Colorful, crispy, and light, this Asian chicken salad recipe will be on summer repeat.
Chopped romaine and coleslaw are tossed with cooked chicken in a ginger-peanut dressing, and garnished with green onions, sliced almonds, and cilantro.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: A savory, sweet, and nutty dressing pulls all the other ingredients together in this fresh and crunchy salad.
- Time Saving: This Asian salad is ready in 3 steps and 15 minutes, thanks to pre-cooked chicken and packaged ingredients.
- Make Ahead: Assemble up to two days ahead, chill, and dress just before serving.
- Swaps: Make it with ramen, tofu, or edamame instead of chicken for a hearty meatless meal.
Ingredient Tips for Asian Chicken Salad
Greens: Crunchy romaine and pre-packaged coleslaw mix create a filling and healthy salad base. Use any combination of greens like arugula, kale, or field greens.
Chicken: Any leftover chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, tuna, or salmon can be used in this recipe.
Dressing: If ginger sesame dressing isn’t available, make it at home with a few pantry ingredients and add peanut butter. For a spicy kick, whisk in a little sriracha or add some red pepper flakes.
Toppings: Nuts like almonds, cashews, and peanuts provide extra crunch and flavor. Bean sprouts, snow peas, mandarin orange segments, shredded carrots, water chestnuts, and extra sesame seeds are also great additions to Asian chicken salad.
How to Make Asian Chicken Salad
- Whisk dressing with peanut butter (full recipe below).
- Mix lettuce, coleslaw, and chicken with dressing in a large bowl.
- Top with remaining ingredients and serve.
Holly’s Pro Tips
- Toast nuts (or sesame seeds if using) in a dry sauté pan to make them extra crunchy and intensify their flavors.
- For the dressing, use regular peanut butter instead of ‘natural’ style, since natural peanut butter tends to be too oily for this recipe. Other nut butters can be used with only a subtle change in flavor.
- If using homemade ginger sesame dressing, be sure to use it up within 3 days to avoid botulism. Use extra as a marinade for chicken, or freeze in ice cubes for future stir-fries.
Storing Leftovers
- Store leftover Asian chicken salad in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Drain and add fresh dressing before serving.
- Roll leftovers into a wrap, tuck them into a pita pocket, or add them to a sandwich for a refreshing workday lunch!
Our Favorite Asian-Inspired Recipes
Did you enjoy this Asian Chicken Salad Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Asian Chicken Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped lettuce
- 4 cups coleslaw mix
- ½ cup ginger sesame dressing
- 2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 2 green onions sliced
- 2 tablespoons almonds toasted optional
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Whisk ginger dressing and peanut butter in a small bowl.
- Combine romaine and coleslaw mix in a large bowl. Add chicken and dressing. Toss well to combine.
- Top with green onions, cilantro and almonds to serve.
Notes
- Try adding Asian chicken salad to a sandwich or wrap.
- Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days.
- Freezing lettuce-based dishes is not recommended.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
©The Shortcut Kitchen. 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.
REPIN this Asian Chicken Salad Recipe
