Description
A refreshing and crunchy Chinese Chicken Salad featuring shredded Napa cabbage, crisp iceberg lettuce, juicy mandarin oranges, and tender cooked chicken, tossed in a vibrant, homemade sesame-hoisin dressing and topped with crunchy almonds, chow mein noodles, and wonton strips for texture.
Ingredients
Scale
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 substitute 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
- Prepare the Dressing: Combine rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, peanut oil, soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, optional peanut butter, toasted sesame seed oil, and ground ginger in a jar with a lid. Shake vigorously until well mixed. Alternatively, use a mini food processor to blend the dressing until smooth. Refrigerate while preparing the salad.
- Assemble the Base: Arrange the shredded Napa cabbage and chopped iceberg lettuce evenly on a large serving platter or in a big salad bowl. Lightly drizzle some of the prepared dressing over the greens to start infusing flavor.
- Add Salad Toppings: Evenly distribute the diced cooked chicken, julienned carrots, drained mandarin oranges, and diced green onions over the dressed greens.
- Finish and Serve: Drizzle additional dressing over the salad ingredients. Sprinkle sliced almonds, chow mein noodles, crispy wonton strips, and toasted sesame seeds on top for extra crunch and texture. Serve the remaining dressing on the side for guests to add as desired.
Notes
- For best results, use freshly cooked chicken or leftover roast chicken diced into bite-sized pieces.
- Mandarin oranges should be well-drained and patted dry to prevent the salad from becoming soggy.
- The peanut butter in the dressing is optional but adds creaminess and depth of flavor.
- Can substitute peanut oil with other neutral oils like avocado, vegetable, or canola oil.
- Serve immediately after assembling for optimal crunchiness in toppings.
- This salad can be refrigerated for up to 1 day but dressing and crispy toppings should be stored separately to maintain texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: Chinese chicken salad, Asian salad, sesame chicken salad, crunchy salad, Asian dressing, healthy chicken salad
