Chinese Chicken Salad

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Variations on this salad have been served in Los Angeles everywhere from the Fox Studios Commissary to Wolfgang Puck's Chinois on Main.

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  • 4

Ingredients

  • FOR THE DRESSING:
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 3 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp. smooth peanut butter
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. Asian sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • 1 tbsp. dry mustard
  • 1/2 tbsp. honey
  • 1/2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
  • 1/2 tsp. minced ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • FOR THE SALAD:
  • Canola oil, for frying
  • 5 wonton wrappers, cut into 1/4" strips
  • 1/2 head Napa cabbage, cored and shredded
  • 1/2 head romaine lettuce, shredded
  • 1 1/2 lbs. bone-in skin-on chicken breasts, roasted and shredded
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
  • 3 oz. mung bean sprouts
  • 10 snow peas, julienned
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
  • 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
  • 1 Thai chile, thinly sliced, for garnish
  • Black sesame seeds, for garnish
  • Roasted crushed peanuts, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

1. Make the dressing: Whisk together oil, vinegar, soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil, lime, mustard, honey, sesame seeds, ginger, and garlic in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper; set dressing aside.

2. Make the salad: Pour enough canola oil into a 1-qt. saucepan that it reaches a depth of 2"; heat over medium-high heat until a thermometer reads 350°. Add wontons; cook until crisp, 20 to 30 seconds. Using tongs, transfer strips to paper towels; set aside.

3. Combine cabbage, lettuce, chicken, and cilantro in a bowl; divide between plates. Arrange sprouts, peas, scallions, peppers, carrots, and cucumbers over each salad; drizzle with dressing. Garnish with chiles, sesame seeds, peanuts, and wonton strips. Alternatively, toss everything together in a bowl.

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