Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad
Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing is a quick and easy lunch or light dinner to make when are short on time and ideas.
I am a huge fan of making a meal out of salad but it has to have meat to be considered the main dish around here. I love making this Simple Grilled Chicken Salad with citrus dressing and when I’m craving Tex-Mex, Chicken Fajita Salad hits the spot.
Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad ~ Quick and Easy Dinner
I used to love getting mandarin chicken salad in restaurants and I finally got around to making it at home. A nice bed of lettuce topped with mandarin oranges, grilled chicken, green onions, and crunchy almonds with a quick sesame dressing.
Ingredients Needed:
- Leaf Lettuce ~ We used green leaf lettuce, spring mix or spinach work great too.
- Mandarin Oranges ~ Use canned (you know you have a can that needs to be used in the pantry) or fresh cuties when they are in season.
- Smoked Chicken ~ We love to brine and smoke a whole chicken or two over the weekend and the leftovers are perfect for this salad. Of course any cooked chicken or a rotisserie chicken will work here.
- Carrot ~ Julienne cut adds the perfect crunch to the salad.
- Chow Mein Noodles ~ Optional garnish, we love the extra crunch.
- Toasted Sliced Almonds ~ My favorite addition to any salad.
For Sesame Dressing:
- Lite Soy Sauce
- Olive Oil
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Toasted Sesame Oil
- Brown Sugar
- Ground Ginger
- Granulated Garlic
- Fresh Ground Pepper
How to Make Mandarin Chicken Salad:
- Whisk the sesame dressing together in a bowl.
- In a serving bowl or on a platter, tear the lettuce into bite size pieces.
- Top with carrots and oranges.
- Add chicken and green onions. Top with almonds and chow mein noodles.
- Serve with dressing.
How to Store:
If you are planning to have leftover salad, don’t add the chow mein noodles or dressing. Store salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator 1- 2 days. Keep dressing in a separate covered container, stir before using.
More Easy Salads to Try:
BBQ Chicken Salad is always a great meal idea. Made with bbq chicken tenders, it’s one of my favorite meal prep recipes.
Taco Salad is a weeknight favorite. Crispy taco bowls filled with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and seasoned ground beef topped off with a salsa ranch dressing.
Greek Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing has all of the classic flavors plus including feta cheese and a delicious homemade dressing.
Balsamic Bacon and Pecan Pecan Salad is hearty and delicious with fresh nectarines and grapes for a simple and delicious meal.
Salmon Avocado Salad is perfect for leftover grilled salmon and has tons of delicious flavors.
This Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad is great for a quick lunch or light dinner, especially as the temperatures warm up and it’s too hot to cook. We loved it so much that we’ve made it twice this week!
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Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the Sesame Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
For the Salad:
- 8 cups lettuce spinach or spring mix torn into bite size pieces
- 1 pound smoked or cooked chicken cut into bite size pieces
- 1 can 15 ounces mandarin oranges, drained
- 1 carrot peeled and julienned
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chow mein noodles
- 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
Instructions
- Mix the dressing ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk. Set aside.
- Layer lettuce, oranges, chicken, carrots, onions and almonds in a serving bowl on on a platter.
- Serve with dressing and garnish with chow mein noodles.
Notes
Nutrition
