CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

This Chinese chicken salad is wonderfully flavorful. You can make it in advance and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve it.

I like to make a big batch and enjoy it over a few days. It’s perfect for lunch or as a light weeknight dinner.

This salad is so good! The dressing, based on sesame oil and soy sauce with a hint of garlic and ginger, is phenomenal. I also love the crunch that the shredded cabbage provides.

Indeed, one of the advantages of this Chinese chicken salad is that you make it in advance. When I anticipate a busy week, I make a big batch on Sunday and have ready-made meals for several days.

INGREDIENTS

Here’s an overview of the ingredients needed to make this salad. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.

FOR THE SALAD:

• Shredded cooked chicken: I use pre-cooked chicken breasts. You can use baked chicken breast, grilled chicken breast, or broiled chicken breast. You can also use rotisserie chicken. Just make sure to remove the skin.
• Shredded green cabbage: Adds a wonderful crunch to the salad. To make life easy, I often use a bag of coleslaw mix that includes shredded carrots, red cabbage, and green cabbage.
• Sliced green onions: I only use the green parts. They add color and flavor. Mix them into the salad or sprinkle them on top for a pretty presentation.

FOR THE SESAME DRESSING:

• Soy sauce: I use reduced-sodium soy sauce in most of my recipes. You can also use a gluten-free alternative.
• Sesame oil: I like to use toasted sesame oil. It’s so flavorful!
• Rice vinegar: If you don’t have any on hand, it’s OK to use white wine vinegar instead. I don’t recommend using plain distilled vinegar. It’s too acidic.
• Honey: Just one tablespoon to balance out the other flavors. You can omit this ingredient if you wish.
• Minced garlic and ginger: You can mince them by yourself or use the stuff that comes in a jar. Freshly minced will taste better. I don’t recommend using garlic or ginger powders. They’re not as flavorful.
• Red pepper flakes: They don’t make the salad truly spicy. They merely add an extra layer of flavor.

VARIATIONS

1. Some recipes for Chinese chicken salad call for canned mandarin oranges, but I’m not fond of fruit in savory salads. I also don’t add grapes to my keto chicken salad. But feel free to add ¼ cup of them if you wish.
2. You can skip the crunchy noodles often added to these salads. The cabbage provides plenty of crunch. If you’d like, you can add ¼ cup of slivered almonds.
3. Instead of shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix, you can use broccoli slaw. It’s very good!
4. If you enjoy spicy foods, increase the amount of red pepper flakes. Start with ½ teaspoon and taste. You can always add more.

CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD INSTRUCTIONS

Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this salad:

In a large bowl, toss together the shredded chicken, shredded cabbage, and sliced green onions (or reserve the green onions and sprinkle them on top of the salad after it’s ready).

In a small bowl or jar, mix the dressing ingredients.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for one hour to allow the flavor to meld. Toss again before serving.

EXPERT TIP

One of the best things about this salad is that you can make it in advance and refrigerate it.

In fact, it tastes better as the flavors are allowed to meld, so it’s best to make it a few hours before you plan on serving it.

STORING LEFTOVERS

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. But remember to start counting on the day the chicken was cooked. I don’t recommend freezing this salad.