Mandarin Chicken Salad, All the Best Parts of THAT Salad

^{Recipe originally published March 2006, updated January 2025}

Let me introduce you to the Mandarin Chicken Salad aka the freshest, healthiest version of Chinese Chicken Salad you'll ever make and eat! Shall we?

Jump to:

• Is this the same as Chinese Chicken Salad?
• What Ingredients You Need for Mandarin Chicken Salad
• What's the Best Dressing for Chinese Chicken Salad?
• How to Make Mandarin Chicken Salad
• Are Mandarin Oranges the Same as Tangerines?
• Which Mandarin Orange Should You Use for Chinese Chicken Salad?
• Is Chinese Chicken Salad Healthy?
• Substitutions and Optional Ingredients for Mandarin Chicken Salad
• Mandarin Chicken Salad Recipe

Is this the same as Chinese Chicken Salad?

I’ve tried my fair share of Chinese Chicken Salads from restaurants—dare I say I've tried all of them?—and each one is different, from the type of lettuce as a green base to the preparation of the chicken, from the garlic, ginger, sesame and soy flavors in the dressing to the additional ingredients that make the salad "Chinese."

All of the salads are good, with the actual thing that makes them good is kiiinda the fact that someone else made it. But none of them are as GREAT as making Chinese Chicken Salad at home exactly the way *you* want it, cherry-picking the best elements from all the other salads out there.

What Ingredients You Need for Mandarin Chicken Salad

Most Chinese Chicken Salads have some combination of lettuce, cabbage and/or other greens that might suggest "Asian," mandarin oranges, nuts, some form of pasta like fried wonton strips, "chow mein" noodles, or rice vermicelli, nuts, scallions, and a dressing that involves soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.

The following ingredients are specifically what you need for THIS Mandarin Chicken Salad, though the recipe is endlessly flexible and the ingredients can be substituted to suit your preferences and what's locally and seasonally available to you:

• Mandarin oranges, fresh not canned!
• Chicken breast
• Napa cabbage
• Red cabbage
• Carrots
• Snap peas
• Scallions
• Almonds

For the Citrus Ginger Dressing

• Mandarin orange, 1
• Apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons
• Ginger, 1 tablespoon grated fresh
• Avocado oil
• Sea salt

MOST standard restaurant Chinese Chicken Salads use a dressing that's primarily plain white vinegar which is ok, a very light vegetable oil which is also just ok, a LOT of white sugar which could be problematic for some people, soy sauce, and salt.

HERE, we reference those original versions and evolve them over time and taste into a few different versions that I use depending on what I have on hand.

For Mandarin Chicken Salad, since we already have fresh Mandarin oranges on hand, we're shaking together Mandarin orange juice with a few other ingredients into a naturally sweet and subtly spicy Citrus Ginger Dressing.

Here are a few other dressings and vinaigrettes that you can sub in, PERFECT for any kind of Asian-y, Chinese, chicken-y salad:

• Citrus Ginger Dressing (recipe below)
• Ginger Miso Dressing
• Miso Mustard Dressing
• Sesame Miso Dressing
• Roasted Peanut Vinaigrette
• Sesame Soy Dressing

How to Make Mandarin Chicken Salad

There are essentially two ways to make and serve Mandarin Chicken Salad—or any salad for that matter. Instructions for both in the recipe.

Composed. Slice all the ingredients into uniform sized and shaped pieces, arrange on a platter with high sides or a shallow bowl (same thing), and serve with dressing on the side. This is the "pretty" way to serve it for a dinner party.

Chopped. Chop all the ingredients to within a half-inch of their life, scrape off the cutting board into a giant bowl, toss aggressively with dressing, and if you're alone, eat it with a large spoon right out of the serving bowl. Let's be real, this is the actual way normal people eat salads.

Are Mandarin Oranges the Same as Tangerines?

Are Mandarin oranges the same as tangerines? What about clementines and satsumas—are they the same thing? And what are these specially named citrus like Honey Murcott, Page, and Pixie, they all look like mandarins!

So glad you asked! Let's get into it...

tl;dr: Mandarin oranges are the original ancestor of all the small, slightly squat citrus that look like mandarins. But did you know Mandarin oranges are also the ancestor of almost all other common citrus we know! Almost all smaller, slightly flattened/squat citrus are types of Mandarin oranges. But there are nuanced differences to their flavor, sweetness, and how easy they might (or might not) be to peel.

Mandarin Oranges. This small, thin-skinned bright orange citrus fruit is the original ancestor to all the similar citrus like tangerines, clementines, and satsumas, as well as actual oranges! Mandarin oranges are sweet and their very thin skins with little pith (white part under the skin) are easy to peel. Mandarins have a slightly squat shape, rather than perfectly round, so they sit on their bottom rather than roll around. And yes, they are indeed the exact citrus in canned Mandarin oranges.

Tangerines. Tangerines are a type of mandarin orange. There are a few varieties even within tangerines, like Pixie Tangerines, that have been specially branded for marketing.

Clementines and Satsumas. Clementines and Satsuma are distinct types of Mandarin oranges.

Cuties, Halos, and Bluejays are all "brands" of various types of mandarin oranges. Cuties are seedless clementines, Halos are tangerines, and Bluejays are a brand of seedless satsuma mandarins.

Which Mandarin Orange Should You Use for Chinese Chicken Salad?

Use any fresh, small tangerine or mandarin orange for this. Fresh citrus is generally in season in winter, but the small tangerines and mandarin oranges are almost always available year-round in grocery stores.

If your grocery or market does not have mandarin oranges, regular oranges, which are definitely always available, will work fine though they may be a little more tart. Adjust your taste expectations accordingly.

Are Canned Mandarin Oranges Healthy?

Resist the urge to use canned mandarin oranges, which have have been peeled, segmented, soaked in lye to dissolve the stringy white pith, then canned. The canning process itself is not unhealthy. However, the oranges are usually soaked in sugar syrup, making them more appropriate for a very sweet dessert than a salad.

Canned mandarin oranges are DELICIOUS and I LOVE THEM, but they do not belong in this salad. If you cannot resist popping and peeling open a can of mandarin oranges, do it on the side, scarf them all down in private, and serve fresh mandarin oranges in the salad.

Additional Ingredients Notes and Resources

• Chicken. Store-bought rotisserie chicken is your BEST FRIEND for this recipe. Any cooked or leftover chicken breast works. In fact, I have never actually cooked chicken with the express intent of making this salad.
• Napa cabbage is the oblong-shaped cabbage that is used often in Asian cultures, e.g. in kimchi. If you can't find napa cabbage, use any green cabbage. To be honest, you can use romaine lettuce as the base, too. You just want 6 cups of something green and crunchy-crisp, shredded or finely chopped.
• Purple cabbage adds color, which is a visual aesthetic thing, but also an indicator of nutrient density. Purple cabbage is available year-round in every grocery store.
• Carrots. I used red carrots for nothing else than their color.
• Snap Peas are the sweet, "puffy" peas in their pods. You can also use their flat cousins, snow peas, or even shelled edamame.
• Almonds. Sliced almonds are easier to eat with a fork or spoon in a salad. However, if you have whole roasted almonds, just chop them and use those.

Is Chinese Chicken Salad Healthy?

Yes! At least this version of Chinese Chicken Salad recipe is healthy! This Mandarin Chicken Salad recipe is both macro- and micro-nutrient and for most lifestyles, health needs and dietary considerations, is very healthy! In fact, I can't really think of a case in which this Chinese Chicken Salad would not be healthy, barring the usual allergies, sensitivities, etc.

As a quick note, older versions of Chinese Chicken Salad, especially in restaurants, used to be not quite as healthy with less nutrient dense ingredients like iceberg lettuce as the bulk of the salad, and some ingredients that have almost no nutritional value like fried noodles or wonton wrappers and sugar-laden dressing. All of these ingredients made the "salad" delicious, but not particularly health-promoting.

Let's get into the individual components' health offerings.

Health Benefits of Citrus

Everyone knows citrus is good for you, but do you know how and why? Although the exact nutritional content of different types of citrus will vary, all citrus have similar health benefits, and it's not just vitamin C!

• high in vitamin C, a vitamin that works a as an antioxidant and contributes to immune health
• low on the glycemic index
• high in fiber, both soluble and insoluble, which contribute to digestive health
• hydration, obviously!
• antioxidant content wards off certain types of cancers
• some studies have shown that the bioflavonoids hesperidin and apigenin may improve cognitive function and protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's

Chinese Chicken Salad Dietary Considerations

This Mandarin Chicken Salad recipe, as presented, is:

• vegan/vegetarian adaptable, if you substitute plant-based chicken, ginger-marinated tofu, or even chickpeas for the chicken
• gluten-free
• dairy-free
• refined sugar-free

Substitutions and Optional Ingredients for Mandarin Chicken Salad

Add any or all of the ingredients below in addition to or to substitute for ingredients in the main recipe.

Other Citrus. Use any other type of sweet citrus that is available to you for the mandarin oranges. To be honest, even peeled and segmented grapefruit tastes great in this version of Chinese Chicken Salad.

Tofu. To make this salad vegetarian/vegan, substitute plant-based chicken or pan-sauteed or air fried tofu.

Other Vegetables:

• Cucumbers, chopped or julienned
• Radish, any kind, julienned
• Snow Peas or Edamame.
• Red onions, sliced and soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, or pickled red onions
• Water chestnuts

Additional Garnishes and Toppings

• Cashews or peanuts
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Toasted whole sesame seeds
• Fried rice vermicelli, wonton strips, or "chow mein" noodles
• Pickled ginger. This is so not Chinese to me, I was actually kind of offended when I saw it as an ingredient in a restaurant version, but then I remembered what we're talking about here lol

Food for Afterthoughts

My family is not Chinese.

However, you might never guess that based on the fiercely possessive national pride my Dad has for China. If you ask my Dad where something comes from, where it originates, the history of anything, I am willing to bet my kingdom's inheritance that he will say “China.” Test him with something. He will find a way to trace its roots back to China. Just like “kimono.”

Firecrackers? China

Ice cream? China.

Spaghetti? My Dad LOVES this one.

“It is a common misconception that spaghetti comes from Italy, when in fact, it was Marco Polo's travels through China…” Dad will be smiling, as he gets to prove himself, yet again, the Great Enlightener.

With the exception of potatoes, which my Dad has conceded to origins in the mountains of Peru, everything comes from China.

Chinese Chicken Salad is... NOT Chinese?

But one of these days, I am going to ask my Dad about Chinese Chicken Salad. He will have to think about that one. Dad is going to lean back in his Captain’s chair with his fingers interlaced behind his head and think hard because there is no way in hell he will be able to trace Chinese Chicken Salad back to China. Not even Asia. I bet it doesn’t even come from anywhere near the northern hemisphere.

See, Chinese Chicken Salad is just about the most American food there is. Like many foods, the true origin of Chinese Chicken Salad is debatable, but it is commonly attributed to Wolfgang Puck, who created it somewhere within his Asian fusion empire.

Imagine that. An Austrian chef who does Asian Fusion in America invents Chinese Chicken Salad. How confusing. And I wonder about my identity crisis.

However, regardless of the uncertainty of it origins and the fact that its being overpriced, overdone, and just plain oh-ver, I still love a good Chinese Chicken Salad and consider it an American Classic.