Chopped Asian Chicken Salad

5 from 181 votes

This Asian Chicken Salad is made with two types of cabbages, lots of vegetables, and shredded chicken tossed in a flavorful peanut dressing.

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Asian Chicken Salad – light, healthy, and packed with flavor! Crisp cabbage tossed with carrots, sweet red bell pepper, green onions, fresh cilantro, and tender chicken. It’s finished off with an umami peanut dressing and crunchy chow mein noodles. Perfect for when you’re craving a protein-packed flavorful Chinese inspired salad!

Top down shot of asian chicken salad in two bowls

This Chinese chicken salad is the perfect way to enjoy Asian inspired flavors at home! The salad is made with napa and red cabbage, shredded chicken, and a delicious peanut dressing. It’s also topped with crunchy chow mein noodles for an extra bit of texture and flavor. This recipe is sure to become a new family favorite!

why you’ll love This Chinese Chicken Salad

  • Flavorful. This salad is packed with fresh flavor from all the vegetables and cilantro. The napa and red cabbage give it a nice refreshing crunch, while the green onions and cilantro add plenty of flavor.
  • Light and healthy. This salad is a great option if you’re looking for something light and healthy. It’s full of veggies and lean protein, and the peanut dressing is relatively light.
  • Quick and easy to make. This salad comes together quickly and easily. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal or as a quick lunch.
  • Leftovers keep well. This salad actually gets better as it sits, so it’s great for making ahead of time. The leftovers will keep in the fridge for a few days, making it perfect for meal prep.

INGREDIENTS to make asian chicken salad

  • Cabbage: I used Napa cabbage, which is also called Chinese cabbage along with some red cabbage. You can use a combination of the two or either one and you an also just use green cabbage.
  • Vegetables: Red peppers, carrot and green onions, all finely sliced.
  • Shredded chicken: Using pre-shredded chicken makes it a no-cook recipe that you can assemble and toss quickly with the dressing.
  • Asian salad dressing: Rice vinegar, peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, garlic and ginger all blended together for a smooth consistency.
ingredients for the asian chicken salad

RECIPE VIDEO TUTORIAL

This video shows how to make the Asian Chicken Salad, with one slight difference. In the video, I use chicken breast that is marinated in a Chinese Five Spice blend. This is how I originally created this Chinese chicken salad recipe, but since then simplified it to include shredded chicken.

How To Make Asian Chicken Salad

For this Asian inspired salad recipe, you’re going to want to start by making your peanut salad dressing first. This will give the flavors more time to meld together before you add it to your chopped salad.

make the asian salad dressing

  1. Place all the ingredients for the salad dressing in a small blender or food processor.
  2. You’ll know it’s done when there are no longer any chunks of ginger or garlic and the dressing color is homogenous.
2 image collage to show the peanut dressing in a food processor before and after blending

assemble the asian chicken salad

  1. In a large bowl, combine the Napa cabbage, red cabbage, shredded chicken, red peppers, carrots, green onions, and cilantro.
  2. Pour the dressing over the bowl of cabbage and vegetables.
  3. Toss to combine.
  4. Serve.
4 image collage to show ho to assemble the salad

Tips for making chinese chicken salad

  1. Blend the peanut dressing ingredients until smooth and homogenous. If you don’t have a food processor you can whisk it together by hand in a bowl and grate the ginger and garlic.
  2. Chop the cabbage and vegetables as finely as possible. This will make it easier to eat and also help the flavors of the dressing to penetrate each bite. Learn the best way to cut and shred cabbage.
  3. Make sure to taste the salad before you serve it. You may need to adjust the seasoning as necessary. You may want to add a bit more salt, pepper, or acidity depending on your preferences.
  4. Boil your chicken breasts. Boiled chicken is easier to shred and tends to cook more evenly than grilled or oven-baked chicken. You can use leftovers from another meal, or a rotisserie chicken.
  • Mix up your protein. This salad would also work really well with some cooked shrimp. You can also make this salad vegan by swapping the shredded chicken for baked tofu or shredded jackfruit.
  • Skip the crunchy noodles. If you prefer not to have any crunchy noodles, the salad is definitely crunchy on its own from all the fresh vegetables. You can also add some toasted peanuts for an added crunch.
  • Add in some bean sprouts. Bean sprouts are a classic addition to any Asian-inspired dish. They would be a great addition to this salad and add some extra crunch.
  • Make it spicier. If you like things spicy, you can add in some sriracha or red pepper flakes to the dressing. You can also top your salad with some pickled jalapeños for an extra kick.

HOW TO STORE This Asian Chicken Slaw

You’ll want to store any leftover Asian inspired chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge. This salad is also great for meal prep, just pack it into individual containers after prepping.

How Long Does Chinese Chicken Salad Last In the Fridge?

This salad will last in the fridge for a few days, 3-4. The cabbage and vegetables may start to wilt, and the dressing may become more watery, but it will still be edible and taste good. Simply give everything a good stir before serving.

Frequently asked questions

What should I serve with this Chinese chicken salad?

This salad is great on its own as a light lunch or dinner. If you’re looking for something to serve with it, I recommend egg or spring rolls.

My peanut dressing is watery. What do I do?

There are a few things you can do to thicken up your dressing. The first is to add in more peanut butter. This will help to thicken it up and also add more flavor. Another option is to add in some cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Simply whisk it into the dressing until it’s combined and has reached the desired consistency.

Asian chicken salad topped with sliced green onions

This Asian chicken salad is a delicious, healthy, and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for any occasion. It’s a light and colorful salad that will keep you full and satisfied!

For more salad recipes, check out:

If you try this healthy-ish feel, good Asian Chicken Salad recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!

This Asian Chicken Salad recipe was originally published on March 3, 2018. The recipe has been modified mostly to switch out the cooked chicken breast with shredded chicken. The post now includes new step-by-step photos of how to make the salad.

Asian Chicken Salad

This Asian Chicken Salad is made with two types of cabbages, lots of vegetables, and shredded chicken tossed in a flavorful peanut dressing.
5 from 181 votes
Servings 4 servings
Course Salads
Calories 278
Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Video

Ingredients
  

For the Salad

  • 6 cups Napa cabbage thinly sliced
  • 1 cup red cabbage thinly sliced
  • 2 cups shredded chicken
  • 1 red pepper julienned
  • 1 large carrot julienned
  • 3 green onions thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • Chow mein crunchy noodles for serving

For the Dressing

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine the Napa cabbage, red cabbage, shredded chicken, red peppers, carrots, green onions and cilantro.
  • In a small blender or food processor, blend together the ingredients for the dressing: rice vinegar, soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame seed oil, garlic and ginger. Taste and season with salt if needed.
  • Pour the dressing over the bowl of cabbage and vegetables, and toss to combine. Divide into four bowls and top with crunchy noodles, if desired.

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. Since it’s a salad, the ingredients and measurements are just guidelines, so feel free to adjust. Try swapping the chicken for shrimp or tofu.

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 948mg, Potassium: 754mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 4276IU, Vitamin C: 85mg, Calcium: 131mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine Asian
Course: Salads

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Made this last night and was very happy with it! I will say we both thought the dressing was a bit salty, will adjust this next time and use low sodium soy, or maybe coconut aminos that someone else listed.

  2. Absolutely delicious. I felt the dressing needed a little sweetening so added a tsp of honey just to take the edge off the slight bitterness. Also added some iceberg lettuce pieces as I had in the fridge. The family loved it! Thank you

  3. Yum! I added mandarin oranges. I found the dressing to be a bit spicy and just slightly bitter from the ginger, which I think I overdid. So I added some mandarin orange juice and some honey to the dressing to balance your it for my own taste.

  4. I loved this! Saw the recipe on a YouTube shirt and I just had to make it! I swapped Napa cabbage for regular green cabbage and soy sauce for coconut aminos (as I can’t have soy). I thought it was great! I could have added some more cilantro as I loooooove the taste of it.

  5. Will you please clarify about the nutritional info and quantity? Are the values for half of the recipe (1 bowl OR for both bowls = 1x recipe)?

    It looks delicious and I am going to make it soon

  6. Seriously this is the best recipe!!! My family loves it! Super easy and full of flavor! Definitely a go-to to for us. Thank you!!