Chinese Chicken Salad (with the best dressing)
- PREP 20min
- COOK 35min
- TOTAL 55min
Our version of Chinese chicken salad has a mountain of crunchy, colorful cabbage, a bright ginger dressing, and sweet-and-spicy peanuts. Every single bite is packed with texture and so much flavor!
The ginger poached chicken recipe below is gold! We love it so much that we always poach extra chicken and save it for another day (it lasts up to 4 days). This is why you see a range of chicken in the ingredient list below. For 4 to 6 main meals, you will need 1 to 1 ½ pounds of chicken. The poaching liquid is enough for poaching up to 3 pounds. Once you’ve removed the cooked chicken from the liquid, strain it and save it. It’s absolutely delicious. If you want to use pre-cooked or leftover chicken, read the article above for our tips.
You Will Need
- For the Poached Chicken
1 ½ to 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 cups (945 ml) chicken broth (try homemade chicken broth)
2 cups (475 ml) water
1 inch piece fresh ginger, cut into 6 rounds and lightly smashed
3 green onions, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
- For the Dressing
⅓ cup (80 ml) rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons ginger, finely grated (from 2-inch piece)
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
½ cup (120 ml) avocado oil (or other neutral-flavored oil)
- For the Spicy Peanuts
1 cup (140 g) peanuts
1 tablespoon chili crisp
2 teaspoons honey
- For the Salad
4 cups Napa cabbage (about ½ medium head)
4 cups red cabbage (about ½ medium head)
3 green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup grated or julienned carrots (2 medium)
Chow mein noodles to garnish
Directions
- Poach the Chicken
1In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the broth, water, ginger, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, salt, and pepper over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer.
2Add the chicken breasts once it’s simmering, then bring back to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low, maintaining that gentle simmer, and cook until the chicken reaches 155°F, 13 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken rest in the hot liquid for 10 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let cool. Be sure to strain and save the leftover poaching liquid—it is delicious!
- Make the Salad
1Whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, honey, mustard, ginger, and garlic to make the dressing. Slowly pour in the oil while whisking constantly until the dressing is smooth and emulsified.
2In a small bowl, toss the peanuts with the chili crisp and honey until evenly coated.
3In a large bowl, combine the Napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, green onion, and cilantro. Pour in three-quarters of the dressing and toss well to coat. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes so the flavors can mingle and the cabbage softens slightly.
4Meanwhile, slice the poached chicken on a cutting board and toss with the remaining dressing.
5Toss the salad a few more times, then divide it among plates. Arrange the chicken slices neatly over the top, scatter the spicy peanuts over the chicken, and finish with a generous handful of crunchy chow mein noodles.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Chili crisp: Store-bought chili crisp works perfectly for the peanuts. Brands vary in heat, so adjust the amount to suit your spice preference, or if you do not have any, swap it for a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Look for crunchy chow mein noodles in the Asian foods aisle of your grocery store. If you can’t find them, leave them out, or try fried wonton strips or even crushed ramen noodles instead.
- The dressing, spicy peanuts, and chopped veggies can be prepped a day early and stored separately, so assembly takes just a few minutes at dinnertime.
- Store leftovers separately to keep everything fresh. Keep the poached chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store the strained poaching liquid in a jar for up to 4 days (or freeze it for up to 3 months). The salad veggies will be crunchiest within 24 hours, but last in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates. The calculations assumed 1 ½ pounds of chicken.