This Asian chicken salad is full of flavor and texture! Made with chopped romaine, crunchy cabbage mix, green onions, cooked chicken, almonds, cilantro, wonton strips and a homemade dressing!

Looking for more salad recipes? You’ll love my antipasto salad, Greek salad with chicken and BBQ chicken salad.

Asian chicken salad in a white bowl.

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Chinese Chicken Salad

This Asian chicken salad is fresh, light, crisp, filling, crunchy, pretty and delicious. It is one of my favorite salads to make for potlucks, girls lunches or a healthy dinner idea at home. It’s also my go-to whenever I see it on the menu at a restaurant.

It’s loaded with all types of delicious toppings like shredded chicken, green onions, almonds, cilantro, wonton strips and an easy Asian dressing. The fresh flavors and different textures all pair perfectly together just like my ramen noodle cabbage salad!

Recipe Ingredients

The salad comes together quickly and only needs a few fresh veggies, several toppings, a tangy dressing, and a bit of chicken to really shine.

Salad greens on cutting board.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Cooked chicken: Shredded rotisserie chicken works really well, but you can also use grilled chicken breasts or even slow cooker teriyaki chicken for added flavor.
  • Romaine lettuce: This crisp green gives the salad just the right amount of crunch.
  • Coleslaw mix: I prefer to buy this prepackaged to save on time, but you can chop green cabbage or red cabbage, radishes, and carrots individually, if you prefer.
  • Sliced almonds: The nuttiness is the perfect counterbalance to the sweet acidity of the dressing.
  • Green onions: These perk up the salad with just a little bit of tang.
  • Wonton strips: This salad isn’t complete without the crunch of store-bought or homemade wonton strips.
  • Cilantro: This herb adds a fresh and bright flavor to the salad.
  • Asian Chicken Salad dressing: Vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and a little sugar make the perfect dressing to highlight all the flavors in this salad.

Variations

  • Rotisserie chicken, shredded chicken or grilled chicken all taste great.
  • Use whichever greens you have on hand. Spinach or kale work great too.
  • Add extra vegetables such as chopped cucumber or bell peppers.
  • Add mandarin oranges for a sweet and delicious addition.
  • Switch the almonds for peanuts or cashews.
  • You can also use Chinese rice noodles instead of wonton strips.
  • Use slow cooker teriyaki chicken for the base (or make instant pot teriyaki chicken).

How to Make Asian Chicken Salad

This salad is as easy as 1, 2, 3 steps.

Asian chicken salad dressing in glass bowl.
  • Combine. Add the romaine and coleslaw mix in a large bowl and stir. Top with chicken, almonds, green onions, wontons, and cilantro.
  • Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Toss the salad. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Helpful Tips

  • Homemade wonton strips. Make your own wonton strips instead of buying from the store. They are extra delicious and easy to make!
  • Dressing in advance. You can make the dressing in advance and store in the fridge until ready to serve. It’s one less step to worry about.
  • Main or side. This dish can be served as a side with Thai ground chicken lettuce wraps or as a main dish. As a main dish, it will serve around 4. As a side, it will serve 6 to 8.
Asian chicken salad in white bowl.

Recipe FAQs

Can this Asian chicken salad recipe be made ahead of time?

This salad is great for meal prep meal prepping! Divide the ingredients among 4 to 5 meal prep containers and store in the fridge. I store the wonton strips in a separate bag so they don’t get soggy. I add the dressing and wonton strips right before serving.

How do I make this salad vegetarian?

Simply omit the chicken and amp up the veggies (add cucumber, bell peppers, broccoli, etc.) or replace the chicken with baked tofu. Both will taste delicious.

Can I use Napa cabbage instead of the cole slaw mix?

Absolutely! I would chop it finely and then maybe add sliced carrot for a little bit of sweetness.

More Asian Inspired Dishes

asian chicken salad in white bowl

Asian Chicken Salad

5 from 9 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
This Asian chicken salad is made with chopped romaine, crunchy cabbage mix, green onions, cooked chicken, almonds, cilantro, wonton strips and a homemade dressing!
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Ingredients 

  • 6-8 cups romaine lettuce
  • 2-3 cups classic coleslaw mix , no dressing
  • 2 cups cooked chicken , I like to use rotisserie, chicken strips or grilled chicken
  • ¼ cup chopped green onions
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • ½ cup wonton strips
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil , or canola oil
  • 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar , or white wine vinegar
  • 1-2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • Salt , to taste
  • Ground black pepper , to taste

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce and coleslaw. Place the chicken, green onions, almonds, cilantro, and wonton strips on top.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, rice wine vinegar, sugar and sesame oil until the sugar is dissolved. Salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
  • Toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Wonton strips: Try making these homemade wonton strips. They are taste delicious in this salad. 
Extra mix-in’s: Mandarin oranges, red bell pepper, or shelled edamame would make a great addition. Try sprinkling sesame seeds over the top for added nuttiness. 
Substitutions: Feel free to swap almonds with peanuts or cashews. You can also use Chinese rice noodles instead of wonton strips if preferred. Sometimes I use teriyaki chicken to add even more flavor to this salad. 
Dressing: For a premade dressing, I like using Newman’s Own Sesame Ginger. 
Servings: This salad will serve 4 if served as a main dish, or 6 to 8 if served as a side dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 403kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 235mg, Potassium: 490mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 6338IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 83mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.