Chinese language Rooster Salad – CopyKat Recipes

March 28, 2023

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Are you on the lookout for a recent and flavorful salad recipe so as to add to your meal rotation? Look no additional than this scrumptious Chinese language Rooster 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 Rooster Salad So Good?

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

One of many extra inventive salads was the Mandarin Rooster Salad, made with hen, slivered almonds, crispy chow mein noodles, and juicy mandarin segments on high of a mattress of lettuce tossed with an Asian-inspired dressing. The mixture of textures and flavors made this dish extraordinarily standard, however sadly Mandarin Rooster Salad is not out there.

Why You Ought to Attempt This Chinese language Rooster Salad Recipe

Though you possibly can’t purchase Mandarin Rooster Salad at Wendy’s, you possibly can nonetheless make it at house. This copycat recipe is a wholesome Chinese language Rooster Salad with manner much less sugar than the restaurant model, nevertheless it doesn’t make any sacrifice on the subject of style!

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

Chinese language Rooster Salad Substances

For the Chinese language Rooster 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 a whole lot of additional 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 Rooster Salad, you’ll want:

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

Use your favourite technique to prepare dinner the hen for this recipe. The healthiest possibility is poaching the hen in water flavored with a little bit of rice wine vinegar and soy sauce for extra taste. You may as well use rotisserie hen.

You should utilize recent or canned mandarin oranges, however Mandarin oranges from the can are normally in a sugary syrup.

Chinese chicken salad ingredients on a tray.

Methods to Make Chinese language Rooster Salad With Noodles

To make the dressing in a blender:

Add all of the substances 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 working.
As soon as all of the oil is included, flip off the blender.
Add the black sesame seeds and pulse a few times. The aim 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 substances 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 Rooster 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 high.
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 below are some concepts:

Lettuce – Use romaine lettuce or Napa cabbage as an alternative of the iceberg (or a mixture of them). You may as well use some crimson cabbage for coloration.
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 – Contemporary chopped cilantro or parsley.

What to Serve With It

This one-dish meal is ideal by itself, however in the event 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.

It’s possible you’ll need to attempt turning this salad right into a wrap or stuffing it inside pita bread.

Methods to Retailer the Leftovers

Maintain every element 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 additional moisture.

How Lengthy Will Leftover Salad Final?

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

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

Love Salads with Rooster? Attempt These Recipes!

Favourite Chinese language Noodle Recipes

Try extra of my simple salad recipes and the very best Chinese language meals recipes on CopyKat!

Because of Columbamio for sharing this wholesome salad recipe.