Asian Chicken Salad Recipe

Prepare greens

Wash and dry the napa cabbage and romaine. Core the romaine if needed and thinly slice the napa cabbage crosswise into 1/4-inch ribbons. Roughly chop or slice the romaine into bite-sized pieces. Place both in a large salad bowl and toss to combine.

Prepare chicken

If your chicken is not yet shredded, warm cooked chicken breasts or thighs slightly and shred with two forks or by hand until you have about 3 cups. Season very lightly with a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the prepared vinaigrette (see dressing step) and set aside.

Prepare vegetables and fruit

Peel and julienne or use a peeler to make long thin ribbons from the carrot (or grate if preferred). Drain canned mandarin segments or peel and section a fresh orange, removing pith and membranes. Slice green onions thinly on the bias. If using cilantro, pick leaves and discard thick stems.

Toast almonds and sesame

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sliced almonds, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, 3–4 minutes. Remove to a bowl. In the same skillet toast the sesame seeds for about 30–60 seconds until aromatic. Set aside to cool.

Assemble salad

Add the shredded chicken, carrots, mandarin/orange segments, toasted almonds, green onions and cilantro to the bowl with the greens. Toss gently to distribute ingredients evenly. Keep the tortilla strips separate until ready to serve so they remain crunchy.

Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, grated ginger, minced garlic, honey, sesame oil, neutral oil, and lime juice in a small bowl or jar. Add ground black pepper and red pepper flakes if using. Taste and adjust: add an extra 1/2 tablespoon honey for more sweetness, more lime or rice vinegar for tang, or a splash more oil for mellowness. If using a jar, close and shake vigorously until emulsified.

Reserve 1–2 tablespoons of dressing to toss with the shredded chicken (this helps flavor the chicken). Keep remaining dressing at room temperature until assembly; refrigerate if not using within 1 hour and bring back to room temp before serving.

Just before serving, add the dressing to the large salad bowl: start with about 3/4 of the prepared vinaigrette (approximately 4 tablespoons) and toss gently to coat the greens and ingredients. Add more dressing, a tablespoon at a time, to reach desired level of coating. Taste and adjust salt or acidity by adding a squeeze of lime if needed.

Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds and toasted sliced almonds over the salad. Top with crispy tortilla strips and crushed peanuts or cashews if using. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

Leftovers: keep dressing separate from salad components. Stored in airtight containers, dressed salad will soften; undressed salad (components stored separately) will keep 2–3 days refrigerated.