This Mandarin Chicken Salad is made with crisp lettuce, mandarin oranges, sweet strawberries, and shredded chicken, all tossed in one bowl. Drizzled with sesame dressing and topped with almonds and feta, it’s a filling and fast salad everyone loves.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Mandarin Chicken Salad
Flavor: A colorful mix of crisp lettuce, tender chicken, mandarin oranges, strawberries, and green onions all tossed together. It’s lightly sweet and fresh, with a balance of tangy and crunchy elements in every bite.
Time-Saving Tip: Use prewashed chopped lettuce or bagged salad greens.
Serving Suggestions: Serve it as a light main dish, a refreshing lunch salad, or a side alongside sandwiches.
Total Time: 12 Mins Servings: 4 Cooking Method: Chilled
Ingredient Notes
- Lettuce: Use chopped romaine, iceberg, spring mix, or butter lettuce, as crisp varieties hold up best with the juicy fruit and dressing.
- Chicken: Use precooked, shredded chicken, like rotisserie chicken, leftover grilled teriyaki chicken, or even canned chicken. Just make sure it’s chilled before adding so the lettuce stays crisp.
- Oranges: Drain the mandarin oranges well before adding. Canned oranges are the quickest option and add sweet citrus flavor without the need for peeling or segmenting.
- Strawberries: Slice strawberries just before serving for the freshest texture, or swap them with blueberries, halved grapes, diced apples, or dried cranberries.
- Sesame Dressing: Bottled toasted sesame dressing keeps this recipe quick and easy, but ginger sesame, Asian sesame, poppy seed, or a light vinaigrette can also be used.
- Almonds: Toasted sliced almonds add the best crunch, or you can swap them with pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or crispy wonton strips.
- Variations:
- Add cooked pasta, orzo, or crispy chow mein noodles to make it heartier.
- Use spinach or spring mix instead of chopped lettuce for a softer salad.
- Swap the chicken for air fryer shrimp, turkey, salmon, or chickpeas.
- Add avocado just before serving for extra creaminess, or leave out the feta to make it dairy-free.
How to Make Mandarin Chicken Salad
- Add chopped lettuce to a salad bowl.
- Top with chicken, mandarin oranges, strawberries, and green onions.
- Drizzle with toasted sesame dressing, and toss gently to coat (full recipe below).
- Finish with feta cheese and sliced almonds for a creamy, crunchy texture.
Storing Mandarin Chicken Salad
- Keep leftover mandarin chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Stir the salad and add fresh lettuce and dressing before serving. Or scoop leftovers into a pita pocket or a lettuce wrap for an energizing workday lunch.
Fresh and Easy Lunch Salads
Did you enjoy this Mandarin Chicken Salad? Leave a comment and rating below.
Mandarin Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 cups chopped lettuce
- ¾ cup cooked shredded chicken
- 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges
- ⅔ cup sliced strawberries
- 2 green onions sliced
- ½ to ⅔ cup toasted sesame dressing
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Combine lettuce, chicken, oranges, strawberries and green onions in a large bowl.
- Drizzle dressing over top and gently toss to combine.
- Top with feta and sliced almonds.
Notes
- Allow guests to add their own dressing to the salad since some people prefer more dressing and some prefer less.
- Keeping the dressing separate will help the salad stay fresh for longer.
- Refrigerate mandarin chicken salad covered for up to 4 days.
- Add a bit of fresh lettuce greens and some crumbled feta to freshen the salad up again.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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great recipes, thanks
Thank you Kathy! Glad you enjoy them!
Looks so delicious ! Can’t I sub almonds with peanut ? It’s hard to find almonds here.
I love this recipe although I might sub for Walnuts instead of Almonds, and just regular chicken, because we don’t barbecue all of the time. Thanks so much for posting this.
This Light and fruity salad sounds delicious. can’t wait to make for family, they will all love it Im sure Thank you
Ooo Great idea I love fruit:) and I also Love chicken salad! Thanks for the idea!
This looks SO good! I wonder if adding fruit to salad would convince my kids to eat it.
Extra entry.