Easy Asian Chicken Salad

Don’t let the admittedly basic name of this Easy Asian Chicken Salad fool you – easy doesn’t mean boring. Here, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And you probably already have those parts in your fridge.

I make this salad weekly for two reasons:

1. It tastes surprisingly sophisticated and exciting, given its standard ingredient list. Crunchy veggies, an obscene amount of fresh herbs, and shredded rotisserie chicken are topped with a throw-together Asian-inspired dressing and a few dashes of chili oil. 
2. It’s so easy, and sometimes I just don’t have it in me to cook. But make no mistake, this isn’t a sad, consolation dinner. This Easy Asian Chicken Salad is craveable on its own – it just happens to take 10 minutes to throw together and requires zero cooking.

A quick ode to rotisserie chicken. As a reformed rotisserie chicken hater who spent too much time trying to “homemake” everything, there is no easier or cheaper way to get consistently juicy chicken. Do I love roasting a big chicken at the beginning of the week (check out this or this recipe) and using those leftovers in this salad? Of course. But I’m going the rotisserie route when I’m strapped for time, and I’m not looking back.

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Easy Asian Chicken Salad

This Easy Asian Chicken Salad is my go-to busy weeknight recipe. Crunchy veggies, fresh herbs, and a bright, spicy Asian-inspired dressing are mixed with shredded rotisserie chicken for an easy, healthy dinner.

Course Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 4 cups mixed lettuces I like to use a mixture of romaine, radicchio, and endive, but any mixture will work
• 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 2 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/4 cup mint
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken I like to use both white and dark meat.
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced Lemon works well too if you don’t have a lime
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• splash fish sauce Optional
• flakey sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp chili oil, or to taste depending on spice preference

Instructions

1. In a large salad bowl or serving platter, mix the lettuces, sliced cucumber, sliced radish, cilantro and mint. Top with shredded rotisserie chicken.

2. Mix in the olive oil, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, and a splash of fish sauce if using. I add the dressing ingredients right into the salad, rather than mixing together first, for a fuss-free prep. Mix the salad, top with flakey sea salt and a bit of pepper, and taste to determine if dressing needs adjustment.

3. Drizzle with chili oil and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

This recipe makes enough for 2 hungry people for dinner, or 3+ people for a lighter lunch or side. I like to save a portion for lunch before we dig in – otherwise it’s so addicting that it will all get eaten.

I love rotisserie chicken for this recipe because of its ease of use. If you prefer not to use rotisserie chicken, you can use whatever chicken you have on hand, or even poach a few chicken breasts. But if you don’t have to cook, why would you?