Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing Recipe
This Chinese Chicken Salad is a refreshing, crunchy, and flavorful dish perfect for a light lunch or dinner. Packed with shredded chicken, fresh lettuce, Napa cabbage, and crisp carrots, it’s tossed in a tangy, aromatic dressing made from rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Optional crunchy noodles and peanuts add extra texture and a nutty finish, making this salad irresistibly satisfying.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes (assuming pre-cooked chicken)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Halal
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped lettuce
- 2 cups shredded Napa or cabbage slaw
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- ⅓ cup chopped green onion
- 5 cooked chicken thighs, shredded
Dressing Ingredients
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 3 tsp. soy sauce
- 2 and ½ tsp. sugar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp. grated fresh ginger
Optional Toppings
- 1 cup crunchy noodles
- ½ cup peanuts
Instructions
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine chopped lettuce, shredded Napa or cabbage slaw, shredded carrot, and chopped green onion. Add the shredded cooked chicken thighs and toss everything together until evenly mixed.
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, and grated fresh ginger until the sugar is dissolved and the dressing is well blended.
- Toss the salad with dressing: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad mixture. Toss thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are coated with the flavorful dressing.
- Add toppings and serve: If desired, sprinkle crunchy noodles and peanuts over the salad for extra texture and nutty taste. Serve immediately for the best freshness and crunch.
Notes
- You can substitute cooked chicken thighs with cooked chicken breast if preferred.
- For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.
- If you don’t have crunchy noodles, toasted wonton strips or fried rice noodles work great as alternatives.
- To enhance the salad, add chopped cilantro or fresh mint leaves.
- Keep the crunchy noodles and peanuts separate until serving to maintain their crispness.
Keywords: Chinese Chicken Salad, Asian salad, chicken salad recipe, healthy salad, sesame dressing, crunchy chicken salad
