Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Chinese chicken salad made of? ›

To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with cabbage, chicken, mandarin oranges, cilantro, cashews and green onions. Pour the sesame ginger dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately, topped with wonton strips and sesame seeds.

I like to include sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and lime. While there are some ingredients that you can substitute, for instance rice vinegar for apple cider vinegar, there are two ingredients I wouldn't substitute to keep this Asian style flavor: sesame oil and freshly grated ginger.

There could be several reasons why your chicken salad is bland. Here are some common factors to consider: Lack of Seasoning: One of the most common reasons for bland chicken salad is insufficient seasoning. Make sure to add enough salt, pepper, and other seasonings like herbs and spices to enhance the flavor.

Choose low-moisture ingredients whenever possible. Select boneless, skinless chicken breasts over thighs, and opt for low-sodium canned chicken when bulkier meats are called for. Soak up the moisture. Try toasting your nuts, fruits, or vegetables before adding them to the salad.

Invented by Sylvia Cheng Wu also known as Madame Wu in the 60s and made popular by the original celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, The Chinese chicken salad has become an obsession in California, especially with celebrities. It's not hard to see why.

All white meat, shredded chicken, finely minced celery, mayonnaise, & our secret seasoning.

Caesar dressing. Made up of mayonnaise, cheese, salt and oil (and all too often, anchovies), Caesar tends to be one of the least healthy options out there. Those ingredients cause it to be high in both saturated fats and sodium.

Does Chinese Chicken Salad Originate From China? No, this popular salad, which has also been called Asian Chicken Salad, Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad, or Chinese Chicken Salad with Mandarin Oranges, was not invented in China, thus calling it any of those names is actually a misnomer.

Generally speaking, the healthiest salad dressing will be a vinaigrette like balsamic or oil and vinegar, while Caesar, ranch or anything with the word “creamy” will be the unhealthiest.

For instance, you can be hit with severe nausea and vomiting just an hour after eating contaminated chicken salad that has a type of toxin-producing bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus.

Why am I still hungry after eating chicken salad? ›

Your lunch choice may lack sufficient protein, healthy fats, and fiber to keep you feeling full and satisfied. Consider adding sources of lean protein, healthy fats (like avocado or nuts), and high-fiber vegetables to your meal to increase satiety.

The cold, hard truth is that just because you start a meal with lettuce doesn't mean it's always going to be considered “light.” If your salad is full of add-ons like chicken or steak, cheese, beans, croutons, a heavy dressing, and other toppings like tortilla chips, you're now eating a pretty big meal, which can ...

Overcooked or dry chicken

To ensure that your chicken salad tastes the way that it should, you should avoid using overcooked or dry chicken in your recipe. Unfortunately, as we cook chicken, the moisture of the bird slowly evaporates.

To offset the creaminess (and potentially wetness) of too much mayo, try adding in more of whatever crunchy element you were using. Celery and red onion are some of the most common ones, but you can also try chopped red peppers, bacon bits, carrots, cabbage, apples, chopped nuts, and more.

With all of that flavor, you certainly don't want any leftovers to turn bad. Generally, chicken salad will only last three to five days, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Many people have attributed what we know today as “Chinese Chicken Salad” to chef Wolfgang Puck, who served a version of it at his Los Angeles restaurants in the 1980s. Some food historians claim that Chinese Chicken Salad goes back further to the 1960s, also in Los Angeles, but created at Madame Wu's restaurant.

Chinese chicken salad—with its crunchy wonton strips, cubed chicken, and sesame dressing—is a 1990s restaurant staple that we still can't get enough of. But what many don't realize is that it was created not in China but in the kitchen of Sylvia Cheng Wu, a Chinese immigrant who cooked for Hollywood superstars.

The traditional version is usually composed of sugar or honey combined with rice vinegar, soy, and ginger or cloves. The Westernized version, borrowed more specifically from the Cantonese, includes the addition of ketchup, pineapple juice, pineapples, and bell peppers.