Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad
Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad is a crisp, colorful salad made with shredded chicken, fresh cabbage, mandarin oranges, crunchy almonds, and a bright orange ginger sesame dressing. A refreshing, no-cook meal perfect for lunch or dinner.
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Servings: 6
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups napa cabbage or green cabbage finely shredded
- 2 cups red cabbage finely shredded
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup green onions scallions, sliced
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast shredded
- 2 mandarin oranges or clementines peeled and segmented
- ½ cup roasted and salted almonds chopped
- Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Orange Ginger Dressing
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice from approximately 1½ mandarin oranges
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons tamari
- 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 2- inch piece fresh ginger peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ cup sesame oil
Instructions
- In a blender, combine all dressing ingredients: orange juice, honey, rice vinegar, tamari, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Blend until smooth and fully emulsified. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, green onions, and shredded chicken. Toss gently to combine.
- Pour the prepared dressing over the salad mixture and toss until all ingredients are evenly coated.
- Add the mandarin orange segments and chopped almonds. Gently toss again to distribute without breaking the fruit.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight glass container and refrigerate.
Notes
This Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad is naturally gluten free when prepared with tamari instead of traditional soy sauce. Always verify that tamari, sesame oil, and any packaged ingredients are labeled gluten free to avoid cross-contamination.