Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad Copycat

Applebee's copycat oriental chicken salad in a large bowl.

4.55 from 72 votes

Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad Copycat

This Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad copycat is topped with crispy battered chicken, crunchy noodles, almonds, and a sweet-tangy homemade dressing. It’s quick, filling, and tastes just like the restaurant version.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian-American

Servings: people

Calories: 869kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Ingredients

For the Dressing*

1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

For the Chicken**

½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
⅔ cup water
1½ cups vegetable oil

For the Salad

9.5 ounces romaine salad mix 1 bag***
1 cup chow mein noodles
½ cup slivered almonds

Instructions

Add all of the dressing ingredients to a mason jar or bowl. Shake or whisk until combined.
1 tablespoon sesame oil, ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons honey, ¼ cup rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
1½ cups vegetable oil
Gather 2 bowls. In the first bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and pepper together. Transfer ⅓ cup of the flour mixture to a second bowl.
½ cup all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
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.
⅔ cup water
Dip each piece of chicken in the runny batter first. Then, dredge the chicken in the clumpy flour mixture. Set the pieces aside on a plate.
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Add the chicken to the 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 strips.
Add the romaine salad mix to a large salad bowl.
9.5 ounces romaine salad mix
Top the salad mix with the chicken, chow mein noodles, and almonds. Drizzle the dressing over the top.
1 cup chow mein noodles, ½ cup slivered almonds

Video

Notes

*Feel free to use any store-bought Asian sesame salad dressing instead of making your own.

**If I don't have time to cook chicken, I just throw in some rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken tenders.

***Look for a blend of romaine lettuce, carrots, and green or red cabbage. But, any kind of lettuce/salad blend will work!

Tips:

For an extra crispy crust on the chicken, repeat the dredging process for a double coating.
Make sure the oil is hot before adding the chicken. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the coating will absorb oil and turn soggy.
Don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry in batches so the oil temperature stays steady and the chicken gets crispy.
Properly cooked chicken should reach 165°F at the thickest point.
Let the fried chicken rest on a paper towel rack for a minute before slicing to keep the coating crisp.
Dry the romaine well before assembling the salad. Extra moisture will water down the dressing.
Toss the salad with dressing just before serving to prevent the lettuce and noodles from getting soft.
Start with less dressing and add more as needed. This salad can get overdressed quickly.
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!
Easily make a wrap by adding everything to a large flour tortilla, drizzling lightly with dressing, and rolling it up tightly.

Lighter Option: Use baked chicken breast or air-fried chicken tenders and start with half the dressing to reduce calories and fat.

Make-Ahead: The dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

Storage: Store Oriental chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. For best texture, store the chicken, salad, noodles, and dressing separately and assemble right before serving.

Nutrition