Chinese Chicken Salad is a fresh and delicious salad with colorful vegetables, tender chicken, and crunchy chow mein noodles. It’s an easy recipe that’s great when you’re craving something light and fresh for lunch or dinner.

A bowl of Asian-inspired salad with chopped romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, purple cabbage, sliced almonds, shredded chicken, and crispy noodles.

Many restaurants have a Chinese chicken salad on the menu, and they’re usually a combination of crunchy veggies like cabbage, lettuce, and carrots, along with those crisp chow mein noodles and chicken. It’s one of my favorite salads, and making one at home is just as good and a lot less expensive.

My recipe is really simple, with a handful of ingredients and a few shortcuts to make prep a breeze. Make this salad for a light dinner, or it’s great for lunches, too. I’m also sharing how to make it for meal prep for easy meals during the week. 

Add this easy Chinese chicken salad recipe to your dinner plans this week. It’s so easy and delicious, you might end up adding it to your weekly dinner rotation. Enjoy!

A bowl of food with meat and vegetables.

How to Make Chinese Chicken Salad

  1. Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss them together to combine. 
  2. Drizzle your favorite store-bought Chinese chicken salad dressing. We used an Asian dressing with toasted sesame flavor and the dressing ingredients paired very well with the salad.
  3. Toss and serve!

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Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

A bowl of Asian-inspired salad with romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, purple cabbage, sliced almonds, chow mein noodles, and shredded chicken, with wooden salad tongs and a striped towel in the background.

Storing Chinese Chicken Salad

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Store the dressing, nuts and chow mein noodles separately.

Mel’s expert tips 

  • What I love about this Chinese chicken salad is that it’s great for meal prep. You can combine all of the salad ingredients except for the crunchy noodles and dressing. Divide the mixture among meal prep containers and store in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat – add the dressing and noodles and enjoy!
  • There are many variations, but our favorite way to make it is with lots of chicken, romaine lettuce, cabbage, carrots, some nuts, and crunchy noodles. The great thing is, once you try it, you can easily adjust the ingredients to your tastes.
  • Be sure to try some of our other favorite salad recipes – arugula salad, grilled caesar salad, and apple walnut salad!
  • Here are some other great ways to use rotisserie chicken!
Overhead shot of bowl full of chinese chicken salad

Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe

5 from 1 vote
This Chinese Chicken Salad recipe is really simple, with a handful of ingredients and a few shortcuts to make prep a breeze. Make this salad for a light dinner, or it’s great for lunches, too.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Yield 4 servings
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

  • 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
  • 2 cups rotisserie chicken shredded
  • 1 cup store bought cabbage shredded
  • I cup carrots shredded
  • ½ cup green onions sliced
  • 1 cup chow mein noodles
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl. Toss salad well
  • Add your favorite store bought Asian dressing. We used an Asian toasted sesame dressing and it paired very well with the salad. Serve

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 786mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 751IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course lunch, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American, Chinese
Keyword chinese salad, easy lunch, easy salad, meal prep

Variations and Add-Ins

  • This is a great way to use leftover rotisserie chicken, or plain baked or grilled chicken.
  • A whole head of red cabbage yields a ton of shredded cabbage, so I usually buy the bagged shredded cabbage in the produce department. Or, you can also use a bagged coleslaw mix.
  • We use sliced almonds and chow mein noodles in this recipe, but toasted ramen noodles, wonton strips, peanuts or cashews also work great as alternatives for that essential crunch.
  • Consider additional garnishes – cilantro, sesame seeds, green onions, scallions, or edamame. You could also include some mandarin oranges for some added sweetness!
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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