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A bowl filled with Chinese chicken salad--greens, chicken, cilantro, and mandarin orange segments with chopsticks on the side
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4.50 / 2 votes

Chinese Chicken Salad

Chinese chicken salad is just like those salads you get at the restaurants with the oranges and cashews and the lovely balance of crunchy and tender and sweet and savory.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 558

Ingredients

For the Chinese chicken salad

  • 1 medium garlic clove, smashed
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 seedless oranges, such as navel, thinly sliced or supremed
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
  • 2 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup roasted, lightly salted cashews or peanuts
  • 4 or 5 scallions (1/2 cup), white and green parts thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Scant 1/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons store-bought or Homemade Sriracha
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the Chinese chicken salad

  • Place the garlic and chicken in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the chicken poach until cooked through and no trace of pink remains when you cut into the thickest part, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the water, let it cool and then shred or cube it into bite-size pieces. (The cooled chicken can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days in advance.)
  • In a large bowl, combine the chicken, romaine, celery, cashews, scallions, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the dressing

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, olive oil, brown sugar, Sriracha, vinegar, and ginger.

Serve the Chinese chicken salad

  • Pour about 3/4 of the dressing over the salad and toss well to combine. Divvy the salad among 4 serving bowls. Top with the orange slices and serve immediately, passing the remaining dressing on the side.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 558kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1071mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 16g