Light, crispy and easy to make, Asian chicken salad is the perfect recipe for a last-minute entrée!
This salad is made with shredded chicken and crunchy cabbage, then topped with a flavorful dressing that brings out the best of the ingredients! It’s perfect for a workday lunch or a potluck offering for a crowd!
Why We Love this Recipe
This salad is fresh and loaded with flavor. It is quick and simple to prepare, and is so versatile!
Asian chicken salad is a great way to use up leftover chicken! The chicken in this dish can be served cold as a chilled salad for warm summer months or add chicken hot off the grill!
Using cabbage instead of lettuce in this salad means it keeps well, so go ahead and make it ahead of time. Keep the dressing separate and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve.
Ingredients & Variations
CHICKEN Any leftover meat works great in this recipe, but shredded chicken is a favorite. You can also serve this salad with steak strips, grilled salmon, shrimp, or tofu for a vegetarian option.
CABBAGE Cabbage provides the perfect base for this salad and it lasts well, meaning leftovers are great for days. In a pinch, you can easily use romaine lettuce, butter lettuce, or iceberg lettuce.
VEGGIES Veggies add the perfect crunch to this recipe! With carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers this recipe is full of color!
Broccoli, radishes, celery, edamame or snap peas would also make great additions to this recipe. You could even add chopped red onions for a flavor boost!
TOPPINGS For a little extra crunch we top this salad with crispy wonton strips or chow mein noodles and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and toasted almonds for flavor. This salad is also delicious topped with mandarin orange slices, diced pineapple, or toasted coconut!
Don’t forget the dressing! Whether topping with a store-bought or homemade sesame ginger dressing or a delicious peanut dressing, it definitely brings the recipe together.
How to Make an Asian Chicken Salad
Just two simple steps to Asian salad perfection!
- Shred rotisserie chicken or grill chicken breasts or thighs.
- Chop and shred fresh veggies.
- Add dressing and toss. Top with toppings.
For a spicier dressing, add 1/2 teaspoon of Sriracha or red chili oil!
Leftovers
Asian chicken slaw is great as a leftover! Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and when ready to use, drain off the extra liquid in a colander.
Refresh the flavors with a dash of salt and pepper and a squirt of lime juice. Serve in place of a lettuce leaf on a hamburger, or scoop it into a wrap! Try putting in on a toasted ciabatta roll for a new twist!
Fresh Asian-Inspired Meals
- Asian Chopped Salad – crispy healthy meal
- Asian Noodle Salad – zesty, sensational salad
- Easy Asian Slaw – quick & easy to prepare
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps – 30 min meal!
- Ramen Noodle Salad – twist on a classic coleslaw
- Sesame Ginger Noodle Salad – so bright & colorful
Did you love this Asian Chicken Salad? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Asian Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sesame ginger dressing or to taste, or homemade peanut dressing below
Salad
- 4 cups napa cabbage shredded
- 2 cups green cabbage or coleslaw mix, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- ½ english cucumber sliced
- 1 large carrot julienned
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 3 green onions sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Toppings
- ¼ cup slivered almonds toasted
- 1 cup crispy wonton strips or chow mein noodles
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl.
- Add dressing and toss well.
- Sprinkle with toppings and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Lunch, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American, Asian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
I’ve made this recipe several times now. It’s become a favorite. The dressing is so delicious! It’s just so fresh and crispy and delicious. Would work well topped with salmon as well.
Everything looks delish.
Can’t wait to try some recipes.
Please add me to your email list thank you
Thank you for visiting Beth! To receive our newsletters, you can sign up here or scroll down to the bottom of the post and you will see a green signup box.
This was a winner in my family……even my son who is a declared hater of cabbage ate it, and even had some that was leftover for lunch the next day! I doubled the dressing recipe and was glad I did because it wouldn’t have been enough. Also, added more honey….quite a bit more… as it was too sour the first time I tasted it. Loved the fried won ton strips, I think that was what got my son to try it! I kept the salad part, the chicken and the dressing all in seperate containers so we could enjoy the leftovers the next day, it makes a lot. So good… thank you!
welldone
Thanks Bradley!