Chinese Chicken Salad

By Sue Li

Updated July 22, 2025

Chinese Chicken Salad
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(236)
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

    • 4boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1¼ pounds)
    • 1garlic clove, finely grated
    • 1tablespoon light soy sauce
    • 1teaspoon vegetable oil
    • 1teaspoon sugar
    • Kosher salt

    For the Salad

    • ⅓cup fresh orange juice
    • 3tablespoons white wine vinegar
    • 2tablespoons sesame oil
    • 2tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 2tablespoons light soy sauce
    • 2tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
    • 2teaspoons sugar
    • 1garlic clove, finely grated
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 1small head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
    • ½small napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
    • 4scallions, thinly sliced
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

321 calories; 21 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 21 grams protein; 893 milligrams sodium

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
236 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.

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.

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?)

Jane

Back in the early 80s, there was a restaurant in Chinatown in SF called the International Cafe and its specialty was CCS. The crunch in the recipe was from the fried chicken pieces. No wonton noodles or fried wonton wraps. It was simple and wonderful. Long gone, though. I think I will give this a try.

Patricia Auer

We liked this. I added sriracha and ginger as suggested. I’m surprised no one has commented on the length of time to cook the chicken thighs. After searing, 18 minutes at 450 was way too long. The meat was very crispy and hard to shred. Also next time I plan to reverse the proportions of lettuce and Napa cabbage. The cabbage was much tastier.

Cindy

So good and so easy! Just as it is.

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