I know that the last recipe I shared was a salad recipe, but this is too good to keep from everyone! This sesame orange chicken salad is so flavorful. Full of crunchy vegetables like romaine lettuce, green and red cabbage, and carrots. The sliced green onion and chopped cilantro mixed in with the salad really deepen the flavor. And the mandarin oranges, juicy chicken breasts, and crispy wontons just take this salad to the next level. You can make this recipe with pre-cooked shredded chicken, but the pan-seared chicken really makes it extra delicious. I love adding a little bit of something sweet to salads and the mandarin oranges are a simple but perfect addition. Finally, this salad recipe uses a sesame and soy sauce-based vinaigrette that coats every bit of the salad for max flavor.
How to Make Sesame Orange Chicken Salad
- I recommend starting with searing your chicken. While it’s cooking you can chop your veggies. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Drizzle some olive oil in a pan and cook the chicken until crispy and golden brown on both sides and it reaches 165 degrees internally. Set aside to rest.
- Pour some canola or vegetable oil into the same pan and cut your wontons into strips. Heat the oil over medium heat and when it shimmers, drop one wonton in. If it bubbles right away, you’re ready to add more! Don’t crowd the pan, but you can add a handful of the strips at a time. Flip carefully using a slotted spoon and cook until golden brown. Then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to cool. The wontons cook quickly so keep your eye on them! Try not to snack on too many of them and save some for the salad, they are delicious!
- Chop up your romaine lettuce, green cabbage, and red cabbage and place in a bowl. Then shred your carrots and add them to the bowl too. The mandarin oranges can break up easily, so I like to add them last with the chicken and wontons.
- Your vinaigrette is simple to make! Add all the ingredients to a mason jar and shake well to combine. I find that is the best way to get it to fully combine! Pour it over your salad and dig in.
Ingredients for Sesame Orange Chicken Salad
- Romaine lettuce
- Green and red cabbage
- Carrots
- Cilantro
- Green onion
- Mandarin oranges
- Wonton wrappers
- Chicken breast
- All your spices and seasonings needed for the chicken and the sesame soy vinaigrette! The ingredients for this are listed in the recipe card below.
I hope you enjoy this recipe anytime you want your salad to be extra flavorful! It is my new favorite lunch or light dinner.
- 2-4 chicken breasts
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- Wonton wrappers
- Canola oil for cooking
- 1 heart romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup finely shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup finely shredded red cabbage
- 2 carrots, peeled and julienned
- 1 bunch green onion, sliced
- ¾ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 can mandarin oranges, drained
- 3 tbsp. sesame oil
- 3 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1 tsp. honey
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides and the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Set aside to rest. Wipe the skillet out with a paper towel.
- To the same skillet, add a healthy amount of canola oil. You want the bottom to be covered by about ½ and inch or more. Heat over medium heat and slice the wonton wrappers into strips. To test to see if the oil is hot enough, add one wonton wrapper. When it bubbles, the oil is hot! You can cook the wontons a handful at a time as long as they don't crowd the pan and get stuck together. When they are golden brown on both sides, use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to cool.
- Chop the lettuce and cabbage, julienne the carrots, and chop the green onion and cilantro. Add to a large bowl and toss together.
- To a mason jar add the sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, lime juice, and honey. Shake well to combine. Add salt and pepper if desired.
- Slice the chicken breasts and either add to the salad and toss or top each individual salad with a sliced chicken breast. Add mandarin oranges and wonton strips and drizzle with your sesame soy vinaigrette.
- Enjoy!
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