Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad

My copycat Applebee’s Oriental Chicken salad recipe has all the flavor and pizazz of the original, but it’s available at my house any time I crave it! A fresh romaine salad mix is topped with crispy strips of chicken, chow mein noodles, slivered almonds, and my homemade Oriental chicken salad dressing. It only takes about 30 minutes to make, and it always tastes amazing!

The Oriental chicken salad has been my go-to Applebee’s order for as long as I can remember (either that, or the Bourbon Street chicken and shrimp). Now I don’t have to make the trek to the restaurant to enjoy one of my favorite salads! I love a good copycat recipe and this one might just take the cake. It’s so quick and easy to toss together and tastes even better than the real deal. This 30 minute salad recipe always hits the spot and never leaves me hungry for more!

What’s in this Oriental Chicken Salad recipe?

It’s hard to believe that I can make this copycat salad from scratch with just 10 ingredients, but that’s really all it takes!

• Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are dredged in flour then pan-fried to crispy perfection.
• Lettuce: Use a bag of romaine salad mix with shredded carrots and cabbage for the most accurate recreation.
• Dressing: My homemade dressing is made with sesame oil, mayo, honey, rice vinegar, and Dijon mustard. But you can use a bottle of sesame dressing for convenience.
• Salad Toppings: Finish the salad with chow mein noodles and slivered almonds.

Salad Toppings

Make this recipe for Oriental chicken salad even fresher and fuller with a few extra additions. I like to add mandarin oranges, scallions, edamame, cashews, or sesame seeds if I have them on hand. It’s as easy as tossing these extra ingredients in the salad at the end!

How to Store

Once assembled, this salad is best enjoyed fresh, but you can store it in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

The chicken and dressing can be stored in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days each.

Notes and Tips

• If I don’t have time to cook chicken, I just throw in some rotisserie chicken or leftovers. It’s not as crispy, but it still does the job!
• When it comes to the dressing, sesame oil has a very strong flavor so you don’t need to overdo it!
• Allow your chicken to cool slightly before slicing. I know it’s tempting to dig in right away, but you want the juices to have a minute or so to distribute.
• For an extra crispy crust on the chicken tenders, repeat the dredging process for a double coating.

How to Make Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad Step by Step

Make the Dressing: Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, ½ cup of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of honey, ¼ cup of rice vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard to a mason jar or bowl. Shake or whisk until combined, then set it aside.

Prep the Dredging Station: Heat 1½ cups of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat so that it’s ready to fry after dredging. Meanwhile, gather 2 bowls. In the first bowl, whisk together ½ cup of flour, 1½ teaspoons of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Transfer ⅓ cup of the flour mixture to the second bowl. Then add 2 tablespoons of water to the first bowl, and mix together with a fork until clumpy. Add the remaining water to the second bowl, and whisk until smooth.

Coat the Chicken in Batter: Begin dredging 1 pound of chicken breasts, 1 piece at a time. Dip each piece of chicken in the runny batter first.

Coat in Flour: Then, dredge that piece of chicken in the clumpy flour mixture. Set the dredged chicken aside on a plate as you finish, and repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.

Pan-fry the Chicken: Add chicken to the hot oil and fry for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the fried chicken to a sheet pan, or plate lined with paper towel. Once cool, slice into thin strips. 

Place the Lettuce: Add 9.5 ounces of romaine salad mix to a large salad bowl.

Assemble the Salad: Top the salad mix with the crispy strips of chicken, 1 cup of chow mein noodles, and ½ cup of slivered almonds. Then drizzle the Oriental chicken salad dressing over the top to serve.