This Chinese Chicken Salad is one of my all-time favorite salad recipes! It’s loaded with crisp colorful veggies, chicken and almonds, all tossed in a tangy, gingery dressing.
As Brad and I were eating this salad when I was recipe testing it, we couldn’t stop raving about it! Needless to say, it’s now become a regular in our meal plan rotation. I think you’re going to love it too!
I love making a big meal-sized salad for an easy dinner or lunch, and this Chinese chicken salad is my current favorite! It’s bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors and so satisfying. Plus, it’s just beautiful to look at with all of those colorful veggies and herbs.
One of the things that I love most about this Chinese chicken salad is that it holds up well in the fridge for a few days. Whenever I make it for dinner, I always make sure to make enough for leftovers for lunch the next day! Even when tossed with the dressing, the cabbage, carrots and bell peppers are hardy enough to stay crisp for at least a day or two.
Why You’ll Love this Chinese Chicken Salad
- Incredible textures and flavors. I can’t get enough of the combination of ingredients in this salad! With the crisp cabbage, tender chicken, crunchy almonds, bright green onions, fresh cilantro and tangy dressing, each bite is packed with flavor.
- Make-ahead friendly. This salad is a great one to meal prep for lunches. If you’re making it ahead, it’s best to store the dressing and salad separately, then toss together right before serving. Leftovers will be good for 1-2 days, after adding the dressing.
- The best dressing! The key to the best Chinese chicken salad is the dressing, so I made sure to test this one until I was 100% happy with it. It’s perfectly balanced, tangy, gingery, and full of umami flavor. You’re going to love it!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a look at the ingredients for this Chinese chicken salad, along with substitution options.
- Cabbage: I use a mix of napa cabbage and red cabbage for color and flavor complexity. If you can’t find napa cabbage, regular green cabbage or shredded romaine lettuce are great substitutes.
- Shredded Chicken: Rotisserie chicken works great here! If you want to cook the chicken yourself, use my Shredded Chicken, Instant Pot Shredded Chicken or Crockpot Shredded Chicken recipes.
- Red Bell Pepper: Brings sweetness and color.
- Carrots: Cut them into thin matchsticks or use shredded carrot.
- Sliced Almonds: They add the perfect crunch! Dry roasted peanuts or cashews are also delicious in this salad, so use what you have on hand and what you like best.
- Green Onions: Their mellow sharpness adds a nice pop of flavor.
- Fresh Cilantro: It’s flavor works so well in this salad! If you don’t care for cilantro you can leave it out or substitute fresh parsley or a tablespoon or two of chopped fresh dill.
Find the printable recipe with ingredient amounts below.
Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing
The dressing takes just a few minutes to make and you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. To make it you’ll need rice vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, sesame oil, honey, fresh ginger and fresh garlic.
How to Make Chinese Chicken Salad
Plus, my best tips for making this salad!
Start by making the dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients and then whisk to mix. I like to mix the dressing in a liquid measuring cup or mason jar for easy pouring.
Combine salad ingredients. Place the napa cabbage, red cabbage, shredded chicken, sliced bell pepper, carrots, sliced almonds, green onions and cilantro in a large bowl. Chop everything up thinly so that you can get a little bit of everything in every bite.
Add dressing. Pour on the dressing, a little at a time, tossing to combine, until the salad is dressed to your liking. Then serve and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
I love playing around with recipes to change up the flavors! Here are some tasty additions that you can make to this easy salad recipe:
- Add mandarin orange wedges for extra sweetness. I love the way their flavor plays with the other ingredients!
- Add crunchy noodles or wonton strips. I opted to use sliced almonds for crunch instead, but I know many people love these in their Asian-inspired salads.
- Add more veggies, such as sugar snap peas or edamame.
- Add avocado for rich, buttery flavor.
- Finish the salad with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Try these Meal-Sized Salads Next:
- Spinach Salad with Quinoa – This is one of my favorite lunches!
- Cobb Salad – A classic, with hard boiled eggs, bacon, avocado and chicken.
- Taco Salad – A delicious twist on taco night!
- Farro Salad – I love this one for a meatless meal that’s so satisfying.
- Salmon Salad – Spinach, goat cheese, walnuts and blueberries topped with a flaky salmon fillet.
- BBQ Chicken Salad – It’s dressed with a tangy cilantro-lime dressing and BBQ sauce!
Made this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Chinese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Remaining Salad Ingredients
- 5 cups shredded napa cabbage, green cabbage or romaine lettuce
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 2 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup julienne-cut or shredded carrots
- ⅔ cup sliced almonds , or dry roasted peanuts or cashews
- 4 green onions, chopped
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Make dressing: Combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, toasted sesame oil, honey, ginger and garlic in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine napa cabbage, red cabbage, shredded chicken, sliced bell pepper, carrots, sliced almonds, green onions and cilantro.
- Pour dressing over salad, a little at a time, tossing to combine, until salad is dressed to your liking. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make Ahead: This salad holds up well in the refrigerator for a few days. Store the salad and dressing in separate airtight containers for up to 3-4 days. (It’s perfect for meal prep lunches!) Once you add the dressing, it’s best consumed within 1-2 days.
- Recipe Variations: Any of these make great additions to this salad: mandarin oranges, sugar snap peas, edamame, avocado, sesame seeds, crunchy noodles or wonton strips.
