Family-favourite easy Chinese chicken salad recipe, loaded with juicy, Chinese five-spiced, grilled chicken and crisp vegetables, with a sweet and tangy dressing. If you’re looking for an easy, flavour-packed salad, this Asian chicken salad is one of those recipes you’ll want to make again and again.
It’s light yet satisfying, colourful, and full of aromatic flavours.
This salad is perfect for a quick lunch, a light dinner, a summer gathering, or even a potluck. You might also love Japanese Cucumber Salad and Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad, which are popular Asian salad recipes on our site.
A Chicken Salad That We Never Get Bored
This sweet-and-sticky grilled chicken salad is not your usual chicken salad. This simple Chinese five-spice marinade gives the chicken a deep savoury flavour, while the dressing sauce adds a balance of sweetness, tanginess, and nuttiness. It’s refreshing but still filling to enjoy as a main dish.
It’s also one of my go-to chicken salads when I’m not sure what to make for dinner. My dad used to make a similar version for us at home, sometimes with chicken and sometimes with duck. It always brings back family memories with dad whenever I make it at home.
Importance of Chicken Marinade
The marinade is what gives this salad its signature flavour.
Chinese five-spice powder adds warmth and depth. Garlic and ginger bring a fresh aroma. Soy sauce provides savouriness, and honey gives a caramelised glaze when grilled.
So I suggest not skipping this step. Even a short marinating time makes a noticeable difference, and if you have the time to let it rest longer, the flavour will be even better.
Basic Ingredients You'll Need
Main Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh
- Mixed salad leaves, spinach, lettuce, or cabbage
- Carrot
- Cucumber
- Red onion
- Fresh chilli, optional
For the Marinade
- Chinese five-spice powder
- Grated garlic
- Grated ginger
- Light soy sauce
- Dark soy sauce for colour
- Honey
Salad Dressing
- Sweet chilli sauce
- Sesame oil
- Light soy sauce
- Fresh lime juice
Garnish
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Roasted peanuts or cashews, optional
Please scroll and see the measurements and printable recipe in the recipe card.
How to Make this Chinese Chicken Salad
- Marinate the Chicken: Slice the chicken into cutlets. Add all marinade ingredients and mix well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge.
- Prepare the Salad Vegetables and Dressing Sauce: Shred the carrot and cucumber. Thinly slice the onion and chilli. Wash and dry the salad leaves.
Mix sweet chilli sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, and lime juice in a small bowl. Taste and adjust to your liking. Toss the salad vegetables with the dressing.
- Grill the Chicken: Heat a grill pan over medium heat with a little oil. Cook the chicken 2 to 3 minutes on each side until nicely charred and cooked through.
Pour in any remaining marinade and cook until slightly thickened and glossy. Remove the chicken and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.
- Assemble the Salad: Transfer salad to a serving plate. Top with sliced chicken and drizzle any extra glaze from the pan over the top. Garnish with sesame seeds or crushed nuts.
What We Love to Have It With
This salad is lovely on its own, but we also have it with steamed jasmine rice, stir-fried noodles, spring rolls, hot and sour soup, a light vegetable stir-fry, or a classic Chinese Egg Drop Soup.
It’s versatile enough to serve as a starter, side dish, or main meal.
Khin’s Quick Cooking Tips
- Marinate longer for better flavour. At least 30 minutes, or overnight if you have time.
- Don’t overcook the chicken. Cook just until done to keep it juicy.
- Taste the dressing sauce first, then adjust the lime, soy, or sweet chilli to suit your preference.
- Rest the chicken before slicing to keep it tender and juicy.
- For extra crunch and colour, add sliced bell peppers, shredded cabbage, sugar snap peas, radishes, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, or fresh herbs like coriander and mint.
Got Leftovers? Here’s What We Do
Store the chicken and salad separately in airtight containers. The cooked chicken keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days and is great for wraps, sandwiches, or rice bowls the next day.
For the best texture, only toss the salad with dressing just before serving.
Swap Ingredients and Make It Your Style Salad
Once you’ve tried our version, you can start playing around with your favourite flavours to suit your taste or whatever you have in the fridge.
You can swap the chicken with grilled prawns, grilled sliced beef, roast duck, or even crispy fried tofu for a vegetarian option. It also works beautifully with leftover Char Siu Chicken or rotisserie chicken.
If you don’t have lime, use lemon juice or rice vinegar instead. Tamari makes a great gluten-free alternative to soy sauce.
For a lighter version, reduce the sweet chilli sauce and balance the dressing with extra citrus and a touch of honey.
How We Store and Meal Prep
Leftovers
Store the leftover chicken and salad separately in airtight containers to keep everything fresh. The cooked chicken keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days and is perfect for wraps, sandwiches, or rice bowls the next day. For the best texture, toss the salad with dressing just before serving.
Meal Prep
Marinate the chicken ahead of time, grill and slice it, then refrigerate. Keep the vegetables washed and fully dried, and store the dressing in a small jar. Assemble just before serving.
Making It More Filling
If you’d like a heartier meal, turn it into a bowl by adding rice noodles, egg noodles, glass noodles, steamed jasmine rice, or even quinoa. Toss lightly with dressing, top with sliced chicken, and finish with sesame seeds, crushed nuts, or a drizzle of chilli oil for extra flavour and texture.
Some FAQs You Might Be Wondering
What’s the best way to reheat leftover chicken?
Gently reheat in a pan or oven to retain juiciness. Avoid microwaving if possible, as it can make the chicken rubbery.
Can I make this salad kid-friendly?
Definitely. Reduce or skip the fresh chilli and adjust the dressing’s sweetness so it’s milder while still keeping the delicious flavour.
Can I freeze the chicken for later use?
Yes, cooked marinated chicken can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat gently before adding to fresh salad greens.
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📖 Recipe
Chinese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 300 g Chicken breast/thigh
- A handful Mix salad leaves
- ½ cup Shredded Carrot
- ½ cup Shredded Cucumber
- 1 Chilli
Chicken Marinade
- ½ tsp Garlic paste
- ½ tsp Ginger paste
- 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
- ½ tsp Dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Honey
- ½ tsp Chinese five spices
Salad Dressing
- 2 tbsp Sweet chilli sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
- 1 tsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Lime juice
Garnish
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breast into cutlets. Add all the ingredients from the marinade list. Mix all the ingredients and rub it to chicken well. Set aside and marinate at least 30 mins.
- Mix all ingredients from the dressing sauce list in a bowl and set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables, shred the carrot and cucumber. Cut onion and chilli into thin slices.
- Drizzle a tablespoon of oil in grill pan. Heat the pan to medium heat. Place the chicken in the pan. Cook 2-3 mins till the chicken has nice grilled colour. Turn sides and cook for another 2-3 mins.
- Pour the chicken marinate sauce in the pan. Continue cooking till the gravy start to thick.
- Remove the chicken out from the pan and rest for few minutes. Cut into slices.
- In a large mixing bowl add salad vegetables. Pour the dressing sauce in, mix well to combine all ingredients. Place salad in a serving plate.
- Top with chicken slices, pour the sticky sauce from the grill pan.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
- Aromatic sticky chicken salad is ready! Enjoy!
Notes
- Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes to absorb the aromatics. You can cover it and leave it in the fridge overnight.
- For an extra crispy topping, you can add crunchy peanuts, roasted cashews, fried shallots, or fried garlic. If you like it spicer, drizzle a bit of
- If you wish to make it with skin-on chicken thigh or breast, pan-fry the skin side down first until crispy brown for 2-3 minutes, then turn side.
- You can add any salad veggies other than the ones mentioned, such as bell peppers, radishes, peas, cherry tomatoes, celery, cabbage, shredded zucchini, romaine, etc.
Nutrition
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Tracy says
Absolutely delicious thankyou for sharing your gorgeous taste of home
Lottie says
Very tasty dish and easy to
Cook