This Asian Chicken Salad with Mandarin Peanut Vinaigrette combines some of my very favorite flavors in one neat little package. I could eat Chinese food EVERY DAY if you let me. It just makes me happy and this gives me one more (healthyish!?) excuse to enjoy it.
The best thing about this Asian Chicken Salad is that it comes together in about 30 minutes. I also make the dressing in a mason jar to make it super easy to store leftovers and dispense.
Asian Chicken Salad Assembly
I start by mixing shredded lettuce, broccoli slaw, and finely shredded cabbage. This blend gives balance while providing essentials like carrots, and red cabbage. It also adds visual appeal and balanced flavors, while taking advantage of prepared salads from the grocery store.
I just grab a bag each of finely shredded lettuce, angle shredded cabbage
I layer in my salad ingredients. All my favorites like crispy chow mein, green onions, mandarin oranges, water chestnuts, and bean sprouts. The real stunner is this chicken recipe, it's pretty fantastic if I do say so!
Now when you read the recipe you may think that some of the spices are a little bit out of place. But I like the extra layer and depth of flavor the Ras el Hanout brings to the dish. Adding a squeeze of lime brightens everything up and keeps it feeling fresh!
Mandarine Peanut Vinaigrette
This vinaigrette really brings this Asian Chicken Salad together. I never like to waste anything in my kitchen so I created this dressing using the liquid from the canned mandarins. With the addition of some other Asian essentials and my favorite thing ever...PEANUT BUTTER we get a beautiful dressing.
The easiest way to mix up your dressing is to throw everything into a mason jar. I literally throw everything in and give it a shake.
Now don't be discouraged by the length of this ingredient list. It is a list of basics that you can outfit your kitchen with, and that will allow you to add Asian inspiration to any dish from here on out. The other option is to eliminate the vinaigrette and just purchase an Asian dressing, there are a lot of great options ready made in the grocery store.
Ingredients needed
- Chicken
- Chicken Breast
- Ras al Hanout
- Ground Ginger
- Roasted Garlic Powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Vinaigrette
- Peanut Butter
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Soy Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Olive Oil
- Mandarine Orange Juice
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Garlic
- Dijon
- Honey
- Sriracha
- Salad
- Shredded Lettuce
- Broccoli Slaw
- Shredded Cabbage
- Mandarine Oranges, canned
- Crispy Chow Mein Noodles
- Water Chestnuts
- Bean Sprouts
- Cashews
For more Asian inspired dishes...
Take a look at my homemade Ahi Tuna Tower recipe, it is something I worked on a recreated at home during quarantine 2020 and is one that I think I will make again and again!
My General Tso's Chicken is a dish I would eat every day, and at a minimum, I cook every week at home.
A good soy sauce turns this fall favorite into a dream, try my friend Kristi's mom's recipe for Soy Sauce Pumpkin Seeds.
Bao is another one of those things that just makes me happy in the tummy. Try my homemade version of Bao Buns, and fill them with my Crispy Pork Belly.
📖 Recipe
Asian Chicken Salad
I love exploring new cuisines and this gives me another excuse to enjoy Chinese food yet another day of the week.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4, 6 oz Chicken Breast
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 teaspoon Ras el Hanout
- 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ½ teaspoon Roasted Garlic Powder
- 1 Lime, juiced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Vinaigrette
- ½ cup Peanut Butter
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 4 tablespoons Olive Oil
- ½ cup Mandarin Orange Juice
- ½ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Dijon
- 3 tablespoons Honey
- 2 teaspoon Sriracha, optional
Salad
- 1 bag Shredded Lettuce
- 1 bag Broccoli Slaw
- 1 bag Shredded Cabbage
- 1 15oz can Mandarine Oranges, drained, liquid reserved
- 1 bag Crispy Chow Mein Noodles
- 1 can Sliced Water Chestnuts
- 1 15oz can Bean Sprouts, optional, use fresh if available
- 1-2 cups Cashews, toasted
Instructions
Chicken
- Dice chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Combine all seasoning ingredients in a bowl or zip-top bag. Add chicken and allow to marinate for 30 minutes minimum or overnight.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with pan spray or olive oil.
- Working in two batches sear and cook the chicken, turning each piece until well browned on each side. When it is browned all around, it should be completely cooked. To be sure, use an instant-read thermometer, it should read 165 degrees.
- Let cool slightly while you prepare your Vinaigrette. Serve at room temp on top of your salad.
Vinaigrette
- Combine all ingredients in a mason jar, top with the lid, and shake well for about 2 minutes to combine all ingredients very well. If there is still room in your mason jar, add more peanut butter to fill and shake, shake, shake.
- Top your salad with the chicken and about half the vinaigrette and toss to combine, serve the remaining vinaigrette on the side with your ergo spout for easy pouring.
Salad
- In a large bowl, mix the salad greens to combine. Layer on the remaining ingredients. Top with chicken and vinaigrette. Toss to combine.
Notes
You can leave the sriracha out altogether if you don't like it spicy. Serve it on the side so each person can customize it to their liking.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a review or comment! And be sure to sign up for my newsletter, and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a review or comment! And be sure to sign up for my newsletter, and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
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