Chinese chicken salad that tastes better than the restaurant version

Audrey Michels

Contributing Writer

When was the last time you had a restaurant-quality salad at home? A colorful salad with a perfectly flavorful but not overpowering vinaigrette, a crunchy garnish, a combination of fresh, sweet, salty and savory ingredients? Sometimes it takes some restaurant inspiration to remind us that salads don’t have to be boring.

Take this Chinese chicken salad, for instance. You can whip it up in about 15 minutes, there's zero cook time, and the results are amazing. Fresh, tasty and beautiful to look at, this is the ideal salad to break a takeout streak and remind you that you can make delicious food at home even faster than the local restaurants can get it to you. If you don’t like spice, you can substitute the chili oil for vegetable oil, but it’s worth trying because the slight tingle from the chili oil really brings the dish to life.

Cooktop Cove

Chinese chicken salad

15 minutes

0 minutes

15 minutes

¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

2 ½ teaspoons sesame oil

½ teaspoon chili oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 cups shredded chicken

3 ½ cups romaine lettuce, shredded

1 ½ cups purple cabbage, shredded

½ cup carrots, grated

2 scallions, thinly sliced

¼ cup crispy chow mein noodles

¼ cup mandarin orange slices

In a small bowl or mason jar with fitted lid, combine the rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, chili oil, honey and soy sauce. Whisk vigorously or shake to combine. Taste and adjust to your liking.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, romaine lettuce, cabbage, carrots, scallions, crispy chow mein noodles and mandarin orange slices. Toss well.

Add the vinaigrette, and toss again. Serve immediately.

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