This highly flavorful salad is packed with fresh romaine, shredded Napa cabbage, crunchy wonton noodles, sweet mandarin oranges and edamame. YUM!
Plus it’s more nutritious than the Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad I ate growing up. (Remember that salad?)
It’s May (how?!) and that means it’s already summer weather here in Fresno.
To me, summer means healthy, vibrant and fresh summer salads! And this salad is really checking all the boxes.
The bonus is that I purchased all of the ingredients for this recipe from Sprouts.
Sprouts allows me to get everything I need to stock my fridge and pantry at affordable prices. Their farm-fresh produce is always stocked beautifully and I can find everything I need in the produce department.
Sprouts is hands-down my favorite grocery store. I love wide range of products!
The gangs all here:
Romaine
Napa Cabbage
Red Cabbage
Carrots
Shredded chicken or Sesame chicken strips
Wonton noodles
Mandarin Oranges
Scallions
Slivered Almonds
But wait. It get’s better (as if all of those fresh veggies and awesome add-ins isn’t enough!)
The Asian inspired salad dressing is a dreamboat dressing that I want to drink it’s THAT good.
When you mix the salad with the dressing you get:
Bursts of flavor in every bite
Crunch from the crispy fresh lettuce and wonton noodles
A touch of sweetness from the mandarins which are so rewarding and juicy
An easy and flavorful super fresh summer salad!
Whether you choose organic produce or not, there is something for everyone!
How to Make This Oriental Chicken Salad
If you have shredded chicken on hand, that makes this recipe even EASIER to make.
If not, check out the recipe below to see my pro tip on how to make shredded chicken in a breeze.
Add some crunch to the salad with wonton noodles. You can also use chow mein noodles or even crushed up top ramen noodles.
Prepare the salad dressing in advance. That way it’s ready to toss in the salad when it’s go-time.
Take your cooked chicken breasts or chicken tenderloin’s and shred them using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. It’s the easiest way of all time to shred chicken!
Mise en place: Gather all of your ingredients and chop them to make the salad process smoother. For example, place ingredients like the green onions, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, etc. in small bowls.
Switch it up! Use cashews instead of almonds or add in cucumbers and bell peppers.
FAQ
Can I Make this ahead of time?
Yes! Just be sure to leave out the wonton noodles and the dressing until you’re ready to serve. No soggy salads please! You can also store the chicken separately if you prefer.
How long will chicken salad last?
About 3-5 days stored properly in the fridge.
All in all, this chopped oriental salad is heaven in a bowl and:
1/4cup Grapeseed oil (or canola oil or any other neutral flavored oil)
2Tbsp.sesame oil
2Tbsp.rice wine vinegar
2Tbsp.soy sauce
1Tbsp.brown sugar
1tsp.ginger, minced
1tsp.garlic, crushed
1tsp.chili-garlic sauce
1/4tsp.salt & pepper
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine, Napa cabbage, purple cabbage, carrots, edamame, shredded chicken and wonton noodles. Gently toss in or garnish the salad with mandarin oranges, scallions and slivered almonds.
Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl or mason jar and toss the salad with the dressing. Serve. (That's it! 😊)
If you don't have a rotisserie chicken and need to make shredded chicken, season chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place on a baking sheet with a rack on top and coat with oil or nonstick spray. Bake the chicken at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F at the thickest part of the chicken.
You can either slice the chicken up or shred. Pro tip: use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to shred your chicken with ease!
Video
Notes
This crispy sesame chicken recipe is also a perfect chicken to make and enjoy the salad with if you don’t prefer shredded chicken.
Welcome to my tiny “korner” on the Internet! I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who loves cookies as much as kale. (OK, maybe I like cookies a little bit more but shh, don’t tell anyone). I am so glad you’re here! Follow along for hassle free, realistic and approachable recipes.
I make this dressing alllllll the time. It’s perfect and I have all the ingredients on hand, so it’s super easy to make in a pinch. So refreshing and has been a go to for months now.
Thank you SO much Alyssa! It’s a great dressing to have on hand for salads!! So glad you love it. xo, Tawnie
Susie
1 year ago
Ive been looking for a really good oriental chicken salad to make at home. My favorite local restaurant stopped making them. I especially love the edamame and oranges!
I make this dressing alllllll the time. It’s perfect and I have all the ingredients on hand, so it’s super easy to make in a pinch. So refreshing and has been a go to for months now.
Thank you SO much Alyssa! It’s a great dressing to have on hand for salads!! So glad you love it. xo, Tawnie
Ive been looking for a really good oriental chicken salad to make at home. My favorite local restaurant stopped making them. I especially love the edamame and oranges!
My new go-to salad for the summer! So good!
So good!!! Love the idea of shredding the chicken in the mixer with the paddle attachment…brilliant! Definitely will be making this again?
AWWW HIIII!! Thank you so much, it’s such a fun hack! Hope you’re doing well!! Thank you!! xo, Tawnie
Made this twice already! I used it as a side with ribs for Memorial Day, so yummy!!
Aw Emily! Yay that makes me so happy thank you so much! Hope you had a great Memorial Day <3 xo, Tawn
Made this for dinner last night and saved myself some for lunch today. I can’t wait for lunch! this salad is SO flavorful and crunchy!