This Chinese Chicken Salad takes the lighter road than the heavier versions I always see at those popular food chains that everyone loves. It’s made with crunchy romaine, wontons, and an almond crunch, and is topped with protein-packed chicken breast, pasta noodles, and a flavor-flav sesame dressing.
Healthier Chinese Chicken Salad
Lighter fare that totally satisfies is what I’m craving now. And as summer’s flowy skirts and loose-fitting shift dresses morph into fall’s jeans and thigh hugging pants, it seems lighter food is part of my weekly anthem.
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And that’s where my all-time favorite—and healthier—Chinese chicken salad comes in.
I 100% crave this Chinese salad, and lately, it’s been on my lunch train repeat. With meal prepped cooked chicken breast and pasta noodles (if I want) in the fridge, and a bunch of chopped romaine at the ready, all I have to do is toss it all in a bowl and I’m ready to eat.
I based this salad on two of my Los Angeles quick eats faves: Feast from the East where they use it to dress crunchy romaine topped with their lightly fried and highly addictive wonton strips, but I added rotini pasta noodles ala the Chinese chicken salad from California Chicken Cafe. Since I don’t live in the same states as the restaurants where I used to pick them up for lunch anymore, I’ve created a tasty homage to two of my favorite Chinese chicken salad spots, and man, they are on point.
Good thing I had these food memories embedded in my taste buds so I could replicate.
What’s in Chinese Chicken Salad?
I know this may not sound like 100% healthy-for-you food (fried wontons?), but moderation is my favorite friend.
So, as long as you watch your portion size, the amount of dressing you use, and the number of crunchy wontons and pasta you top it with, you’ll still be in the zone and your cravings will be 100% satisfied yet still healthified.
Because the ingredients have true staying power, this Chinese salad is so easy to meal prep for the week and have everything ready to go. Here’s what you’ll need to make the Chinese chicken salad itself:
- romaine lettuce
- chicken breast
- green onions
- rotini pasta (use whole wheat or gluten-free if you prefer)
- sliced almonds
- fried wontons (you can leave these off, but they’re so good that moderation is my favorite ingredient too :)
What’s in the Sesame Dressing?
The sesame dressing is the key to the flavor for this salad. It’s incredibly easy to make and takes just a few minutes to shake into shape.
Simply add the following ingredients to a small jar with a lid and shake. Or, of course you can whisk away if you’d like.
- grapeseed oil — it has a milder flavor than olive oil. You can use canola oil if you’d like too
- seasoned rice vinegar — get the seasoned version, not the unseasoned
- sesame oil
- sugar
- light soy sauce
- sesame seeds
- fresh ground pepper and kosher salt
How to Make Chinese Chicken Salad
Fry the wonton strips in batches until crisp, then place on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil. Toss together the chopped romaine, chicken breast, green onion, almonds, and pasta.
Pour the Chinese chicken salad dressing over the lettuce mixture, then sprinkle with fried wonton strips and sesame seeds before serving.
Can I Use Another Type of Pasta?
Of course! Any short, sturdy pasta will work. Avoid thin pastas like spaghetti as they won’t work well in this recipe.
Can I Meal Prep Chinese Chicken Salad?
I recommend waiting to assemble the Chinese chicken salad until you’re ready to eat it. However, you can meal prep the individual ingredients (i.e. whisk together the dressing and store in a jar, cook the chicken and pasta, and so forth).
Tips for Making Chinese Chicken Salad
I’m a fan of meal prepping a few chicken breasts for the week to have them on hand for quick lunches and easy dinners, and this recipe is exactly one reason why.
A grocery store rotisserie chicken will always save a few extra minutes in the kitchen. I used just one chicken breast for these salads and saved the rest for the lunch leftovers.
The spiraled rotini pasta that tops the crunchy romaine plus the spunky green onion are probably my favorite additions to this salad. While you could skip the rotini pasta, I don’t.
More Asian-Inspired Salads We Love
- Thai Quinoa Salad
- Crunchy Asian Cucumber Watermelon Salad
- Quick Korean Spicy Slaw
- Easy Vietnamese Noodle Salad
- Asian Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a star rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 6 3-inch wonton skins , sliced into ¼″ strips
- 2 tablespoons canola or corn oil , for frying
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 cooked chicken breast
, shredded - 2 green onions , chopped
- ¼ cup sliced almonds , toasted lightly
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 cups cooked fusilli pasta noodles , cooled
For the Dressing:
- 1 ½ tablespoons grapeseed oil (or canola oil)
- 6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (add more to taste if you prefer a strong sesame taste)
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat canola or corn oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, fry the wonton skins in batches of 5-7 strips for 30 seconds each side or until lightly browned, working quickly so they don’t burn. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels until cooled.
- In a large bowl, combine lettuce, chicken breast, green onion, almonds, and pasta.
- Add the dressing ingredients to a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until until well mixed or whisk in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.
- Dress the lettuce mixture with 2-3 tablespoons of sesame dressing and top with more sesame seeds, wonton strips, and serve.
Nutrition
More Salad Recipes You Might Like Too
- Healthy Chicken Salad
- Outrageous Herbaceous Chickpea Salad
- Tuscan Tuna and White Bean Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad with Cucumbers and Artichoke Hearts
- Ahi Tuna Poke and Mango Salad
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Judy Weaver
Did not care for the salad dressing. Wondering about the proportions of oil to vinegar.
Hayley
We’re sorry you didn’t care for it Judy!
Zac Richins
Had it for dinner tonight. It was yummy. I did add some mandarin oranges for a bit of color and citrus flavor. Thanks!
Heidi
I like it Zac. You’re a smart cook with a zest for life HA!
Linda
I am totally making this tonight! I can’t believe it but I actually have every single ingredient including (shockingly) wonton wrappers that I bought for something else but never used. Thanks for all of your tasty recipes….I’ve made a lot of them and there’s never a loser.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Enjoy! Thank you Linda!
Ali Abbas
tv early spring. maybe not summer but def March/april and a bit of may depending on how hot it
Ana
Delicious chicken salad and dressing. I used wonton chips from the store to skip the frying step. Thank you for the recipe!
Patti
I’m excited to be eating this delicious salad for tonight’s dinner thanks to your great and generous meal prep.
This salad is awesome!!!!
Connie P
Heidi – this is the salad of the summer!! So refreshing, delicious and yet filling enough to be an entrée.
Thanks!
Lisa Brown
Awesome Recipe!! Thanks For it!!!
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Really looks delicious Heidi.. Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing is very suitable for our tongues Asian
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pincky
i love this soooooooooooooo Fantastic recipe!! I substituted shredded carrots for the wontons to lighten it up & still give it some crunch. Definitely a keeper!!
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chinese chiken is my favt can give me plzz
Pinky
Thanks for sharing the tips
Rony Jahid
This salad very amazing . this is the best looking salad. I made this for lance and dinar. It’s very tasty salad.Thanks for a incredible posting! I seriously enjoyed practice it.
Maggie
WOW. I made this for dinner tonight and I am addicted! I think I am going to keep all of these ingredients on hand so I can make it whenever I want!
heidi
Thanks for coming back and letting me know Maggie. I LOVE this salad too!
Cristy
I have rice vinegar in my cabinet already. Well it make a difference if I don’t use seasoned rice vinegar? What is it seasoned with?
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Fantastic recipe!! I substituted shredded carrots for the wontons to lighten it up & still give it some crunch. Definitely a keeper!!
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Another mouth-watering dish that will surely delight your family or house guests! Reading helpful blogs such as this one help us to be creative and try new recipes to make our meals as exciting as always. Thanks for sharing!
Jennifer
This was fantastic! I followed the recipe entirely, with 2 adjustments. I used 1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil (I love the flavor of sesame oil), and it was fabulous, and I baked 2 chicken breasts and put 1 1/2 of them into the salad. This salad reminds me of the Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad, but much healthier! A keeper for sure!
Lindsey
Excellent salad! Loved every bite of it. I was skeptical about making the homemade won-tons but it really wasn’t bad and they complete the salad.
Michelle @ Brown Eyed Baker
This sounds delicious! I love the combination of lettuce and pasta, and the dressing sounds to-die-for. Definitely eating this sooner rather than later!
Desiree
Hi there!
I just want to thank you for sharing this awesome recipe. I am featuring your dish on my blog today. Thank you again!!
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes
Wish I was having this for lunch. It looks fantastic.
Sara
I’ve been looking for an easy salad recipe and landed on your blog! This looks delicious, can’t wait to try it!
Liz
Those picture makes me feel hungry. Thanks for the recipe.
Maria @ Orchard Bloom
This looks delightful!
Brien27
These was mouth watering.I will like these by fallowing your instruction and ingredients.
Melissa @ Best Friends For Frosting
I’ve never made dressing from scratch, but for this salad I may just have to hop to it. Great feature Heidi! =)
heidi
Oh my word! We need to get you on the homemade dressing train ASAP! It’s the only way to eat salad!
vered
Looks amazing! Thanks for the mention.
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen
Oh my, now I’m craving one of these, it looks so good!
Rocky Mountain Woman
One of my all time favorites….
Thanks for the overview!!!
Lori @ RecipeGirl
Now craving salad too! If it were up to me, I’d have salad every single night for dinner!
heidi
Lori, you have some amazing salads on your site, it wouldn’t be hard to find a bunch of salad winners!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc.
I love all of these too! Which to make first!! Will you be at EVO this summer?
heidi
Thanks Alison and yes! I’m Evo conference bound!
Bev Weidner
Ohhhhh, man I love salads like these. Texture, texture, texture.
Texture.
YUM.
kelley
The only drawback to the snow melting is that I can’t hide beneath 5 layers. Ugh, I suppose I should lighten things up too. The salad looks divine, by the way!
heidi
I totally hear you, Layers are certainly hard to give up after a cozy hibernation. So it off to the gym I go :)
Sally @ Spontaneous Hausfrau
I have 1 leftover chicken breast from dinner last night, so I have found exactly what’s for dinner tonight!
Cassie
Love the salads here! You are right – it is definitely time to lighten up for spring. All of these look so appetizing!
Kathryn
This looks like the perfect spring salad, full of lovely flavours.
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I love salads like this: full of texture and flavor!
Blog is the New Black
I made something similar last week- I adore salads like this! Lots of texture and flavor!
heidi
I better scoot on over to your blog to see what salad inspiration you’re sharing! Thx for the comment!