Chinese language Hen Salad – CopyKat Recipes

Are you searching for a contemporary and flavorful salad recipe so as to add to your meal rotation? Look no additional than this scrumptious Chinese language Hen Salad! With tender hen, crisp greens, mandarin oranges, chow mein noodles, almonds, and a zesty dressing, this wholesome salad is nice for lunch or dinner.

What Makes This Chinese language Hen Salad So Good?

Wendy’s was one of many first fast-food eating places to introduce salad bars method again in 1979, however the chain didn’t add composed salads to its menu till the early 90s. At present the salad bars are gone, however Wendy’s nonetheless serves a wide range of grab-and-go salad bowls.

One of many extra artistic salads was the Mandarin Hen Salad, made with hen, slivered almonds, crispy chow mein noodles, and juicy mandarin segments on prime of a mattress of lettuce tossed with an Asian-inspired dressing. The mix of textures and flavors made this dish extraordinarily widespread, however sadly Mandarin Hen Salad is now not accessible.

Why You Ought to Strive This Chinese language Hen Salad Recipe

Though you possibly can’t purchase Mandarin Hen Salad at Wendy’s, you possibly can nonetheless make it at residence. This copycat recipe is a wholesome Chinese language Hen Salad with method much less sugar than the restaurant model, nevertheless it doesn’t make any sacrifice relating to style!

Don’t get delay by the lengthy listing of elements for the salad dressing. It’s simple to make and significantly better than something you should buy in a bottle.

Chinese language Hen Salad Elements

For the Chinese language Hen Salad dressing, you’ll want:

Sugar-free apricot jam
White distilled vinegar
Pineapple juice
Rice wine vinegar
Gentle soy sauce
Sesame oil
Splenda granular
Splenda brown sugar
Salt
Paprika
Black pepper
Creamy peanut butter
Canola oil
Black sesame seeds

Peanut butter can have lots of further sugar, so search for a jar labeled “No Added Sugar” to make sure you are consuming more healthy.

For the remainder of the Chinese language Chopped Hen Salad, you’ll want:

Boneless hen breast, cooked
Iceberg lettuce
Mandarin orange segments
Fried chow mein noodles
Roasted slivered almonds

Use your favourite methodology to prepare dinner the hen for this recipe. The healthiest choice is poaching the hen in water flavored with a little bit of rice wine vinegar and soy sauce for extra taste. You can even use rotisserie hen.

You should use contemporary or canned mandarin oranges, however Mandarin oranges from the can are often in a sugary syrup.

Chinese chicken salad ingredients on a tray.

Tips on how to Make Chinese language Hen Salad With Noodles

To make the dressing in a blender:

Add all of the elements for the salad dressing besides the canola oil and black sesame seeds to the jar of the blender.
Begin mixing on a low setting, and slowly drizzle within the canola oil whereas the blender is operating.
As soon as all of the oil is included, flip off the blender.
Add the black sesame seeds and pulse a few times. The purpose is to interrupt the seeds into smaller items with out pureeing them.
Switch the dressing to an hermetic container and retailer it within the fridge till wanted.

To make the dressing by hand:

Place all elements besides the oil and sesame seeds in a small bowl or mason jar.
Whisk or shake till the combination is mixed and easy.
Slowly add the oil to the bowl, whisking whereas pouring it in. If utilizing a jar, add the oil and shake vigorously.

Chinese chicken salad dressing mixture in a bowl.

Add the sesame seeds and stir or shake to mix.

Adding sesame seeds and oil to Chinese chicken salad dressing mixture.

To assemble wholesome Chinese language Hen Salad:

Shred the hen or reduce the hen into bite-sized items.

Chop the iceberg lettuce into bite-sized items.
In a big bowl, toss the chopped lettuce with the salad dressing.
Plate the dressed lettuce on a platter or in a shallow bowl.
Sprinkle the fried chow mein noodles on the lettuce.
Sprinkle the shredded hen on prime.
Garnish with the mandarin orange segments and slivered almonds.

Chinese chicken salad on a white platter.

Recipe Variations

It’s simple to vary up this salad for extra taste or style preferences. Listed here are some concepts:

Lettuce – Use romaine lettuce or Napa cabbage as an alternative of the iceberg (or a mix of them). You can even use some purple cabbage for colour.
Veggies – Add shredded carrots, bean sprouts, inexperienced onions, or scallions.
Noodles – Use ramen noodles or wonton strips as an alternative of chow mein noodles.
Herbs – Recent chopped cilantro or parsley.

What to Serve With It

This one-dish meal is ideal by itself, however when you don’t care about chopping energy, including a carb-based facet will make it extra filling. This salad would go nice with a slice of bread or Cream Cheese Rangoons.

You could need to strive turning this salad right into a wrap or stuffing it inside pita bread.

Tips on how to Retailer the Leftovers

Preserve every part of this dish separate within the fridge in hermetic containers. To forestall the chopped lettuce from wilting in a single day, guarantee it’s as dry as potential. Retailer it in a sealed plastic bag with a paper towel to take in any further moisture.

How Lengthy Will Leftover Salad Final?

Eat any dressed salad as quickly as potential, however you possibly can maintain separated salad elements for much longer.

The salad dressing will maintain within the fridge for 4 or 5 days, however it’ll separate. Ensure that to whisk the dressing properly earlier than utilizing it. The hen will keep good for 2 to 3 days. A head of lettuce will keep contemporary for every week or extra, however it’s best to make use of chopped lettuce as quickly as potential.

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Try extra of my simple salad recipes and the most effective Chinese language meals recipes on CopyKat!

Due to Columbamio for sharing this wholesome salad recipe.