Easy Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe
Looking for an easy salad recipe for weekday lunches? This simple and delicious Chinese chicken salad recipe provides a terrific way to use leftover chicken to create a healthy and tasty Oriental chicken salad perfect for taking to work or school for a quick and yummy mid-day treat. It's also a terrific eat at home recipe for lunches, brunches, and light dinners. Because this recipe doesn't have mayonnaise, like traditional chicken salad, it's an ideal choice for picnics and cookout events.
Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe
- What you will need:
- 1/4 cup of rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup of sesame oil
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
- 2 cups of cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
- 1 head of iceberg lettuce
- 1/4 cup of slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup of chopped parsley
- 1/4 cups of celery, sliced
- 1/2 cup of canned mandarin oranges, drained
How to Assemble the Salad
Combine the rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sesame seeds to create a salad dressing. Place the chicken in the dressing and allow it to sit in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
Immediately prior to serving, add the slivered almonds and mandarin oranges to the chicken and dressing mixture. Tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces and toss with the parsley, celery, and cilantro. Add the marinated chicken and vegetable mixture, mix well, and enjoy.
Recipe Suggestions: If you don't have left over cooked chicken, purchase a rotisserie chicken from the deli at your supermarket to use in this recipe. I've made this dish with a lemon pepper seasoned rotisserie chicken and it is delicious. It also works very well with canned chicken breast as well.
If you have leftover turkey in your fridge, you can easily substitute pieces of the turkey for the chicken to create a less traditional, but just as tasty, oriental turkey salad recipe. If decide to use turkey, you may want to sprinkle a tiny bit of thyme and rosemary (1/4 teaspoon or so of each) into the dressing.
Variations:
- Top the finished salad off with chow mien noodles
- Stir in chopped water chestnuts when you add the slivered almonds and mandarin oranges
- Add a few dried cranberries when you mix in the mandarin oranges
- Stuff the finished oriental chicken salad mixture inside a pita for a light and tasty pita sandwich
- Make a delicious and healthy sandwich wrap by using this oriental chicken salad recipe as stuffing for a tortilla wrap.
Toss with baby spinach, fresh spring mix, or romaine lettuce instead of iceberg for an interesting variety.
