Chinese Chicken Salad
Made with leftover rotisserie chicken, romaine, napa, crispy wonton strips and the best sesame ginger dressing ever!
Whenever I have a bit of rotisserie chicken leftover from this, I repurpose the leftovers to make my favorite Chinese chicken salad. A restaurant-quality salad that actually tastes so much better right at home.
Packed with romaine lettuce, napa cabbage, mandarin oranges, cilantro, green onions, salted cashews, green onions, and of course the crispiest wonton strips. Store-bought is fine, but nothing ever compares to the homemade version.
Not to mention, the perfectly paired sesame ginger dressing that goes so well with this. The dressing can always be made ahead of time, tucked away in the fridge prior to serving. And you can munch on all the wonton strips during prep time.
Chinese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head romaine, shredded
- 4 cups shredded napa cabbage
- 3 cups leftover shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 (15-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ cup roasted salted cashews
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cups crispy wonton strips, homemade or store-bought
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
for the sesame ginger dressing
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 2 ½ tablespoons canola oil
- 2 ½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with cabbage, chicken, mandarin oranges, cilantro, cashews and green onions. Pour the sesame ginger dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.
- Serve immediately, topped with wonton strips and sesame seeds.
for the sesame ginger dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, orange marmalade, canola oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger and sesame seeds; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Did you make this recipe?
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Perfect combination of crunch, sweet and salty.
Making this for church potluck next Sunday. Putting shopping list together now and checking pantry for what I already have. Can taste this already!
UPDATE: Turned out great! And already made it again!
Great salad. Will make it again and again. Full of flavours and very satisfying.
Fantastic! The dressing is amazing. I used leftover dressing in a stir fry and it was great.
Awesome looks so good
Great recipe. Are we missing an ingredient? In the second photo that shows the ingredients, there is an open jar next to the sesame seeds. What is that?
Looks like Dijon next to the sesame seeds
Loved the flavor and crunch!! Very pretty too and my husband liked it a lot. This will be on our summer menu now!
So good! My whole family loved it so much they asked for it two days in a row. Your recipes never fail.
I cannot believe that such a simple to make salad could be so tasty. Really enjoyed it as it was something totally different. It was a lovely filling salad too. Will be making again!
Made this tonight sans wonton wrappers (I was too lazy) and this was very good and filling. The dressing with fresh ginger was amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Made this for dinner tonight and we loved it! Perfect salad for summer and the dressing is fantastic. Thanks for another great recipe!
Delicious restaurant quality salad! We all loved it, and it will be on repeat all summer long!!!
Seriously this dressing is the BEST EVER. The salad is really delicious and crunchy – totally satisfying but the dressing just takes it over the top. I will use this dressing as a marinade for grilling chicken, pork, turkey….it’s totally the BEST. Thank you Chungah for yet another awesome recipe!!!
Looks delicious. How many does the recipe serve?
i am definately trying this
This was so good! The only downside is that I can’t eat it faster lol
The best tasting, with the easiest ingredients recipe for Chinese chicken salad! Damn delicious/home run every time! A household staple/well-loved bookmark tab for YEARS! Thank you Chungah!
Changah’s dressing makes the whole dish. Just the right ratios. Mmmmmm. I use Napa cabbage and Costco rotisserie chicken and can now make this in about 10 minutes.
I’ve now made this recipe several times I double the dressing and add Mung bean sprouts when I can find them. Soo good
Years ago, I lived with a Chinese nun whose Chinese chicken salad had the whole parish knocking at our door. It took her all day and I’ve spent a lifetime trying—and failing—to recreate it. This looks close. I’m trying to figure out how to get all the flavors of the marinade if I cheat with rotisserie chicken. I also know she used Chinese cabbage —maybe instead of romaine? I’m going in…stay tuned!
Awesome, healthy recipe-Thank you!!!!
I’ve found most of the recipes I’ve tried on this site to be quite good. This recipe was a bit bland.
I added lime juice, Korean chili flakes, and toasted sesame seeds to spruce it up.
I used rotisserie chicken and had to add some additional oil (grapeseed) to emulsify the dressing, but this was delightful!
Amazing! Love love love it! My biggest challenge? Portion control! The vinaigrette dressing is off the charts delicious!
Really delicious! I used sugar snap peas instead of edamame (just personal preference). I also used a blend of radicchio, arugula, and spinach (I like a heartier green). Can’t wait to make again! Such a great meal-prep for lunches!
I just used the salad dressing on a bag of store bought, pre sliced Cole slaw, yum! Fabulous cole slaw in 2 minutes!
I haven’t finished my salad yet, but you use the marinade from what you cooked your chicken in, for your dressing?
I’m going to try this tonight but it looks like the sesame vinaigrette is your dressing. The first few ingredients listed are to cook the chicken in.
I want to make this for a luncheon tomorrow. If I were to buy a cooked chicken (in an effort to same time) and chopped it up, would I use the marinade to coat the cooked chicken, less the sesame oil. thank you. And I really love your recipes, even the ones I haven’t made yet. This pandemic has a definite plus side for those playing around in the kitchen with recipes.
I LOVE Chinese chicken salad and have been searching, relentlessly, for many, many years for the perfect recipe. This is it!! I’m obsessed!! I made it last week for dinner and wanted to make it again for lunch today but couldn’t remember which recipe I used so I tried another one. Bad idea! I’m so glad I found your recipe again! I just added some cilantro and mandarin orange chunks and instead of using ramen noodles, I used crispy rice noodles (aka vermicelli/rice sticks).
I love this dressing! I used to make this salad using the seasoning packet from Ramen noodles. Tasty but so bad for you. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to make a dressing with the same flavor punch, but this really delivered. I did my own thing for the salad, and followed the dressing directions as written except for adding a little dash of white pepper.
Thanks for sharing this!
it looks really good def gonna try it
This is an excellent recipe that I’ve made many times. The fact you cook the chicken in the oven means you can do your chopping & prep work simultaneously.
Recommend no changes. 5/5
Great, thank you Jennifer!
This was delicious!! I made a couple of changes based on my taste. I added a little sriracha to the chicken marinade to make it a little spicy, a tiny bit of grated ginger, and a touch of honey. I cooked the chicken in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop to make it caramelized and yummy. I will definitely be making this again!!
Is there a difference between rice vinegar and rice wine vinegar ? I am only seeing rice vinegar at the supermarket. Can you tell me which brand you use? Thank you!
You can certainly use rice vinegar here. But I do not have a particular brand that I prefer. Hope that helps!
This recipe looks amazing! I’m printing it out today to try very soon. To the person who doesn’t use ginger enough, you can wrap it well and freeze it for future use – don’t even thaw before using, then re-wrap it and return it to the freezer’
Thank you for this tip. I did not have the issue but I have thrown away so much ginger that I am delighted with your comment! I learned something super awesome today. Thank you again!
I love this tangy concoction you have put together! I never would have thought of it! Seriously one of my favorites!
Where to buy the crispy noodle?
Most grocery stores should carry them by the produce aisle.
Asian section in market
Get extra from last take out, but use quickly!
I don’t trust the cooking time. Ours was totally raw.
WOW! Sorry but can’t you figure out how to test your chicken! How long have you been cooking!!
Didn’t have rice wine vinegar, subbed in 1/4 c + 1tbsp rice vinegar and 1tbsp white wine vinegar. Wok fried thighs(didn’t have breasts) in the marinade with a splash of ponzu and garlic powder to finish. A little fresh diced mango in the salad mix. I don’t think I’ve ever altered a recipe so little. Flavors as it was written were bright and balanced, very subtle layering. Definitely going on my GOTTA DO THIS AGAIN!! list
Wonder how a Thai chili would work somewhere in the mix?
For the dressing, the first item is “1/4 cup”….. cup of what?
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar.
What does 1/4 cup PLUS mean?
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar.
We made the taco lettuce wraps last night, and last week the Mexican quinoa, and the pork chops with sweet and sour glaze. They were all amazing (especially the quinoa and pork chops). I love how you use fresh ingredients in every recipe, and cant wait to make them all! Tonight I am making the Chinese Chicken Salad, and am at work counting down the minutes to go home and start dinner!
Made this salad last night on 2-1-16, and it was fabulous but I couldn’t find the shelled edamame’s at our local store here. But if I had added shelled edamame it would have been great too! I will make this salad again, I really liked the crunch from the Chow Mein Noodles and the Almonds. I served this salad with some Asian potstickers and had some Litehouse toasted sesame ginger dressing & Litehouse mild Thai peanut dressings for dipping or adding extra to the salad also. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us. ❤️
I couldn’t find shelled edamame either, so I bought the frozen steam in a bag edamame. I figured I can just let them cool and pop them out of their shells into the salad! Might be more work, but I love edamame.
Fresh Shelled edamame at Trader Joes
Great recipe! I have made it several times and it always tastes great! I love all the colors and the vinaigrette is great!
I love the photos and description for this recipe and I really want to try it, however, I think what is missing is some reviews… Hardly anyone who commented here actually tried out your recipe. Would like to know if anyone enjoyed the taste before I try it myself?
It’s the best! Simply fantastic! I am making it right now for the second time. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did….
I love your recipes so far all I’ve tried have been very tasty! Thank you so much for all these yummy recipes you have shared. I am making this one tonight and rather than making the chicken in the oven, I have used my small pampered chef stone in the microwave. I happened to be doing 4 chicken breast and the cooking time on it was 15 minutes. I chose to do it this way so I would not heat up my house…
Made this lovely salad last night using store bought rotisserie chicken. I subbed a few ingredients because I did not have…
so, green chickpeas instead of edamame, added sweet pepper rings, thicker cucumber slices. we use BRAGGS soya so no fear of added MSG.
This was a hit, I made a double batch with the intention of sending the salad for lunches but there was nothing left! Did I mention there are only three of us and one is a 6 year old. May use apple cider vinegar next go around, and there will be a next go around! Thanks.
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Love all of your recipes. Thank you! It would really be great if you could offer the option of not printing the photo with the recipe. This would use less ink and less space, many times being able to print the recipe on one page, which would be ideal.
Marge, if you prefer not to print the photo, you can copy and paste the recipe into a text document and print from there. Easy peasy!
Re: Karen’s question about cooking temp.of chicken breasts….
No matter which way you decide to cook them, invest in a digital instant read thermometer.
They are not that expensive. Insert the probe into the THICKEST part of the meat halfway into the chicken breast.
The temperature should read a minimum of 160 degrees….
Don’t mess with this….Undercooked chicken can make you sick….
Thank you so much for all your recipes! This was an awesome salad dressing! I tweaked it a tiny bit by adding a tablespoon of honey and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and it was a huge hit! It tied in my Chinese bbqed chicken breast, tomato, avocado, spinach, green onion salad perfectly!
This salad was by far one of the best salads I have ever tasted! It’s great, easy to make, and great for the entire family! Even my 3 year old loved it!! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it. How big are your chicken breasts? Around here they tend to be a pound a piece…or close. Do you think you used 2lbs of chicken? Thanks!
I recommend using closer to 1 lb, unless you like a lot of chicken in your salad! 🙂
A lot of us automatically switch to skinless tighs. Flavor x 10.
I always love your recipes! Always Damn Delicious!
Question, I don’t use fresh ginger enough to buy it, but I do have ground ginger. Can I use that instead of the fresh grated ginger in this recipe?
Thank you for always providing great recipes!
Yes, absolutely!
Tried your lettuce wrap. It was a hit. Thanks!
I don’t have oven at my place . Can I cook chicken in the pan. Also, do we get ready to eat crunchy noodles in market. Don’t I need to fry them?
Yes, feel free to cook the chicken to your desired preferences. Crunchy noodles should also be readily available at your local grocery store.
Totally craving this!! Looks perfect.
Girl!!! I am totally crushing on this salad! Pinned
You are so good Woman! This looks delicious. I like to have the girls over for lunch and this would be great.
Hi… I want to make this next week, but I usually cook chicken breasts for 18-20 min at 400 degrees. Are you sure about that shorter cooking time? Thanks.
Karen, it really depends on how thick your chicken breasts are. I recommend using your best judgement to ensure that the chicken is completely cooked through before serving.
Beautiful looking salad. John, thank you for the MSG information.
I cannot wait to make this. Does it hold up well in the refrigerator? I am thinking as a Salad in a Jar?
The chow mein noodles…..do you buy them crispy, or bake them to get them that way?
your food all looks SCRUMPTIOUS!!!!!!!!!
thank you
Yes, the dressing holds up well refrigerated. And the chow mein noodles can be purchased crispy. I can find the “La Choy” brand at my local grocery store.
I just discovered your site about 2 weeks ago and your recipes are great. I have a few thoughts to think about. We totally eliminate MSG from our cooking. Soy Sauce has MSG naturally in it. We can’t eliminate soy sauce, but we look for a soy sauce that does not add extra MSG, like Kikoman. Natural MSG will not hurt you, but added MSG will. Natural MSG is found in many foods, even eggs, but it will not hurt you. Added MSG causes diabetes. I always read the label. Check the label for the sesame oil also. Some companies add MSG. A healthier diet would include MSG free ingredients. Edamame beans are not available in Cebu, Philippines, maybe in Manila, so I would substitute mature soy beans. We also eliminate simple sugar as much as possible. One tbsp of sugar will not hurt you, but if you drink 16 oz of coke with the meal, it will. Would it be possible to substitute lime juice or lemon juice for the simple sugar? A sugar free diet is a healthier diet. Thanks for the great recipes.
As you had said, 1 TBSP sugar will not kill you. You can definitely reduce it to 1-2 tsp if you’d like. A little bit of sugar goes a long way here! Now you can certainly try substituting lemon/lime juice but I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish.
I tblsp of sugar could kill you if you’re a diabetic like I am or have some other related health condition. I would eliminate the sugar and use either stevia or Splenda in place of it. I think the dressing is also too high in sodium. I would use Kikkoman’s low sodium soy sauce and use very little.
What drew me to this salad was the crunchy noodles. Love anything crunchy on my salad, croutons, crunchy wonton strips, crunchy noodles!
I hate ordering salads at restaurants too… seems like I’m not fully testing a restaurant’s cooking ability.
I love mixing up the flavors of my salads at home, and this sounds REALLY good!
My absolute favorite salad, love this healthy version!
This looks amazing. I love easy, healthy options.
Looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe! 😀
Another nice recipe. Thank you.
Another wonderful recipe of your’s I need to make 🙂
I so love reading your recipes. They always look so simple, fresh and delicious.
Is ti totally weird that I have NEVER had a Chinese Chicken Salad? You can say yes.
How-ev-er, I always see them at restaurants and feel like I should try one…but now I can make it healthier and at home! YES! Pinned 🙂
Nor have I, Taylor, but I’ve printed this recipe and very soon I won’t be able to say it anymore!
I just made this salad tonight and it is so great!!!! I would recommend with 5 stars
This looks great and I love the colours!
Mmm I love sesame oil, and I bet you’ve taken it to New heights in that dressing, it looks fantastic, I love the colours – hurrah for Balance, and amazing recipes, thanks! 😀 x
This looks like an amazing salad and I can almost taste the vinaigrette from here and I want it!!
I want this salad right now! Seriously looks so good!
yes you are right