Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Peanut Dressing Recipe
This Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Peanut Salad Dressing is a vibrant and crunchy dish combining shredded chicken, napa and red cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, and topped with crunchy fried noodles and peanuts. The creamy, slightly spicy peanut dressing ties it all together, delivering a fresh, flavorful, and satisfying salad perfect for a light lunch or dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
Scale
For the Asian Peanut Salad Dressing
- 2 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp canola oil (or vegetable, grapeseed, or peanut oil)
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp+ Sriracha (adjust for desired spiciness)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp + 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 – 1 1/2 tbsp water (or lime juice)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
For the Salad
- 1 1/2 cups Chinese cabbage / Napa cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups carrots, julienned (or pre-shredded)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
- 1 shallot / green onion / scallion, finely sliced on the diagonal
- 1/4 cup peanuts, roughly chopped
- 1/4+ cups crunchy fried noodles (such as Changs)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dressing: In a jug or small bowl, combine the peanut butter, toasted sesame oil, canola oil, soy sauce, Sriracha, honey, rice wine vinegar, water (or lime juice), minced garlic, and grated ginger. Whisk thoroughly until the dressing is smooth and thick. Adjust the consistency with additional water to achieve a gloopy texture. Modify the spiciness with extra Sriracha and seasoning with salt, avoiding more soy sauce to keep balance.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large salad bowl, place the shredded Chinese cabbage, red cabbage, julienned carrots, shredded cooked chicken, and bean sprouts. Add most of the sliced shallots, chopped peanuts, and crunchy fried noodles, reserving some for garnish.
- Toss and Serve: Drizzle the prepared peanut dressing over the salad ingredients. Toss everything together gently but thoroughly to ensure the dressing coats all components. Garnish the salad with the reserved shallots, peanuts, and crunchy noodles for added texture and serve immediately to enjoy its fresh crunch and flavors.
Notes
- Use water or lime juice to adjust the dressing consistency to your liking.
- Sriracha amount can be adjusted for desired spice level.
- Pre-shredded carrots can save prep time.
- Serve immediately after dressing to maintain the crunchiness of noodles and vegetables.
- For a vegetarian version, omit chicken and consider tofu.
Keywords: Chinese chicken salad, Asian peanut dressing, crunchy salad, healthy chicken salad, Asian salad dressing, napa cabbage salad, quick salad recipe
