Chinese Chicken Salad
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This Chinese Chicken Salad recipe is so good, you will love making it year-round. It’s perfect for those family reunions, church functions, and family picnics in the park. This recipe is probably about 40 years old. I had a dear friend named Cheryl C., and she would make this salad for neighborhood parties.
I can tell you this for sure: everyone wanted the recipe. So, I thought today was the perfect day to share it with all of you. It’s so simple to make that I think your family will love it!
This Chinese Chicken Salad features a crunch of cabbage, sliced almonds, sesame seeds, Asian noodles, chopped green onions, and shredded chicken, all topped with a slightly sweet salad dressing.
Kitchen Items You May Need:
- A good knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large Bowl
- Mini Blender or Regular Blender
Chinese Chicken Salad
Step One: Gather Ingredients
Gather the ingredients.
Step Two: Make Salad Dressing
To make the Chinese Salad Dressing, add the ingredients to a blender, starting with the oil, followed by the white vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, pepper, and the seasoning packets, until smooth. Refrigerate the salad dressing until ready to serve.
Step Three: Combine Salad Ingredients
Combine the cooked shredded chicken, shredded cabbage, chopped green onions, Asian noodles, sliced almonds, and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Step Four: Pour Dressing on Salad
Pour the Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing over the salad JUST before serving. Refrigerate the leftovers.
Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe
- 4 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded) Please note: I love this salad without the chicken as well.
- 1 large cabbage head (shredded)
- 1 bunch green onions (washed and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces)
- 2 packages of Oriental noodles with seasoning (like Snack Ramen ***SAVE the packets of seasoning) DO NOT COOK THE NOODLES
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1 cup oil (I use vegetable)
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ***2 Seasoning packets from oriental noodles
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Combine the cooked, shredded chicken, shredded cabbage, chopped green onions, the Asian noodles, the sliced almonds, and sesame seeds in a large bowl.
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Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Blend the ingredients in a blender, starting with the oil, white vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, pepper, and the seasoning packets until smooth.
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Refrigerate the salad dressing until ready to serve.
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Pour the Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing over the salad JUST before serving.
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Please Note: the salad is even better the next day! Enjoy.
UPDATE: Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe (recipe cut in half)
- 2 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded). Please note that I also love this salad without the chicken.
- 2 10-ounce bags of shredded cabbage (coleslaw)
- 1/2 bunch of green onions (washed and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces)
- 1 package of Oriental/Asian noodles with seasoning (like Snack Ramen ***SAVE the packets of seasoning) DO NOT COOK THE NOODLES
- 1/8 cup sliced almonds
- 1/8 cup sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Seasoning packet from "Snack Ramen"
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Combine the cooked, shredded chicken, shredded cabbage, chopped green onions, the Asian noodles, the sliced almonds, and sesame seeds in a large bowl.
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Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Blend the ingredients in a blender, starting with the oil, white vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, pepper, and the seasoning packets until smooth.
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Refrigerate the salad dressing until ready to serve.
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Pour the Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing over the salad JUST before serving.
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Please Note: the salad is even better the next day!
How do I store the leftover salad?
I store this salad in an airtight container, similar to a Tupperware container. It tastes great the next day!
Can I make it without the chicken?
I love this salad, whether or not it includes the chicken.
Can I use canned chicken?
I have used the canned chicken from Costco, and it works great!
Can I substitute chow mein noodles for the Asian noodles?
Yes, you can. The only downside is that you need to add some seasonings (to replace the seasoning packets) to make the dressing.
Can I add some of my favorite vegetables?
I have added shredded carrots, pickled carrots, rinsed frozen peas (to thaw), and snow peas.
Can I use purple cabbage instead of green?
I love mixing the green and the purple cabbage, as well as using them independently.
Where did the Chinese Chicken Salad originate?
I quote, Wikipedia: “But the Chinese chicken salad being consumed by the fashionable set probably originated in California.” In Hollywood Dish, Akasha Richmond writes, “Hollywood gave rise to more salads than just the Caesar and Cobb. The 1960s produced the Chinese Chicken Salad, which was made popular at Madame Wu’s in Santa Monica.”
Do I have to use almonds?
No, I realize people have nut allergies, so just skip the almonds.
What can I serve with this salad?
- Dinner Rolls
- French Bread
- Hamburgers and Hot Dogs (skip the chicken in the salad)
- Fresh fruit
- Barbecued Steaks
Is Cabbage good for you?
Of course, I would always ask your doctor if you have any concerns about cabbage. Here is what WebMD states, I quote, “It’s Good for Your Digestion. Cabbage has 1 gram of fiber for every 10 calories. That helps fill you up, so you eat less. It also helps keep you regular, and it may help lower your ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol and control your blood sugar. Cabbage also has nutrients that keep the lining of your stomach and intestines strong.”
In case you missed this post:
Final Word
Please let me know if you have made this Chinese Chicken Salad before and if your recipe differs slightly. It’s all about cooking from scratch and teaching our kids and grandkids how to do the same. Hopefully, you can use some of your garden vegetables in it.
One great aspect of this salad is that it’s served cold, straight from the fridge. What a great way to enjoy a fresh salad on a hot summer day! May God bless this world, Linda
I love this salad and have been making it for years! If I have snow peas I’ll add those or mandarin oranges are good too but I usually make it just like this recipe. This reminds me I haven’t made it in a while – great summer recipe!
Hi Kay, thank you for the 5 stars, my sweet friend!!! It’s so easy and everyone loves it!! I’m going to add Mandarin oranges next time!!! Linda
This sounds delicious! Light and refreshing for the summer. Crushed pineapple or sliced grapes may be good in this as well. Can’t wait to try it! Thank you for the recipe Linda!
HI Tammy, thank you for the 5 stars, my sweet friend! Now, I want to add crushed pineapple and grapes! This salad is so versatile!! Linda
Do I cook the noodles?
Hi Eva, no you just break them up and they give the salad some crunch. Thank you, I will fix the recipe card!! Linda
Funny I should see this tonight as I just made it this afternoon…..never made it with chicken…..have made it w/o for 23 yrs and love it. I use apple cider vinegar which is sweeter so I add less sugar. I have known it always as Chinese Salad. I really do not think I would add chicken to it as I love it as a side dish. It is so much better the next day….great pot luck dish too.
Hi Sandra, I love hearing this! We make it all the time without chicken, but the original recipe called for chicken!! LOL! Yes, it’s so much better even the next day! Linda
This is a family favorite! Thanks for the reminder!
Hi Heidi, thank you for the 5 stars, my sweet friend! I love hearing your family loves this recipe! Linda
To make it more authentic, I would add the ingredients you say at the end: carrots, snow peas, also chopped water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots, but I would also switch out the oil for toasted sesame oil (makes ANY recipe taste like Chinese!) White vinegar for Rice vinegar and the packet for Chinese 5 spice, garlic and GINGER. I also prefer coconut aminos to soy sauce (less salt and a bit sweeter) I really love Asian based recipes, and because I can’t have any store bought sauces to go with, I have had to make my own and really love that they don’t have sugar or carbs (low or no) and taste just as good if not better!
Right now I have an original “umami” recipe, a teriyaki sauce recipe an oyster sauce recipe (with real oysters!) a sweet & sour sauce recipe, a chicken wrap sauce recipe. Next is a hoisin sauce recipe!
Very nice recipe!
Hi Carol, thank you for the 5 stars, my sweet friend. This sald is my families favorite in the summer. It’s nice to have options to change the dressing ingredients. Love it! Linda