Chinese Chicken Salad
on Mar 19, 2025
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This salad is a mix of crunchy veggies, tender chicken, sweet mandarin oranges, and a tasty dressing, topped with sweet, crunchy almonds.
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
Craving a light yet satisfying meal? Look no further than this vibrant and delicious Chinese Chicken Salad! Packed with fresh vegetables, tender chicken, and a delightful crunch from ramen noodles, this salad is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Whether you’re hosting a summer barbecue, packing a lunch for work, or simply looking for a healthy dinner option, this recipe delivers on flavor and ease. This recipe was a staple in our house growing up, Mom would make it before big parties or long swim meets because everyone loved it and it could feed a lot of people. I love how it incorporates crunch from the toasted almonds and ramen noddles the zest from the dressing and the brightness from the cabbage. Be sure and make this irresistible salad soon!
Ingredient List
- Cabbage– chop the whole head of cabbage up
- Bell Peppers– any color can work, but red adds a great color
- Scallions– also called green onions
- Chicken Breast– you can also use a rotisserie chicken to make this super easy
- Top Ramen Noodles– make sure to find the chicken flavor of ramen noodles
- Mandarin Oranges
- Sugar
- Sliced Almonds– you can find sliced almonds in the baking aisle
- Avocado Oil
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Step By Step
- Prepare the Salad: In a large bowl, combine the chopped cabbage, red bell pepper, scallions, cooked chicken, broken Top Ramen noodles, and drained mandarin oranges.
- Make the Dressing: In a separate bowl or jar, whisk together the 1 cup of sugar, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, Top Ramen seasoning packets, and 4 teaspoons of sugar until well combined.
- Combine & Chill: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all the ingredients.
- Garnish & Serve: Sprinkle sliced almonds over the salad for added crunch. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Pro Tip
- Vegetable Additions: Add other crisp vegetables like shredded carrots, snow peas, or edamame for extra nutrients and texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will this salad last for?
- This salad holds its own for many days in the fridge. If you are serving this for a party or get together I suggest dressing the salad a few hours before the dressing has time to fully incorporate into the salad. Keep the salad in sealed bag or Tupperware for up to a week.
So Many Types of Salads To Try
Chinese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 head of cabbage, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 bunch of scallions, green onions, chopped
- 5 cooked chicken breasts, you can use rotisserie chicken to save time
- 3 packages of chicken-flavored Top Ramen noodles, broken up, but keep the seasoning packets!
- 1 can of mandarin oranges, drained
For the Sweet Almonds:
- 1 cup of sugar
- Sliced almonds
For the Dressing:
- ¾ cup of avocado oil
- ½ cup of apple cider vinegar
- 3 seasoning packets from the Top Ramen noodles
- 4 teaspoons of sugar
Instructions
Prepare the Salad:
- In a big bowl, put the chopped cabbage, red pepper, scallions, cooked chicken, broken-up Top Ramen noodles (without the seasoning), and drained mandarin oranges.
Make the Sweet Almonds:
- Put a pan on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Add the sliced almonds to the pan.
Pour the sugar over the almonds.
- Wait for the sugar to melt and turn golden brown.
- Carefully stir the almonds around in the melted sugar to coat them.
- Put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
- Pour the sugared almonds onto the parchment paper to cool.
Make the Dressing:
- Get a jar with a lid.
- Pour the avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, the 3 Top Ramen seasoning packets, and the 4 teaspoons of sugar into the jar.
- Put the lid on tight and shake the jar well to mix everything together.
Put It All Together:
- Pour the dressing over the salad in the big bowl.
- Toss the salad to mix everything well.
- Once the sugared almonds are cool, break them up a little bit.
- Sprinkle the sweet almonds over the top of the salad.
Notes
- If you don’t have avocado oil, you can use another neutral oil like vegetable oil.
- You can adjust the amount of sugar in the dressing to your taste.
- Make sure the sugared almonds are completely cool before breaking them up, or they will be sticky.
- Rotisserie chicken is a great time saver.
This worked exactly as written, thanks!