care to scrape that area well.) Set it aside until you're ready to use it.
In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, carrot, green onion, and cilantro. Drizzle the dressing over the veggies and toss well. Let this marinate for 5 minutes.
Add the shredded chicken and sliced almonds and toss again. Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top as a garnish. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. (The salad will wilt slightly, but the cabbage remains surprisingly crunchy. Stir well before serving again.)

Notes

Nutrition information is for half the batch. For a lower-calorie salad, you can omit the olive oil. (It's for thickening purposes and won't change the flavor.) This information is automatically calculated and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.

Chicken Note: You can use leftover rotisserie chicken or baked chicken breasts for the topping.

Peanut Butter Note: Peanut oil is often used in Chinese Chicken Salad dressing; however, it's not an ingredient I keep in my pantry. Peanut butter adds flavor without requiring a shopping trip. You could also use tahini for more of a sesame flavor.

Nutrition