Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
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Chinese Chicken Salad is a quick and easy meal that combines a variety of savory, sweet, crunchy, and refreshing flavors and textures.
It starts with Chinese five-spice seasoned chicken breasts, crisp cabbage, and sweet mandarin oranges, crunchy almonds, tossed with a tangy sesame ginger dressing, and topped with crispy wonton strips.
Looking for more delicious chicken salad recipes? Make sure to try my recipes for healthy Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (Whole30/Paleo), Classic Cobb Salad, and BBQ Chicken Salad too!
This Asian chicken salad is really simple to prepare and has amazing flavors, making it a great option for busy weeknights.
What you’ll need
Salad ingredients:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Chinese 5-spice – adds amazing flavor!
- Olive oil
- Shredded Napa cabbage – If you can’t find Napa cabbage, you can use regular green cabbage or even savoy cabbage for a similar texture.
- Mixed green lettuce – bagged green lettuce mixture with iceberg lettuce, red cabbage and carrots.
- Broccoli slaw – packaged and sold with the salad mixes.
- Canned mandarin orange segments
- Fresh cilantro
- Green onions
- Slivered almonds – cashews and peanuts would be delicious as well.
- Toasted sesame seeds
Asian salad dressing ingredients:
- Soy sauce
- Fish sauce – for added unami flavor!
- Light oil – like avocado oil or canola oil
- Rice vinegar – or apple cider vinegar
- Orange juice – from half of a navel orange
- Grated fresh ginger
- Garlic
- Honey
- Sesame oil – I like toasted sesame oil the best
Wonton strips ingredients:
- Wonton wrappers – available in most grocery stores or Asian markets.
- Vegetable oil for frying
Check out the printable recipe card below for the complete recipe and detailed instructions.
How to make Chinese Chicken Salad with Ginger Sesame Dressing
To make fried wonton strips:
Pour 2-inches of oil into a heavy-bottomed sauce pan or pot. Heat to 350°F. using a candy thermometer hooked to the side of the pan.
Cut the stack of wonton wrappers into thin strips, about one quarter to three-eights inches wide using a sharp knife.
Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels. Set aside.
Carefully add a handful of wonton strips to the heated oil, be sure to break them apart with a spider strainer or slotted spoon so they cook evenly and do not clump together.
Flip the strips over and cook until golden brown, about one to two minutes. Remove from oil and place on the paper towels to drain.
To make the dressing:
Add all of the dressing ingredients to a mason jar, secure the lid to the jar and shake to thoroughly combine ingredients. Set aside.
To make the salad:
Place chicken breasts on a cutting board and slice in half horizontally.
Sprinkle Chinese 5-spice evenly over both sides of the chicken.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet.
Place chicken breast in skillet and cook until no longer pink in the center, turning once. Internal temperature should read 165°F. in the center.
Place chicken on a cutting board and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing into thin strips or bite sized pieces. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, cabbage, broccoli slaw, green onions, and cilantro. Toss together to mix.
Add the chicken, oranges, dressing, almonds, and sesame seeds. Toss to combine.
Drizzle salad with ginger-sesame dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
My favorite way to serve this delicious Chinese chicken salad is topped with crispy chow mein noodles, or fried wonton strips and Hawaiian sweet bread on the side.
FAQ’s
Yes, leftover rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken are delicious options. Just make sure the chicken is seasoned well, or you can sprinkle with Chinese five-spice seasoning to enhance the flavor.
You can create a quick homemade version by combining equal parts ground cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and ginger, or use your favorite seasoning.
Absolutely! Prepare them up to a day in advance, allow them to cool and store them in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain their crispiness.
You can customize the salad by adding vegetables like bell peppers, snow peas, shredded carrots, or water chestnuts for additional crunch and color.
It’s best to consume this salad shortly after assembling to maintain the freshness and crispiness of the ingredients. If you know that you will have leftovers, store the mixed salad without the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. Store the dressing separately until ready to serve.
Definitely, if fact the flavors will intensify if you prepare the dressing ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Shake or stir well before using to ensure the ingredients are well combined.
Sure, you can create a vegetarian version by substituting the chicken with tofu or tempeh. Ensure the protein is well-seasoned, and you can still enjoy the vibrant flavors of the salad.
More delicious salad recipes:
- Asian Beef Salad
- Superfood Salad
- BBQ Chicken Salad
- Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad
- Chicken Shawarma Salad
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Enjoy!!
Chinese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 pound chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 1 tablespoons Chinese 5-Spice I just sprinkle it on without measuring
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces shredded Napa cabbage
- 8 ounces mixed green lettuce I used a classic garden mix
- 1 cup broccoli slaw
- 15 ounce can mandarin oranges drained
- .25 cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- .25 cup green onions chopped
- .25 cup slivered almonds
- 0.13 cup toasted sesame seeds one-eight hcup
Sesame Ginger Dressing
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoon light oil avocado or canola
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic pressed or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Wonton Strips
- 12 wonton wrappers
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Wonton Strips
- Pour 2-inches of oil into a heavy-bottomed sauce pan or pot. Heat to 350°F. using a candy thermometer hooked to the side of the pan.
- Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels. Set aside.
- Cut the stack of wonton wrappers into thin strips, about one quarter to three-eights inches wide using a sharp knife.
- Carefully add a handful of wonton strips to the heated oil, be sure to break them apart with a spider strainer or slotted spoon so they cook evenly and do not clump together.
- Flip the strips over and cook until golden brown, about one to two minutes. Remove from oil and place on the paper towels to drain.
Dressing
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a mason jar, secure the lid to the jar and shake to thoroughly combine ingredients. Set aside.
Salad
- Place chicken breasts on a cutting board and slice in half horizontally. Sprinkle Chinese 5-spice evenly over both sides of the chicken.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet. Place chicken breast in skillet and cook until no longer pink in the center, turning once. Internal temperature should read 165°F. in the center.
- Place chicken on a cutting board and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing into thin strips or bite sized pieces. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, cabbage, broccoli slaw, green onions, and cilantro. Toss together to mix.
- Add the chicken, oranges, dressing, almonds, and sesame seeds. Toss to combine. Drizzle salad with ginger-sesame dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you are running short on time, you can use shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken.
- You can create a quick homemade version by combining equal parts ground cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and ginger, or use your favorite seasoning.
- Wonton strips can be prepared up to a day in advance. Allow them to cool and store them in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain their crispiness.
- Customize the salad by adding vegetables like bell peppers, snow peas, shredded carrots, or water chestnuts for additional crunch and color.
- If you know that you’ll have leftovers, store the mixed salad without the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. Store the dressing separately until ready to serve.
Nutrition
This recipe was featured at Joyful Healthy Eats Summer Salad Roundup!
