Gluten Free Chinese Chicken Salad
This Gluten Free Chinese Chicken Salad is an easy dish made with coleslaw mix, mandarins, chicken, and a simple dressing! It’s paleo, whole30, and AIP-friendly.
In my opinion, there are few things that are more refreshing than a crisp and fruity salad on a warmer day! I love homemade no-cook salads like my avocado tuna salad, but I’ve always loved Chinese Chicken Salad too and wanted to make a homemade version that’s gluten free. Luckily, this salad checks all of the boxes while being paleo, whole30 and easy to make AIP!
This Gluten Free Chinese Chicken Salad is satisfyingly crunchy with coleslaw and carrots as the base with plenty of protein and healthy fats to keep you full and a nice pop of sweet with the mandarin oranges. It’s the perfect thing to throw together with your leftover chicken for quick and easy meal prep!
Table of contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s made with everyone in mind. This salad is paleo and whole30 compliant, and is also super easy to make AIP!
- Quick & easy! This recipe is super easy to throw together and makes for a fast and filling meal!
Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Coleslaw mix. I love to make it easy and use the mixed bags you can get at the store, but you can also use a head of green and purple cabbage in its place!
- Shredded carrots. You can also buy these pre-shredded to save you time or shred them easily in your food processor with the grating attachment.
- Cooked chicken breasts. You’ll need two pre-cooked chicken breasts cut into bite-sized cubes. This is a perfect recipe to use up leftover chicken.
- Mandarin oranges. I personally love the bag of Cuties you can buy at your local grocery store.
- Avocado oil.
- Coconut aminos.
- Apple cider vinegar.
- Slivered almonds.
- Green onion.
Substitutions and Modifications
- Slivered almonds. You can omit these for AIP.
- Shredded rotisserie chicken. This would be easy to substitute for the cubed chicken!
- Salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Omit the black pepper for AIP.
How to make Gluten Free Chinese Chicken Salad
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.
Step one. Prepare the dressing by combining the avocado oil, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Whisk and set aside.
Step two. Using a large bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, shredded carrots, almond, mandarin, and chicken. Toss to combine.
Step three. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Top with green onion.
Step four. Allow to sit and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge before serving fresh.
Tips & Tricks
- Save time. You can buy shredded carrots and pre-made coleslaw mix to make this recipe even quicker!
- Use up your leftovers! This recipe is an easy way to use up leftover chicken! You can use baked chicken breast, or even a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Just be sure that the chicken isn’t overly flavored with seasonings that would clash with this recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Since the base of this salad is coleslaw, it’ll last in an airtight container for a few days in the fridge! If you don’t want the coleslaw to lose some of its crunchiness from sitting in the dressing, just leave the dressing on the side until about 30 minutes before you go to eat it.
You can generally find coconut aminos, which is the gluten-free/soy-free replacement for traditional soy sauce, in the Asian food aisle of your local grocery store. I also often buy this online from Amazon or Thrive Market.
This is a great recipe for lunch meal prep during the week! To make it ahead of time, just leave the dressing, the mandarins, and slivered almonds on the side and toss together about 30 minutes before you plan to eat it.
Other salad recipes…
If you tried this Chinese Chicken Salad or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Gluten Free Chinese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper, omit for AIP
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 3 cups coleslaw mix
- ¼ cup shredded carrots
- ¼ cup slivered almonds, omit for AIP
- 2 mandarins, peeled and sectioned
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
- 2 tbsp green onion, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing by combining the avocado oil, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Whisk and set aside.
- Using a large bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, shredded carrots, almond, mandarin, and chicken. Toss to combine.
- Add the dressing and toss to coat. Top with green onion.
- Allow to sit and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge before serving fresh.
Super tasty and easy recipe! I will definitely be making this over and over again!
YAY! So glad you like the recipe!
This salad was delicious- even more so after the first day. I was going on a trip where I would not have ac to much AIP approved food do I made a big batch of this and it was the perfect travel salad! Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that!
This recipe is a keeper! It has great flavor. I have made it twice since the first time
to rave reviews from my friends and family members alike, so thank you for sharing this delicious dish with me.
So glad to hear this!
This was so easy and so yummy!
Any suggestions on how to make the dressing sweet? I miss having that rich Asian style dressing 🙁
I have a post with 9 different dressings coming out this Friday on the blog! So stay tuned
This looks amazing! Could you use gluten free Tamari instead of the coconut amino in the dressing? I have everything on hand but that item!
Yes, that should work just fine!