• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Email Series!

5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Free Email Series!

    5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

    Free email series of my best tips!

  • Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes

Rachel Cooks®

Food, Family, Fun

  • Recipe Index
  • Popular
    • Instant Pot Pinto Beans
    • Green Beans with Bacon
    • Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
    • Beef Stew Seasoning
    • Chili Seasoning Recipe
    • Thousand Island Dressing
    • Poppy Seed Dressing
    • Copycat Panera Squash Soup
    • Chocolate Chip Blondies
    • Instant Pot Pork Loin Roast
    • Frosé
    • Best Chocolate Cake
    • Dill Vegetable Dip
    • Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
    • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Learn to Cook
    • Crostini
    • Delicata Squash
    • Butternut Squash
    • Kabocha Squash
    • Spaghetti Squash
    • Guacamole
    • Croutons
    • Snap Peas
    • Baked Potatoes
    • Baked Bacon
    • Balsamic Glaze
    • Whipped Cream
    • Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
    • Simple Syrup
    • Pickled Red Onions Recipe
    • Toasted Pine Nuts
    • Roasted bone-in Chicken Breasts
    • Poached Chicken
    • Roasted Whole Chicken
    • Easy Cheese Sauce

Dinner Made Easy:

Slow Cooker

5 Ingredients

Grilling

Make Ahead

Sheet Pan

Tacos

Pizza

Home Recipes by Type Salads
30 30 Minutes or Less DF Dairy-Free

Asian Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

5
/5
20 mins
20 Comments
Jump to Recipe
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 03/11/2013Updated: 06/14/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Quick and easy meals don't have to come out of a box. This delicious Asian Chicken Salad can be on the table in minutes. Get the recipe on RachelCooks.com!

Quick and easy meals don’t have to come out of a box. This delicious Asian chicken salad can be on the table in minutes.

Overhead of Asian chicken salad on square decorative plate, with small pitcher of dressing, on bamboo mat. Text overlay reads "Asian Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette, RachelCooks.com."

You guys! Let’s talk.

Quick meals do not have to come out of a box.

Quick meals do not have to be laden with fat and sodium.

Quick meals do not have to be covered in cheese to make them taste good.

Quick meals do not have to consist of mushy, grey substances.

Quick meals can be colorful. Crunchy. Flavorful. Full of nutrients. Refreshing. Interesting.

Cilantro. Lime. Red bell peppers. Scallions. Peanuts.

This salad is not lacking in the flavor department.

Front view of salad on decorative plate.

You could make this salad even better for you, and lower in sodium by cooking your own chicken or making your own rotisserie chicken. A grocery store rotisserie chicken is super convenient though. Easy peasy! Or add this yummy Instant Pot Honey Sriracha Chicken to the salad and skip the dressing.

If you are looking for r-e-a-l-l-y easy, use prepared bags of salad mix. Buy one bag of coleslaw mix and one bag of romaine. 

Add more veggies. Sugar snap peas would be so good!

I love the homemade cilantro lime dressing in this Asian salad. Isn’t it a beautiful color? Don’t like cilantro? Substitute parsley. 

If you’re not crazy about peanuts, cashews would be so good, too. Or leave the nuts off and substitute crispy wonton strips or crispy roasted chickpeas.

Have a toddler? So do I! Make separate piles of the chicken and each vegetable on their plate with a little container of dressing for dipping. They’ll love it!

Partial view of salad on plate, with black cloth napkin and fork.

I apologize for these photos. They are blurry because in order to get enough light in Michigan, I have to go outside. And you know what, it’s kinda cold outside in the middle of winter in MI. I was probably shivering. Makes it hard to steady a camera. Bear with me — at the time I was too cheap to buy a tripod.

Update: Thank goodness, I now have a nice warm studio inside! Maybe someday I’ll update the blurry photos.

More great salads that totally count as a meal:

 

  • Cabbage Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
  • Southwestern BBQ Chicken Salad (best chopped salad!)
  • Shrimp Salad with Mango and Avocado
  • Steak Salad with Orange-Honey Dressing
  • Farro Salad with Butternut Squash and Bacon
  • Thai Freekeh Salad with Peanut Ginger Dressing
  • Zucchini Noodle Mason Jar Salad with Farro and Mozzarella
  • Farro Salad with Chicken and Beets
  • Crunchy Kale Salad with Popcorn Shrimp

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Asian chicken salad in square decorative plate.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Asian Chicken Salad

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
6 main dish servings
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Quick and easy meals don’t have to come out of a box. This delicious salad can be on the table in minutes.

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro (leaves and soft stems)
  • ½ cup fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Salad

  • 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken or about 4 cups of shredded chicken
  • ¼ medium red cabbage, shredded (or buy the pre-shredded stuff to save time!)
  • 1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green)
  • 1 medium carrot, shredded or julienned
  • 1 large head of red romaine lettuce torn into pieces
  • ½ cup lightly salted peanuts

Instructions

  • In a blender or using hand blender, blend cilantro, lime juice, sugar and vegetable oil until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper and more sugar if needed.
  • In a large bowl, or on individual plates/bowls, layer the lettuce, cabbage, chicken, and vegetables.
  • Top with peanuts and serve with dressing.

Notes

    • You may also toss the romaine with half of the dressing before serving, and then layer vegetables/chicken on and serve with remaining dressing.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1g, Calories: 436kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g, Cholesterol: 115mg, Sodium: 358mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
Share A Photo! Tag on Insta Rate It
Free email series

5 Time & Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

FREE BONUS!

You May Also Like...

  • Avocado chicken salad between two slices of multigrain bread.
    Avocado Chicken Salad - creamy and healthy!
  • Overhead view of a green leaf lettuce salad topped with steak, oranges, and onion.
    Steak Salad with Orange-Honey Dressing
  • Small glass bottle of sweet bbq salad dressing on a wooden cutting board.
    Sweet BBQ Salad Dressing with Lime
  • Image of healthy curried chicken salad on a croissant with fresh greens.
    Healthy Curried Chicken Salad - so easy to make!
Previous Post
Meyer Lemon Parfaits
These southwestern mac & cheese muffins will be loved by both your buddies & your toddler. These "muffins" are made from macaroni and cheese and are spiced up with a southwestern flair. Get the easy and fun recipe on RachelCooks.com!
Next Post
Southwestern Mac & Cheese Muffins

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 1 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

  1. Jess says

    March 12, 2013 at 11:45 pm

    This sounds delicious!!

    I would love for you to join my Blog Hop

    http://www.pluckys-secondthought.com/pluckys-blog-hop-2/

    Don’t forget to enter the Giveaway! :)

    Reply
  2. Alaina @ Fabtastic Eats says

    March 12, 2013 at 10:41 pm

    Your pictures are pretty! Thanks for a great salad..sometimes they can be so boring! I love this! I try to roast a chicken every Sunday so that I have chicken to throw into salads or sandwiches throughout the week! This salad sounds so flavorful!

    Reply
  3. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says

    March 12, 2013 at 1:28 am

    That’s a gorgeous salad!

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Rachel! Life can be complicated, cooking shouldn't be! I believe that you can put a delicious meal on the table without stressing. It's possible, and I'm here to help. Have a seat at my table...let's chat, eat, and have fun! Read more...

Air Fryer Instant Pot 30 Minutes One Pan Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Slow Cooker Vegetarian 5 Ingredients

Trending

Cooked salmon fillet on a grey-toned plate with cooked asparagus spears. The salmon is being flaked with a fork.

Air Fryer Salmon – easy and delicious!

Pizza pasta being scooped from a pan with a wooden spoon.

Pizza Pasta – 1 pan, 20 minutes

Image of a giant bowl of spaghetti with turkey meatballs.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Asparagus Panzanella Salad

Seasonal

15 Healthy Sheet Pan Meals

Pile of crispy zucchini slices.

Air Fryer Zucchini Chips

These easy vegetarian cauliflower tacos are full of flavor and protein! Even meat-lovers are going to flip over these fun tacos. Whether it's for Meatless Monday or a full-on vegetarian lifestyle, you're going to love these! They're also easy to make vegan. Make them tonight! 

Cauliflower Tacos with Chickpeas – Vegetarian

Overhead view of cauliflower steaks on a sheet pan with parmesan and chimichurri.

Cauliflower Steaks Recipe

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
Free Bonus!

5 Cooking Secrets to Save Time & Stress

Free email series of my best tips and recipes!

Featured On:

Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Work with Me
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
© 2022 Rachel Cooks®
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled