Chinese Chicken Salad with Crispy Noodles (Easy Recipe)
This easy Chinese chicken salad is made with shredded chicken, cabbage, carrots, shallots, and cilantro. Tossed with a simple Asian dressing and crispy noodles. You can make this Asian chicken salad easily at home within 15 minutes. Light, crunchy, and perfect for lunch or meal prep.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 318kcal
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
Ingredients
To make Asian Salad Dressing:
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1.5 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger paste or grate it
- 1 teaspoon garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon black pepper crushed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
To make the Chinese Chicken Salad
- 3 cups Chinese Nappa cabbage finely shredded
- 1.5 cups purple cabbage finely shredded
- 1 cup carrot finely julienned
- 1.5 cups chicken shredded cooked chicken
- ¼ cup shallots finely chopped
- 1 cup fried noodles
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
Instructions
How to make Chinese Chicken Salad
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, rice wine vinegar, light soy sauce, ginger, garlic, black pepper, honey, and chili garlic sauce. Set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cabbage, carrots, chicken, shallots, half of the fried noodles, and cilantro.
- Give the dressing a quick mix, then pour it over the salad. Toss everything together.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Add the remaining fried noodles and roasted sesame seeds. Toss again and serve.
Video
Notes
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- Use store-bought or homemade crispy noodles. For convenience, you can use ready-made fried noodles. If you'd like to make them at home, here's the recipe. Boil water with a little salt. Cook the noodles as per the packet instructions. Rinse with cold water, drain well, and let them sit for 5 minutes. Toss the noodles in a little cornflour to coat. Deep fry in medium-hot oil until golden and crispy. Cool completely before using.
- How to make shredded chicken: Boil water with 1 bay leaf, ½ inch cinnamon stick, 10–12 peppercorns, and salt. Add boneless chicken breast and cook on high for 15 minutes. Remove and shred using two forks while still warm.
- Meal prep tip: Shredded chicken can be made ahead and frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- Store the crispy noodles right. Once fried, let them cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Slice your veggies thinly. Finely shred the cabbage and carrots so they soak up the dressing well and stay light and crunchy.
- Make it meal-prep friendly. Chop all the veggies ahead and store in the fridge (in an airtight container) for up to a week. Don’t add dressing until ready to serve. It keeps everything fresh and crisp.
- Avoid leftovers. Once dressed, the salad doesn't keep well. The veggies lose their crunch, and the noodles turn soggy, so it’s best to finish it fresh.
Nutrition
Calories: 318kcal