We’re still making salads for dinner, taking full advantage of the beautiful weather while we can! One standout choice is the Chinese Chicken Salad—it’s not only quick and delicious but also wonderfully light yet satisfying. While it might have “Chinese” in its name, this salad is actually an innovative American creation that combines delightful Asian flavors with California’s culinary spirit. It really gained popularity in the 1960s and ’70s and has since become a common find in delis, cafes, and home kitchens across the nation.
What makes this salad so irresistible? It’s all about the fantastic blend of textures and flavors: crisp cabbage, tender chicken, sweet mandarin oranges, and crunchy wonton strips, all tied together with a tangy sesame-ginger dressing.
Chinese Chicken Salad Ingredients and Health Benefits
Chicken
Roasted chicken takes center stage! A 3-ounce serving of skinless, cooked chicken breast packs about 26 grams of protein with minimal fat. It’s essential for building strong muscles, supporting your immune system, and keeping you feeling satisfied. Plus, with around 128 calories and just 3 grams of fat, it’s a terrific option for those mindful of their calorie intake. Packed with vital vitamins, chicken is instrumental in fueling your energy levels and supporting brain function, making it a perfect fit for a heart-healthy lifestyle!
Cabbage
This vegetable brings a delightful crunch and vibrant color! Cabbage is low in calories but rich in essential nutrients and antioxidants. Just one cup of raw cabbage contains a mere 22 calories while delivering over 50% of your daily vitamin C and more than 80% of your daily vitamin K, along with fiber and folate. These nutrients are crucial for boosting your immune system and energy metabolism. Plus, the antioxidants in cabbage combat inflammation and may even help protect against certain cancers. In addition, with its high fiber content, cabbage also supports healthy digestion, making it a must-have in your diet!
Carrots
Shredded carrots are added for sweetness and texture. They’re famous for their rich beta-carotene content, which your body converts into vitamin A—essential for maintaining healthy vision. Carrots are loaded with antioxidants that help shield your body from various ailments. Regularly incorporating carrots into your meals can help regulate cholesterol and blood pressure, significantly benefiting your heart health. They also provide dietary fiber for smooth digestion and contain key nutrients like vitamin C to boost your immune system and keep your skin radiant. Plus, their crunchiness promotes oral health by stimulating saliva production!
Green onions
These lovely onions are added for a mild oniony bite. These vibrant greens are not just a tasty addition; they’re also full of nutrients. Packed with vitamin K, they’re essential for promoting strong bones and ensuring proper blood clotting. Rich in vitamin C, green onions boost your immune system and enhancing your skin’s health. The green tops offer an impressive dose of vitamin A, crucial for maintaining healthy vision and supporting immune function. Plus, the presence of allicin can help lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure, making them heart-healthy as well. Their potassium content contributes to cardiovascular wellness by balancing fluid levels in your body. Best of all, they may play a role in inhibiting cancer cell growth, lowering the risk of certain cancers.
Mandarin Oranges
Sweet and juicy, they balance the savory elements in Chinese chicken salad. Mandarins are an excellent source of vitamin C, which supports immune function, promotes collagen production for healthy skin, and helps the body absorb iron. Even more, they are full of vitamin C, providing over 25% of your daily needs in just one fruit. Vitamin C not only bolsters your immune function but also promotes collagen production, keeping your skin youthful and vibrant and aiding in iron absorption. Also rich in potassium, mandarins help regulate blood pressure. Their soluble fiber content not only lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol but also reduces the risk of heart disease. With their potent antioxidant profile, mandarins also shield your skin from sun damage and oxidative stress.
Organic Wonton Strips
Made from ingredients cultivated without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or GMOs, these strips not only taste great but also support sustainable farming practices. Produced primarily from wheat flour, they provide an instant source of energy without the added sugar, keeping your salad clean and wholesome. Just a handful adds the perfect crispness to Chinese chicken salad, transforming it into something truly special.
Sliced Almonds
Almonds add a nutty richness and texture to Chinese chicken salad. Almonds are rich in monounsaturated fats, which help improve cholesterol. They are also rich in vitamin E, magnesium, and potassium, all vital for maintaining healthy blood pressure and vascular function. The valuable antioxidants found in almond skins play a crucial role in fighting oxidative stress and promoting longevity, contributing to the prevention of chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. While calorie-dense, sliced almonds are low in carbs yet high in healthy fats, fiber, and magnesium that curb hunger and enhance satiety. Plus, with their essential nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, almonds support bone strength and help prevent osteoporosis. By acting as a prebiotic, they also nurture your gut, promoting overall digestive health.
Romaine lettuce
In short, romaine lettuce is more than just a salad base—it’s a low-calorie, nutrient-rich green that supports bones, eyes, skin, and heart health. One cup of romaine contains only about 8 calories, yet it delivers a wealth of essential nutrients. As an excellent source of vitamin K, romaine plays a crucial role in bone health, while calcium and phosphorus bolster strong bones and teeth. Its vitamin A content promotes healthy vision and skin, while vitamin C aids in collagen production and protects against oxidative damage. Thanks to its potassium levels, romaine is vital for regulating blood pressure, and its folate content supports heart health. With a high water and fiber content, romaine keeps you hydrated and satisfied, making it the perfect addition to a healthy lifestyle!
Jalapeño
Jalapeños bring a mild to moderate spiciness that contrasts beautifully with the sweetness of mandarin oranges and the tangy sesame dressing. In fact, this addition creates a more dynamic and exciting flavor profile. The natural grassy, slightly smoky flavor of jalapeños adds depth to the salad. Combined with ingredients like soy sauce, ginger, and garlic, it creates a bold, layered taste that enhances the salad. As for nutrients, jalapeños are low in calories and rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and capsaicin, a compound known for its anti-inflammatory and metabolism-boosting properties.
The Flavorful Ingredients of Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing Include:
Soy sauce
Soy sauce’s balance of salty, umami, sweet, and bitter makes it a powerful flavor enhancer. It deepens the flavor of the dressing without overpowering other ingredients.
Rice vinegar
Unlike white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar has a lower acidity level, which gives it a gentler, more subtle tang. This makes it ideal for Chinese chicken salad dressing, where you want a touch of brightness without overwhelming other flavors. Rice vinegar has a natural sweetness that comes from the fermented rice. It’s not sugary, but it offers a soft, rounded flavor that balances well with salty or savory ingredients like soy sauce and sesame oil. Its clean, crisp taste enhances the dressing without overpowering it.
Olive oil
Olive oil acts as a neutral or mildly flavored base oil that helps emulsify the dressing. It blends well with acidic ingredients like rice vinegar and soy sauce, creating a smooth, cohesive texture that clings to salad greens and the other vegetables. Olive oil helps mellow and balance the bold flavors of other ingredients in the dressing, preventing any one ingredient from overpowering the dish.
Sesame oil
Sesame oil has a delicious flavor but also enhances other flavors in the dressing. In Chinese chicken salad dressing, it rounds out the sharpness of rice vinegar and the saltiness of soy sauce, adding warmth and complexity. Toasted sesame oil has a deep, roasted, nutty, and slightly smoky flavor. The aroma is strong and fragrant—instantly recognizable. A little goes a long way—its bold flavor can easily overpower the dressing if overused.
Ginger
Ginger delivers a warm, peppery heat. It’s not spicy like chili peppers, but it does leave a gentle kick that’s more aromatic than fiery. Fresh ginger has a natural sweetness that balances its heat. There’s a subtle citrus-like freshness in ginger’s flavor. Ginger roots also have a slightly woody or earthy undertone, which adds depth and complexity to its flavor.
A touch of maple syrup or maple sugar
Maple syrup is rich and complex as well as an excellent natural sweetener. It has a deep, caramel-like sweetness with earthy and woody undertones. Pure maple syrup perfectly complements soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil in dressings for a sweet-savory balance. Beyond its delightful flavor, it offers antioxidants that combat oxidative stress and inflammation, along with a wealth of essential minerals such as manganese, zinc, calcium, and potassium. With a lower glycemic index than refined sugar, it ensures a gradual rise in blood sugar and is made from minimally processed, plant-based ingredients—simply boiled sap from maple trees, free from additives.
Preparation, Servings, and Storage
Chinese chicken salad is simple to prepare in about a half an hour. Spend more time enjoying the sunshine or effortlessly preparing meals on a busy weeknight. It also makes a wonderful meal prep for the week. Just store the dressing and wonton strips separate until you are ready to eat. This recipe yields four generous, meal-sized salads, making it a fantastic option for family dinners. Keep any leftovers stored separately in the refrigerator for up to four days of delightful enjoyment.
Do you Love Chinese Chicken Salad? Here are some more Delicious Salads to try!
Chinese Chicken Salad
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound Chicken breasts
- 1 Romaine lettuce
- 2 cups Shredded cabbage
- 1 Carrot, shredded
- 1 Jalapeño, optional
- 1 4oz bag Sliced almonds
- Organic wonton strips
- 2 Green onions, diced
- 1 can Mandarin oranges
Dressing
- 3 tbsp Soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 1½ tbsp Sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Maple syrup or maple sugar
- 1/2 tsp Ginger, freshly grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan, spray lightly with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake the chicken breasts for 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 165℉.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and cover the chicken while it cools.
- Wash and prepare all of the vegetables.
- Divide the lettuce into four salad plates. Add the shredded cabbage and carrot and toss to combine.
- Top each salad with sliced almonds, wonton strips, green onions, mandarin oranges and jalapeño.
- Chop the cooled chicken and top each salad with a 1/2 cup chicken each.
- Serve immediately with dressing.
Dressing
- In a dressing jar, combine:3 tbsp Soy sauce3 tbsp Rice vinegar3 tbsp Olive oil1½ tbsp Sesame oil1 tbsp Maple syrup or maple sugar1/2 tsp Ginger, freshly grated
- Shake to combine the dressing.
Nutrition
This was excellent!