Chinese Chicken Salad

By Sue Li

Updated July 21, 2025

  • Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(369)
Comments
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A fresh twist on an American classic, this Chinese chicken salad delivers all the familiar, sweet soy-and-sesame flavors you love in restaurants like California Pizza Kitchen or Joan’s on Third. The dressing gets a subtle, delightful sweetness from orange juice, making each bite bright and satisfying. You can cook your own chicken for this recipe, or keep it simple with a store-bought rotisserie chicken. (If doing so, just shred 3 to 4 cups of the cooked chicken and toss it with a splash of soy sauce to boost its flavor before adding it to the salad.)

Featured in: The 23 Best Salads of All Time

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

FOR THE CHICKEN

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 ¼ pounds)

  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated

  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • Kosher salt

FOR THE SALAD

  • ⅓ cup fresh orange juice

  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 small head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)

  • ½ small napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

14 grams carbs; 133 milligrams cholesterol; 391 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 23 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 954 milligrams sodium; 32 grams protein; 8 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare the chicken: Rub chicken thighs with garlic, soy sauce, vegetable oil, sugar and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Heat a medium oven-proof skillet over medium-high. Place the thighs in the skillet in a single layer and cook until browned on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the thighs until they are cooked through and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the chicken thighs from the oven and shred into bite-size pieces with two forks. Set aside to cool.

  3. Step 3

    While the chicken thighs are cooling, prepare the salad: In a large bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, sesame oil, vegetable oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds, sugar and garlic; season with salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Add the lettuce, cabbage, scallions and shredded chicken thighs to the dressing. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
369 user ratings
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Comments

Teacher

@Trish We always called that Ramen Noodle Salad. Very popular in the Midwest. I hope this is what you’re looking for! Here’s the recipe I have for Ramen Noodle Salad: Brown on a cookie sheet in a 300degree oven: 1/2 C butter 1/2 C sesame seeds 1 C of slivered almonds 2 pkgs dried ramen noodles, broken into small pieces (do not use the seasoning packets.) In a bowl mix: 1 large head of Napa cabbage cut into bite size pieces 5 scallions, sliced thinly In a jar, shake together the dressing: 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup white vinegar, or rice vinegar 1/4 cup neutral oil (add a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil for flavor) Toss all together and serve immediately.

Teresa

Long before you could have your salads made to order at a Sweetgreen counter, Cary Grant requested a “Chinese chicken salad” from Madame Wu’s Garden, Sylvia Wu’s celebrated Los Angeles restaurant. His customized chicken salad included rice noodles, fried wonton skins and scallions, slicked with a zippy soy-and-sesame dressing, but the dish has continued to evolve over time. (From the 23 salad article by the Chinese Chicken Salad part of it - maybe it was added after your comment?)

mcadell

Where’s the part about Cary Grant? I clicked on this from ‘23 Best Salads’ which stated we may have Mr. Grant to thank for this recipe.

Lesley B

I use honey not sugar, add toasted almond slivers and fried shallot (Trader Joes has a great cheap bag), pepper, shredded carrot, and a tiny dash of sweet chili crunch. It’s incredible. Oh, and I buy chicken tenders at the grocery store and slice them bite sized.

Linda

I needed a quick meal so I opened 1 can of breast meat chicken and rinsed the contents twice. After the second time, I set the contents into cool water to get more salt removed. After 20 minutes, I drained and set aside the chicken meat to be added at the last minute. I halved the recipe and added a tablespoon of grated fresh ginger, 1/2 cup of sliced fresh pea pods, and a 1/2 cup of thinly sliced cucumbers following the rest of the directions. I sat down with my husband and enjoyed our salad.

VFWQ

Make the dressing a day ahead… it gets sooo much better… yummy

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