Asian Chicken Salad (Applebee’s Copycat)
Published
Published
This copycat Applebee’s Asian Chicken Salad recipe is super quick and easy, with breaded chicken strips, a honey sesame dressing, and crunchy greens. It’s one of my all-time favorite salads and makes a frequent appearance on our dinner table, especially during the summer months. Even my kids love it!
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5 STAR REVIEWS
To be honest, I’ve only ever been to an Applebee’s restaurant a handful of times in my entire life. But every time I went, I would always get their Asian chicken salad. Then one day I went for lunch and it was no longer on the menu, so I was determined to get busy in the kitchen and figure out how to make it at home. Now I make it all the time – it’s one of my family’s favorites!
Helpful Tips & Variations
- Crispy chicken strips. Use breaded, frozen chicken strips – Tyson, BARE, Foster Farms, Perdue, etc all work. I cook mine in the air fryer, which results in the crispiest frozen chicken strips and is also faster than the oven. Crispy chicken is key to a good Asian chicken salad!
- Crunchy chow mein noodles. For this salad, use the crunchy chow mein noodles that come in a canister or bag, not the chewy noodles used in stir fry.
- Try a different dressing. I use my honey sesame dressing in this recipe. It’s a simple but amazing mixture of honey, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil. But feel free to experiment with other dressings or even grab a bottle of dressing at the store.
- Use mixed greens. I like to use a combination of romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, and coleslaw mix in my copycat Applebee’s Asian chicken salad. It just adds more texture and flavor. Feel free to use all of one or the other, or a combination of your favorite greens.
Asian Chicken Salad (Applebee’s copycat recipe)
Ingredients
FOR THE DRESSING
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
FOR THE SALAD
- 5 pieces frozen breaded crispy chicken strips, (see note)
- 2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
- 2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
- 2 cups tri-color coleslaw mix
- 1 scallion, diced
- 15 ounce can mandarin oranges, fully drained
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/3 cup crunchy chow mein noodles
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing until incorporated. Refrigerate while you prepare the salad.
- Cook the chicken: Bake the chicken strips according to the package directions (I typically do this in the air fryer.) Remove and allow to cool a bit, then cut up into small bite-size pieces.
- Assemble the salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped romaine lettuce, chopped iceberg lettuce, coleslaw mix, diced scallion, mandarin oranges, and the cooked chopped chicken.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
- Serve: Divide among individual plates, and top with sliced almonds and crunchy chow mein noodles. Serve right away and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Asian Chicken Salad Step by Step
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup honey, mustard, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate while you prepare the salad.
- Cook the chicken. Bake 5 crispy breaded chicken strips according to the package directions (I typically do this in the air fryer.) Remove and allow to cool off. Then cut up into small bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble the salad. In a large mixing bowl, combine the 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce, 2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce, 2 cups tri-color coleslaw mix, 1 diced scallion, 1 can drained mandarin oranges, and the cooked chopped chicken.
- Add the dressing. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
- Serve. Divide among individual plates, and top with sliced almonds and crunchy chow mein noodles. Serve right away and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
- The dressing. The dressing can be made up to 5 days before using, and stored in a sealed jar in the fridge. Give it a good shake before drizzling over the salad.
- The salad. The chicken is best baked and cooled shortly before assembling the salad, so the breading stays crispy. Once the salad is assembled, it should be eaten right away. Leftovers don’t keep well, since the greens will become soggy.
More Dinner Salad Recipes
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Very delicious! Only difference I made was leaving out the Mandarin oranges.
Really good salad I served it to other people and they were Very happy with it
Love, love, love! This recipe is SO GOOD! Just discovered it and have made at least 4 times in the last two weeks! Delish!
This was fantastic! My fourteen-year-old boy even wanted seconds. I followed the recipe exactly except I reduced the sesame oil to 1/4 teaspoon for personal preference. I think there was plenty of dressing and next time I will double the greens. So good!
It is so delicious! My Daughter , who is a picky eater; liked it too!
Thanks for sharing Amy!
I have eaten over the years this salad every time I went to Applebees (at least 50 salads). I rarely ordered anything else. You have the salad right on!! I made it for my daughter and I tonight and we loved it. I highly recommend everyone who loves a great salad should try this one. Thank so much for figuring this out!!
Very good. Close to what I always got at Applebees.
I made this for my husband and I for dinner. I had enough left over that we were able to make 2 meals out of this one recipe. We ate it 2 nights in a row and loved it! We will be making it again soon! Loved it!
Delicious! Super-satisfying with all the savory, crunchy elements and the sweet bite of the mandarin oranges. Great dressing too.
Loved this recipe! So close to the real thing. I think next time I’ll add less sesame oil. Great job copycating this.
Absolutely delicious! I used perdue panko breaded chicken nuggets and made your wonderful dressing. Will be on a regular dinner rotation! Tahnk you bunches
Spot on for flavor, eye appeal and memories of times past at Applebee’s for lunch!
The rating says it all.
Made this tonight for dinner, definitely in the rotation! Both my husband and I used to get this at Applebees, better at home! Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
Love all your recipes. Printed so many. Love them all Thanks Claire D Summerfield, Fl.
This salad was great! Every bit as good as Applebees
This was excellent!
My favorite at Applebees also. I remember the salad had small mandarin oranges (the canned ones). I have found a sesame dressing that I use. I believe it is Kraft.
Hey Lady, thanks for the recipe! Do you use regular or toasted sesame oil? There is quite a difference between the two and I can’t find which to use anywhere in the recipe. Thanks!
I prefer toasted, but either will work. Enjoy!
Very tasty! Used sugar free honey! Will make a lot!
So good! This is the only thing I order at Applebee’s. I’m so glad this popped up on my email.
So good my favorite sakad
This recipe is spot on so yummy
This recipe is really great! I’ve made it several times now
Love it!
This is a great recipe! My husband and I are loving it
Made this several times and the flavor is on point ! Delicious. Just would like it to be a little thicker consistency, is there anything you suggest?
Just made this- so delish and easy too! Thanks for a great recipe!
Amazingly delicious
Litehouse Coleslaw dressing is also good with this wonderful salad.
I took the idea of an earlier commenter and served this at a bridal brunch I was hosting. Made enough to feed 20 gals, but just kept all the ingredients separate and let everyone build their own. Big hit!
This was my favorite on the Applebee’s menu, too. So happy to find this recipe!
They just opened an Applebees near me…and now I want this salad!
This was so good. Perfect dinner salad – whole family loved it.
Spot on copycat. Thanks for sharing!
Delicious. One of our favorites.
Love this salad!! That was one of my favorites (when I waited tables at good ‘ol Applebees years ago)
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
I highly suspected that you had gone on vacation! how fun!! Such a perfect place for the kiddos. But I totally get the need for salads. I feel like I mostly eat dessert lately and that has to change!
I love the sound of this salad!
We rarely eat at chain restaurants but my Dad loves Applebees so when we go out with my parents, we’re going to Applebees. I always order the Asisan Chicken Salad. I love it! Now I can make it at home! I love you! Have a magical day!! (hee hee)
We eat salads like fiends in the summer. I pulled some chicken out of the freezer and just might try this tonight!
We have had this salad from Applebees but without the chicken. I wrote down all the ingredients and we make at home but I never get the dressing right. This was wonderful. Second time I made it, I added sliced “Asian seasoned” broiled tofu.
Gee, I’ve never printed a recipe, before I commented!! This is one of my husband’s fav salad’s from Applebee’s!! I’m in “salad mode” during the summer months, so this is a perfect “new addition” to the “mix!” Thank you Amy for sharing!!!
This salad looks fantastic! I actually think my whole family would eat this one!
Growing up, when we went out to dinner as a fam, Applebees was one of the few places we could agree on, and their Asian chicken salad was always my favorite. Love having an at-home version.
This was great. Super easy to throw together. Would be great for a large group, too by doubling/tripling all the ingredients and letting people build their own.
I was skeptical my kids would eat this but what do you know – they loved it! Frozen chicken fingers, yes ma’am.
This is so good!!