Crunchy Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad With Ramen Noodles
Inspired by The Cheesecake Factory, this crunchy mandarin chicken salad layers shredded rotisserie chicken, juicy oranges, crispy lettuce, cabbage, ramen, and almonds, all drizzled with a perfectly balanced tangy-sweet dressing.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 118kcal
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 3 cups chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce
- 2 cups red cabbage shredded
- 2 cups chicken cooked and shredded
- ½ cup mandarin oranges canned, drained
- 1 packet ramen noodles crushed (flavor packet discarded)
- ½ cup shredded carrot
- ⅓ cup green onions sliced
- ¼ cup almonds sliced
For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon honey may use hot honey - really yummy!
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
For the salad:
- In a large bowl, toss lettuce and red cabbage with chicken. Add mandarin oranges, crushed ramen noodles, carrots, green onions, and sliced almonds.
For the dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.
- Slowly drizzle in vegetable oil, whisking constantly well mixed.
- Before serving, drizzle dressing over salad and toss to combine.
To make ahead:
- Prep all your ingredients ahead of time, but don’t combine everything until you’re ready to serve. To avoid soggy lettuce, wait until the last minute to add your dressing
Notes
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Make sure to drain canned or jarred mandarin oranges before assembling the salad to avoid excess liquid.
- I only toss the salad just before serving to keep the crunchy texture of the dried ramen noodles. If you're making this Chinese chicken salad ahead, only add the ramen just before serving when you drizzle the dressing.
- Salad dressing, when stored in an airtight container or jar, will last for up to 1-2 weeks in the fridge. Give it a good stir or shake before using again.
- Make the dressing at least 15–20 minutes ahead so the garlic and ginger flavors meld and mellow, then whisk again before drizzling.
- Pop your large serving bowl in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes before tossing. A cold bowl keeps the greens crisp and refreshing, especially in summer.
📚 Variations
- Gluten-free: Replace soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos. Use gluten-free ramen, and check that your hoisin sauce is certified gluten-free (many brands contain wheat).
- Vegetarian: Skip the shredded chicken. Add more veggies for volume. Try snap peas, edamame, cucumber, bell pepper, or avocado. Grilled tofu or roasted chickpeas offer a protein-packed vegetarian alternative.
- Noodles: Swap the ramen noodles for wonton strips and crispy rice noodles. These alternatives are a popular choice by many restaurants serving this crunchy mandarin orange chicken salad.
- Other mix-ins: Consider including pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for extra crunch, dried cranberries, or golden raisins for extra sweetness.
Nutrition
Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 514mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3246IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg