Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe

Ingredients

For the Salad

• ~1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cups napa cabbage, thinly shredded
• 2 cups red cabbage, thinly shredded
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly julienned
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

For the Dressing

• 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

For the Toppings

• 1 cup crispy chow mein noodles
• 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

Cook and Shred the Chicken

Poach the chicken breasts in simmering water until the internal temperature reaches 165F.

Transfer the hot chicken to a cutting board and immediately shred it with two forks. It’s much easier to shred while it’s still warm.

Spread the shredded chicken on a plate or sheet pan and refrigerate until it is completely cold. This will take at least an hour. Do not skip this step.

Make the Dressing

While the chicken cools, make the dressing. In a medium bowl or a jar with a lid, combine all the dressing ingredients: rice vinegar, hoisin, avocado oil, maple syrup, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, sesame oil, garlic, and pepper.

Whisk or shake vigorously until the dressing is well combined and emulsified. Set it aside; this gives the raw ginger and garlic flavor time to mellow out.

Assemble Just Before Serving

In a very large bowl, combine the shredded cold chicken, napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, and scallions.

Pour about three-quarters of the dressing over the salad and toss everything together until it’s evenly coated. Add more dressing if you think it needs it. Fold in the chopped cilantro.

Serve immediately, topping each portion generously with the crispy chow mein noodles and toasted almonds. The crunchy toppings should be added at the last second so they don’t get soft.

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Chinese Chicken Salad

This is a substantial salad where the texture is just as important as the flavor. The entire success of the dish relies on two things: the chicken being completely cold before it’s mixed with the vegetables, and the crunchy toppings. Warm chicken will instantly wilt the cabbage into a sad, soggy mess.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

For the Salad

• ~1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cups napa cabbage thinly shredded
• 2 cups red cabbage thinly shredded
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 red bell pepper thinly julienned
• 6 scallions thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 1/2 cup cilantro roughly chopped

For the Dressing

• 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic grated
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

For the Toppings

• 1 cup crispy chow mein noodles
• 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

Method

• Poach chicken breasts in simmering water until internal temp reaches 165F.
• Shred chicken while hot using two forks.
• Spread shredded chicken on plate and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 1 hour.
• Whisk together dressing ingredients: rice vinegar, hoisin, avocado oil, maple syrup, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, sesame oil, garlic, and pepper. Let rest.
• In large bowl, combine cold chicken, both cabbages, carrots, bell pepper, and scallions.
• Add 3/4 of dressing and toss to coat evenly. Add more if needed.
• Fold in cilantro.
• Top with crispy chow mein noodles and toasted almonds just before serving.

Notes

Must chill chicken completely before assembling.
Add crunchy toppings last to maintain texture.