This is the kind of salad that actually feels like dinner. You’ve got chicken, crisp greens and cabbage, mandarin oranges, plenty of crunch, and a sesame-ginger dressing pulling the whole thing together.

I started with the Chinese Chicken Salad from Damn Delicious and, as usual, treated the recipe like a guide. Salads are especially good for that—keep the flavors and textures you love, swap what you don’t, and use what you have.

Watch Me Make It

Here’s the Recipe

Original recipe inspiration: https://damndelicious.net/2023/05/12/chinese-chicken-salad/

What Makes This Salad Work

The original combines romaine and napa cabbage with shredded chicken, mandarin oranges, cilantro, cashews, green onions, crispy wonton strips, and a homemade sesame-ginger dressing. It’s that mix of fresh, sweet, savory, and crunchy that makes the salad work.

Make It Your Own

Change the chicken: Rotisserie chicken makes this ridiculously easy, but leftover grilled or baked chicken works too.

Change the crunch: Cashews and wonton strips are great, but sliced almonds or crispy chow mein noodles can play the same role.

Add more vegetables: Carrots, bell peppers, snow peas, or whatever crisp vegetables you have can go right in.

Change the citrus: Mandarin oranges are classic here, but fresh orange or clementine sections work too.

And if cilantro tastes like soap to you, leave it out. I’m not going to make you suffer for a salad.

Laura’s Tip

Keep the dressing and crunchy toppings separate until you’re ready to eat. You can prep most of this salad ahead, but once the dressing and wontons go in, the clock starts ticking on that crunch.