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A chopped Asian-inspired chicken salad is one of those salads that most people have had before and love. Growing up, one of my best friend’s mom’s made an Asian Chicken Salad that had dried ramen noodles (from the package) in it. As young kids who didn’t much care for salads, we loved this recipe. I found out later in life why I loved it so much when I asked her for the recipe—the dressing had so much sugar in it. I wanted to create a chicken salad that was just as delicious but so much better for you. Enter: this Chopped Asian-Inspired Chicken Salad with ‘Peanut Dressing.’
This recipe is nothing like the chopped chicken salad from my memory, to be honest. But it’s still really yummy. Cabbage, carrots, and almonds give it a fabulous crunch while the mandarin oranges give it a touch of sweetness and zing. And the best part? The creamy ‘peanut dressing’ will blow you away!
This dish is Whole30 compliant, but if you’re buying the canned mandarin oranges, beware of added ingredients! A lot of brands sneak in sugar. I bought mine at Whole Foods and it didn’t have many added ingredients. You can also use a regular mandarin orange and squeeze the juice out of another if necessary.
This Chopped Asian-Inspired Chicken Salad is perfect for meal prep but I do recommend dressing the salad as you go to prevent it from getting soggy. Want to save even more time on this recipe? Skip this dressing and use my SideDish Creamy Sesame Dressing!
Ingredients
- Romaine Lettuce
- Carrots
- Red Cabbage
- Slivered Almonds
- Shredded Chicken
- Mandarin Oranges
- Fresh Cilantro
- Green Onions
- Black Sesame Seeds
- White Sesame Seeds
- Coconut Aminos
- Fish Sauce
- Creamy Cashew Butter
- Garlic Cloves
- Rice Vinegar
- Ground Ginger
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Toasted Sesame Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
For more delicious chicken dinners, try these recipes!
Vietnamese-Inspired Chicken and Noodle Bowls
Slow Cooker Thai Red Curry Chicken and Veggies
Chopped Asian Chicken Salad with ‘Peanut Dressing’
Ingredients
For the Chopped Asian Chicken Salad:
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce (about 1 large head of romaine)
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 cup red cabbage, diced small
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 10.7 ounces mandarin oranges, canned and drained (reserve 2 tablespoons of the juice for the dressing)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3/4 cup green onions, sliced thin on the diagonal (about 4 green onions)
- 1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds
For the 'Peanut Dressing':
- 2 tablespoons mandarin juice *see notes if using fresh
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon creamy cashew butter (or creamy nut butter of your choice)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the Chopped Asian Chicken Salad:
- In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, carrots, red cabbage, slivered almonds, chicken, mandarin oranges, cilantro, green onions, black sesame seeds, and white sesame seeds. Set aside.
For the ‘Peanut Dressing’:
- In a food processor or blender, combine the mandarin juice, coconut aminos, fish sauce, cashew butter, garlic, rice vinegar, ginger powder, crushed red pepper flakes (if using) and toasted sesame oil. Blend until well-combined.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad and very gently toss to combine so that the mandarin oranges do not get smashed. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Loved it! I had some avocados on hand and added them to my salad. Will repeat this recipe for my work lunches.
This salad is so good! Such a flavorful dressing! Definitely joining the normal lunch prep rotation.
To say that I am obsessed with this would be an putting it lightly. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
How long will this dressing last in the fridge?
I think it would last up to a month! there isn’t really anything in here that would expire quickly– it will thicken in the fridge so you might have to loosen up the dressing when you go to use it with a 1-2 tsp of warm water.