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This salad is AWESOME!! SO TASTY! I made it two days in a row it was so good.
I couldn’t find Panera dressing anywhere, so used an Asian Sesame dressing instead. I will definitely make this again and again.
Nina
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I Could Eat This Asian Chicken Salad Every Day.
Who doesn’t love a salad you can really feel with your teeth?! Okay, weird phrase but this one is a real fun chomper.
Super satisfyingly crunchy cabbage/slaw/lettuce/shredded Brussels (if you fancy), bright crisp carrots and almonds, and the impeccable savory crunch of chow mein noodles. All the best chomping!
And then there’s the juicy marinated chicken infused with ginger, garlic, garam masala, and soy sauce. Drizzle your favorite Asain-inspired dressing of choice and you’re in business. (We love Panera’s, don’t be mad!). SO. MUCH. FLAVOR.
And while not a traditional salad of any actual Asian origin but rather most likely born somewhere in the 50s/60s in California (according to Wiki), it does use lots of flavors and ingredients inspired by pan-Asian cuisine. Basically, this is one of those menu favorites you see again and again that we just cannot get enough of. Let’s make iiiiiiiiit!
Ingredients For This Asian Chicken Salad Recipe
Is everyone on board with giant salads? You know, where you just pile on ALL. THE. THINGS?! This chicken salad is definitely one of those and we are here for it.
For the chomp mix:
- shredded lettuce or slaw or Brussels
- chopped almonds
- shredded carrots
- chopped cilantro
- edamame
- green onions
- toasted sesame seeds (optional)
- chow mein noodles (the dry crunchy kind!)
For the marinated chicken:
- chicken breasts
- soy sauce
- minced garlic & ginger
- sugar
- 5 spice seasoning (could also sub part Garam Masala and part Cajun seasoning)
For dressing, use your bottled version of choice! This one from Target is a great one! (affiliate link) If you want to really take the champion route, we’ve included a quick make-your-own version in the recipe notes.
How To Make It
Truly so simple to put together and that is another reason we love it so! You’ll have lunch on your desk/table in no time.
- The chomps. Toss all salad ingredients – green onions, lettuce, almonds, carrots, cilantro, edamame, and sesame seeds.
- The marinade. Whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, and seasoning. Marinate the chicken in the sauce for at least 1 hour and then bake! Once cooled, shred it and add to the giant salad pile.
The toss. Grab your dressing of choice and toss away! Save those chow mein noodles for just before serving to maintain maximum crunch.
Swaps and Variations
Because this salad is such a buffet of flavors and ingredients, you can totally customize to fit your tastes and/or grocery lists. Switch up the dressings or make your own, you could also swap out the protein if you’re not up for chicken or just leave it out altogether – it’s still a dream.
We love to play around with the base chomp whether that’s cabbage or slaw or please, for your sake, try shredded brussels sprouts. Use up any extra veg you might have laying around, especially if they add to the crunch factor. Extra nuts? Sure! More crispy chow mein noodles? Absolutely.
Make it your way and make it every day because this little lunch/dinner/bedtime salad option is just the best.
Asian Chicken Salad: Frequently Asked Questions
A recipe for a homemade dressing can be found in the recipe card notes below.
Crunchy veggies are a bit heartier that meal prepping this should work just fine. Add the dressing and the chow mein noodles right before serving, otherwise the moisture will make the noodles lose their crunch.
Yes! Use part garam masala and part Cajun seasoning instead.
I loved Panera’s dressing like this, but it’s no longer sold it appears! This one from Target is a perfect sub! (affiliate link)
Asian Chicken Salad
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
Description
This Asian Chicken Salad is crunchy, fresh, and packed with BIG flavors! Shredded slaw, carrots, edamame, crunchy chow mein noodles, and soy-marinated chicken on top. YUM!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 2–3 cups shredded lettuce or slaw (I used raw grated Brussels sprouts)
- 1/2 cup whole almonds, chopped
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 cups cooked, shelled edamame
- toasted sesame seeds (optional)
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons Chinese 5 spice seasoning
- 2 cups chow mein noodles (dry crunchy kind)
Instructions
- Combine Salad Ingredients: Toss all salad ingredients – green onions, lettuce, almonds, carrots, cilantro, edamame, and sesame seeds.
- Marinate Chicken: Whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, and seasoning. Marinate the chicken in the sauce for at least 1 hour.
- Cook Chicken: Bake chicken in the sauce at 400 degrees, for about 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through. When chicken is cooled, shred and add to the salad.
- Toss Salad: Toss with dressing of your choice and chow mein noodles just before serving.
Notes
Dressing: I used a bottled dressing! But I also made my own quick and easy version of an Asian dressing by whirring all these together in the food processor: 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup oil, 3 tablespoons white vinegar, 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter, 1 tablespoon hoisin, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and about 1/3 cup water.
Nutrition info: Nutrition info includes the homemade dressing.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Toss
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Keywords: asian chicken salad, asian salad, chicken salad, salad recipe
More Crunchy, Fresh Salads We Love
- Cashew Crunch Salad with Sesame Dressing (loaded with so much yum)
- Quinoa Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing (this dressing though…WOW!!)
- Chopped Thai-Inspired Chicken Salad (healthy, fresh, and made with lots of big flavors)
So dang good!
This salad is AWESOME!! SO TASTY! I made it two days in a row it was so good.
I couldn’t find Panera dressing anywhere, so used an Asian Sesame dressing instead. I will definitely make this again and again.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this salad, Nina!
I found this recipe when I wanted to use up Asian chicken leftover from the previous night. I made it much the same but added some quinoa to it which was a healthy and delicious addition. I made the suggested homemade Asian dressing with peanut butter- yum!!- and added lime wedges on the side. Will definitely make again!
So glad you enjoyed this salad, Ellen!
This looks great! I love asian salads.
This is my new favorite salad! I made the chicken in the crock Pot and it was delicious. I just used a store bought Asian dressing but I am looking forward to trying a homemade one.
OMG! WHAT DID I JUST EAT????
that is incredible, perfect made as directed. I used shredded Brussels , and subbed pecans because i didn’t have almonds. let me tell you this is delicious…..all that crunchy veggies and sesame dressing topped off with the most delicious chicken please try it. because its worth it!!!
Tried cooking the chicken last night for my lunches for the week, and my partner commented so frequently on how delicious the seasoning smelled that I ended up surrendering two chicken breasts for our dinner. Luckily, I had some leftover rice from the night before so I swapped out the noodles for homemade egg fried rice.
It was a delicious dinner and my partner graciously told me I was allowed to make it again. and again.
Love this Lindsay. Great flavors!
Wow, wow, WOW! Love this Lindsay. Great flavors!
How have I never found your blog/site before now?!? Pinterest has been holding out on me… I cannot wait to try this salad this week! Everything looks so yummy. Will be visiting here frequently 🙂
Awesome! Glad to have you here. 🙂
I love this salad! I love so many of the different flavours and textures. I definitely want to have this on my plate! The garam masala and the cajun flavours are definitely an added boost!
This dish is sooooo good! I just made it for lunch tomorrow and I can’t wait to eat it all! I made the peanut dressing with almond peanut butter ( that’s what I had) and it still worked out. Thank you 🙂
Awesome! Glad you liked it Tatiana!
Making this salad right now for some friends coming over later. I’m so excited to taste it. Thanks for the recipe! Love the site.
Thanks Dawn! Hope you guys like it!
I write this comment as I am eating this salad. Its so fresh and flavorful, not to mention relatively guilt free! I promise it is as good as it looks. Thank you Lindsay for posting, its a new favorite.
Glad to hear it Kelsey! 🙂
Thank you for this–it came at just the right time! I made it for dinner last night, expecting it would be just me eating it, then my honey came home in the middle of putting it together and announced that his doctor told him that he’s borderline diabetic, his cholesterol’s too high, and he needs to eat healthier. So he was feeling a little lost and overwhelmed with all this new info and all the lifestyle changes he has to make, and I was able to say, “well, we’ve got dinner covered–you can have some of this salad with me!” We both loved it and I think he felt better knowing that there are lots of good things to eat that aren’t trying to kill you. 😉
Aw, sweet. That makes me really happy. 🙂
I am eating a brownie right now and wishing it was this salad.
THAT is amazing.
I am eating a brownie right now and I would rather have your salad. Looks so so good.
This looks great! I love asian salads.