Chinese Chicken Salad
This Chinese Chicken Salad is fresh, crunchy, colorful, and packed with texture. Crisp Napa and red cabbage, sweet carrots, crunchy snap peas, and shredded chicken are tossed in a sweet and savory sesame-ginger dressing. It’s finished with crunchy toasted almonds and ramen noodles for an easy high-protein salad that’s perfect for meal prep, lunches, or a light dinner!
I’m a huge fan of crisp, crunchy salads, and this Chinese Chicken Salad is one of my all time favorites. It’s packed with tender shredded rotisserie chicken, crisp Napa cabbage, red cabbage and veggies, and irresistibly crunchy toasted almonds and ramen noodles.
The sweet and savory flavors of the sesame ginger dressing ties everything together, making this better than any Chinese chicken salad that I’ve ordered at a restaurant.
What makes this really special is the toasted ramen noodles and almonds. They’re cooked in a skillet with melted butter until golden and fragrant, and add even more crunchy texture to this salad.
This recipe is reminiscent of my Napa cabbage salad, but shredded chicken breast makes this a great high protein option.
It comes together in under 30 minutes using rotisserie chicken, and it’s perfect for meal prep.
Craving more salads? See my collection of summer salad recipes for more inspiration!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Crisp and crunchy. The veggies are crisp and crunchy on the their own, while the toasted ramen noodles and almonds take it over the top.
- High in protein. Shredded rotisserie chicken breast make this extra satisfying.
- Great for meal prep. Chop everything ahead and portion into containers. Toss with dressing before serving.
- Customizable. Swap out the veggies and protein with what you have on hand.
Recipe ingredients
For the salad:
- Chicken. You’ll need 4 cups of shredded chicken breast, or 2 rotisserie chicken breasts with the skin removed. You can also prepare my Instant Pot shredded chicken or use leftovers.
- Napa cabbage. If you’re new to Napa cabbage, it’s crisp yet much softer than green cabbage. Savoy cabbage is the best substitute.
- Red cabbage. Purchase pre-chopped as a time saver.
- Veggies. Snap peas, green onions and grated carrot add color and texture. Swap these out with your favorite veggies.
- Ramen noodles. Crush the ramen noodles into small pieces for a crunchy texture. Leftover ramen noodles? Make my ground pork ramen.
- Sliced almonds. Adds crunch and protein.
- Oil. The ramen noodles and almonds are toasted in 2 tablespoons of oil (or use butter) until golden.
For the dressing:
- Oil. Olive oil is my oil of choice, but use your favorite.
- Coconut aminos. Adds savory depth of flavor. Swap with reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari.
- Apple cider vinegar. Adds tangy flavor. Sub with rice wine vinegar.
- Garlic. Adds savory flavor.
- Ginger. Freshly grated ginger adds a savory kick of flavor. I freeze my fresh ginger root and grate it peel and all with a Microplane zester.
- Maple syrup. Adds sweetness, which balances out the savory flavors. Substitute with honey or your favorite sweetener.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make Chinese chicken salad with ramen noodles
This crunchy Asian chicken salad comes together very quickly utilizing rotisserie chicken breast. There’s a bit of chopping involved, but it can be done completely in advance for busy nights. The dressing may also be prepared up to a few days ahead!
Pro tip: Crush the ramen noodles into small pieces before toasting so they crisp evenly and are easier to eat in the salad.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
Tips for success
- Slice the cabbage very thinly for the best texture.
- Add the crunchy toppings right before serving to prevent sogginess.
- Make the dressing up to 3 days ahead for easy prep.
- Use pre-shredded rotisserie chicken to save time.
- Once dressed, the cabbage will soften over time, so this salad is best enjoyed the day it’s made.
- If making ahead, store the dressing and toppings separately until serving.
Variations
- Add mandarin oranges or chopped mango for sweetness.
- Use sesame seeds or crispy wonton strips instead of ramen noodles.
- Make it vegetarian by using edamame instead of chicken.
- If gluten intolerant, omit the ramen noodles. I tried this recipe with brown rice ramen noodles and they were much too hard.
Storage
- Once this crunchy Asian chicken salad is tossed with the dressing, it will soften, so it’s best enjoyed the day that its made.
- For meal prep: Store the salad in containers with the dressing and toasted ramen noodles and almonds separately.
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Chinese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos sub with reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup sub with honey
- 4 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger see note 2
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt add more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper add more to taste
For the salad
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 package ramen noodles crushed into small pieces; see note 1
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast see note 3
- 5 cups chopped Napa cabbage
- 1 cup chopped purple cabbage
- 1 large carrot grated
- 2 green onions sliced thinly on the bias
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Prepare the dressing
- Place the 1/2 cup olive oil, vinegar, coconut aminos or soy sauce, maply syrup, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons coconut aminos, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 4 teaspoons sesame oil, 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt , 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Prepare the salad
- Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ramen noodles and almonds and toss to coat in the oil. Cook until golden, about 5-6 minutes, turning down the heat to medium low as necessary. Remove from heat and cool.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 package ramen noodles, 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- Place the shredded chicken, Napa cabbage, purple cabbage, carrot, green onion and chopped cilantro in a large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat — you may not need it all.4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast, 5 cups chopped Napa cabbage, 1 cup chopped purple cabbage, 1 large carrot, 2 green onions, 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Top the salad with the crispy ramen noodles and almonds. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Pro tip: Crush the ramen noodles into small pieces before toasting so they crisp evenly and are easier to eat in the salad. Omit the ramen noodles to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Freeze fresh ginger root in a zip top bag in the fridge, then grate peel and all with Microplane grater.
- (2) rotisserie chicken breasts yield roughly 4 cups. Remove the skin for best results. You can also make my instant pot shredded chicken!
- The salad is best enjoyed the day that its made. For meal prep, store the salad in containers and keep the dressing and toasted ramen noodles and almonds separate until serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
