Paleo Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe - My Natural Family (2024)

Rebecca Baron 7 Comments

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This gluten-free Chinese chicken salad recipe is perfect for a nice warm spring or summer evening meal. It would also be good for lunch or any other occasion. I love how it's light, but filling and a little sweet and crunchy.

It is officially Spring here in Utah! The weather has been a little odd but - hey - it is like that every year. So we are excited to have more of a mild spring and summer ahead of us. This salad makes me excited for all of those nice warm nights.

I make this really often for myself. It’s a good standby when you want something good, light, and easy. This can be a good meal for lunch or dinner and can be made for one person or ten.

Paleo Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe - My Natural Family (1)

I came up with the idea for this salad when I was supposed to bring one of those Ramen noodle salads to a potluck. The kind with cabbage, crushed dry Ramen noodles, an oil dressing and other stuff I can't remember. I wasn't about to eat that.

I did make that for everyone else, but for me, I wanted something that actually tastes good and is good for me - and this ended up being so good that I regularly eat it now.

Now I just need to convince my children to try it. I haven't had much luck getting my children to eat salads unless they are really unhealthy salads with tons of ranch dressing and croutons - and I'm not sure that counts.

The flavors of the salad work really well together.I added sesame oil to the dressing for this salad to add a little extra Asian flair. I used orange bell peppers in the salad, but red or yellow would work just as well. The red onion could also be used in place of the green onions if desired.

I have used both canned and fresh mandarin oranges in this recipe. In the post above, I used canned ones. Technically, they aren't Paleo because of the sugar on them, but I drain and rinse them and figure that's pretty close to Paleo. If you aren't comfortable with that, just use fresh mandarin oranges or Halo oranges.

Some ideas to change things up a bit

  • Use cabbage instead of lettuce.
  • Make it more like an Asian chicken salad by adding some coconut aminosas a soy sauce substitute to the salad dressing.
  • Sometimes when I don't want the carbs, I just make a simple dressing out of homemade mayo and a little light olive oil or avocado oil and vinegar. If you're like me, I pretty much always have homemade mayo. on hand and use it like ranch dressing on lots of my Paleo salads.
  • Try sprinkling some sesame seeds on top.
  • This would be easy to meal prep by cooking the chicken ahead of time and preparing the salad dressing, then it would only take a few minutes to pull everything together.

Do you find that you eat a lot of salads when eating Paleo and Clean Eating? I always feel like I'm losing weight when I eat salads like this. Maybe it's just my imagination, but I figure it meets all the criteria for a weight loss salad since it is high in protein and low in carbs, other than the dressing.

Paleo Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe - My Natural Family (2)

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Recipe

Paleo Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe - My Natural Family (3)

gluten-free chinese chicken salad Recipe

  • Author: Rebecca Baron
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Paleo
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Description

I added sesame oil to the dressing for this salad to add a little extra Asian flair. I used orange bell peppers in the salad, but red or yellow would work just as well. Red onion could also be used in place of the green onions, if desired.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 2 Large Chicken Breasts
  • Salt and Pepper (to taste)
  • 3 pieces Romaine Lettuce Hearts (chopped into bite sized)
  • 1 Orange Bell Pepper (sliced (red or yellow would be fine too)
  • 1 Carrot (peeled and sliced into very thin sticks)
  • ¼ Red Cabbage (shredded)
  • 15 ounce can Mandarin Oranges (drained)
  • 4 Green Onions (thinly sliced)
  • ¼ Cup Sliced Almonds (lightly toasted)

FOR THE DRESSING:

  • ⅓ Cup Honey (or Vegan sweetener of your choice)
  • 3 Tbl White Vinegar
  • 2 Tbl Homemade Mayo
  • 1 tsp Sesame oil
  • ½ tsp Real Salt *

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, until done. Cook time will really depend on the size of your chicken breasts. They should be at an internal temperature of 165 degrees when done. Remove chicken from oven and lett cool completely.
  2. When the chicken is cool, cut into thin slices. In a large bowl, add the lettuce, bell pepper, carrot, cabbage, mandarin oranges, onions, almonds and sliced chicken.
  3. Whisk the honey, vinegar, mayo, sesame oil, and salt together in a small bowl. Pour over the salad ingredients and toss everything together.

Keywords: Asian, Chinese, Oriental, Easy, Full Meal

Paleo Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe - My Natural Family (4)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jody @easypeasymom

    This looks yummy! Definitely going on my list of salads to make! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  2. Sarah L

    This is a great summer time salad. Thanks.

    Reply

  3. Cali W.

    This sounds so good! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  4. Sílvia Ávila

    So good 🙂

    Reply

  5. md kennedy

    This sounds so yummmy - I like anything that combines chicken and nuts!

    Reply

  6. Missy Marie

    I'M PRINTING THIS ONE!! SOUNDS AMAZING!!

    Reply

  7. Lanie

    This sounds so good. I love Oriental chicken salads. I will have to try this one! 🙂

    Reply

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Paleo Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe - My Natural Family (2024)

FAQs

What is Chinese chicken salad made of? ›

In a large bowl, combine Napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, scallions, water chestnuts, Mandarin orange and sliced chicken. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, brown sugar and chili sauce. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

What is the nutrition info of Chinese chicken salad? ›

Chinese Chicken Salad - 1 serving
  • Total Fat 12g 15%
  • Saturated Fat 2.3g 12%
  • Polyunsaturated Fat 3.5g.
  • Monounsaturated Fat 4.2g.
  • Cholesterol 73mg 24%
  • Sodium 520mg 23%
  • Total Carbohydrates 36g 13%
  • Dietary Fiber 4.1g 15%
Mar 21, 2016

What is mock chicken salad made of? ›

Mock Chicken Salad
  • 1 (12-ounce) block extra firm tofu, drained and patted dry.
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced.
  • 3 Tablespoons soy sauce.
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil.
  • 3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast.
  • 2 teaspoons Spike seasoning.
  • 1 carrot, grated.
  • 1-2 stalks celery, minced.

Is chicken salad good for? ›

Chicken salad is rich in lean protein and a decent source of iron. Depending on what other ingredients it contains, it might also provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Still, using ingredients such as mayonnaise or serving the salad on a croissant adds calories and fat.

What is the best store bought dressing for Chinese chicken salad? ›

Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

It's the best dressing for the ubiquitous Chinese chicken and mandarin orange salad. It's inexpensive, usually on sale, and easy to find in any grocery store.”

Who made Chinese chicken salad? ›

Invented by Sylvia Cheng Wu also known as Madame Wu in the 60s and made popular by the original celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, The Chinese chicken salad has become an obsession in California, especially with celebrities. It's not hard to see why.

Why is chicken salad so high in calories? ›

Salad dressing can add up to as much as 700 calories to a salad. And, not to pick solely on the dressing, fried chicken and marinated meats can add substantial calories as well. Applebee's Santa Fe Chicken Salad has a whopping 1,300 calories for a regular size salad with dressing.

Why does chicken salad have so many carbs? ›

The average chicken salad without added fruit contains 1-3g total carbs and as few as 0g net carbs. However, they can still contain added sugar or even corn syrup in their dressings — and those with added fruits will contain even more carbs.

How many carbs are in Chinese chicken salad dressing? ›

Girard's Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing (2 tbsp) contains 6g total carbs, 6g net carbs, 10g fat, 0g protein, and 120 calories.

What country invented chicken salad? ›

The first place I got any real leads was from the website for Willow Tree poultry farms, who noted that “we can thank the Chinese for being the first to serve variations of “chicken salad.” Of course, these versions were far from what we are familiar with today, but the general idea was pieces of chicken mixed with a ...

What is Pittsburgh chicken salad made of? ›

Pittsburgh salad
TypeSalad
Place of originUnited States
Region or stateWestern Pennsylvania
Main ingredientsLettuce, french fries, ham, grilled steak, chicken or fish, cheese, Ranch dressing
1 more row

Why is chicken salad pink? ›

Chemical changes occur during cooking. Oven gases in a heated gas or electric oven react chemically with hemoglobin in the meat tissues to give it a pink tinge. Often meat of younger birds shows the most pink because their thinner skins permit oven gases to reach the flesh.

Will I lose weight if I eat chicken and salad every day? ›

Although chicken and salad are healthy nutrients, you can gain weight due to the way the chicken is prepared, or the salad is made with high-calorie sauces. Moreover, you can't shed weight with only one food in your diet. Salad with chicken supports your diet in this way, but it isn't enough on its own.

Is chicken salad bad for high cholesterol? ›

If you use breast meat (as opposed to dark meat or chicken cooked with the skin on) the salad will have less cholesterol and saturated fat. Celery, onion and any other produce incorporated in the salad will add vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Is rotisserie chicken healthy? ›

A rotisserie chicken is better than some of the other alternatives. Even with additives, a rotisserie chicken is a far healthier choice than a fast food run, says Allers. “It's still lower in fat and calories than fast food. It's serving its purpose – it's fast, but it can still help you create a balanced meal.

Where does Chinese chicken salad come from? ›

Many people have attributed what we know today as “Chinese Chicken Salad” to chef Wolfgang Puck, who served a version of it at his Los Angeles restaurants in the 1980s. Some food historians claim that Chinese Chicken Salad goes back further to the 1960s, also in Los Angeles, but created at Madame Wu's restaurant.

What is Chinese sweet and sour chicken made of? ›

Sweet and sour chicken, one of the most popular Chinese takeout dishes, is made of puffy, golden brown pieces of fried chicken nuggets with pineapple chunks, onion, bell pepper, carrot, and a side of iconic red, sweet and sour sauce.

What is Chinese chicken and broccoli chicken made of? ›

Chinese restaurants almost always use chicken breast for chicken and broccoli because most Americans prefer white meat. However, if you prefer dark meat, you can use chicken thighs to make a delicious homemade dark meat chicken broccoli with brown sauce.

Is Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad healthy? ›

As I wrote in my article - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Truth About Salads, Applebees Oriental Chicken Salad, as served, has a whopping 1398 calories and 98 grams of fat. No, that's not a mistake. It's the actual number of calories and fat.

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