Mandarin Orange Shredded Chicken Salad
This mandarin orange shredded chicken salad recipe is jam packed with all the goods! Tender shredded chicken, juicy mandarin oranges, fresh vegetables, toasted almonds, crispy chow mein noodles and the most delicious creamy citrus yogurt dressing.
Enjoy this mandarin orange shredded chicken salad with crispy rice paper chips, pile it high on a leafy salad or tuck it inside of a wrap. This chicken salad is loaded with protein which will keep you feeling full and satisfied all day.
Creamy Citrus Dressing – Two Ways
For this chicken salad recipe, I made a creamy citrus yogurt dressing that can be prepared two different ways. If you’re in a rush and want to keep things simple, then the first version is for you. It’s made from four simple ingredients and works perfectly with this dish.
However, if you have a little more time and a few more ingredients handy, then I suggest you try the second version. The second version offers more depth of flavor which goes great with this recipe. Both versions are delicious, it just depends on what you’re in the mood for.
How to Make Rice Paper Chips
Rice paper chips taste so good with this recipe. To make them, heat avocado oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Next, break the rice paper into large pieces. Add one piece at a time to the hot oil. The rice paper will puff up very quickly. After a few seconds, remove the puffed rice paper from the pan and set it on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Season with a pinch of salt while they are hot. Serve the rice paper chips with the chicken salad.
Ingredients Needed for Mandarin Orange Shredded Chicken Salad
Chicken Tenderloin – For this recipe, you’ll need about 1- 1.5 pounds of chicken tenderloin. Boil a pot of water and add the chicken. Cook it for roughly 15-17 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Drain off the water and allow the chicken to cool. Once it’s cool, use your hands to shred the chicken into small pieces.
Vegetables – For this recipe, you’ll need diced celery, finely diced shallots, diced cucumber (be sure to remove the core), and thinly shaved green cabbage. Napa cabbage would work well too.
Mandarin Oranges – You’ll need about ¾ cup of mandarin oranges. Option to use fresh or packaged. If packaged, be sure to drain off any liquid before adding them.
Herbs / Seasoning – For this recipe, I used finely chopped chives, sesame seeds, salt and cracked black pepper.
Chow Mein Noodles – The crispy chow mein noodles add a crunch factor to this recipe that’s hard to resist. You’ll need about 1/4 cup in total. Add half of the crispy noodles to the chicken salad mixture and use the remaining half as a garnish over the top of the salad.
Creamy Citrus Dressing – For the simple version, you’ll combine 0% Greek yogurt, pulp free orange juice, honey and salt. Whisk well. For the more complex version, you’ll combine 0% Greek yogurt, pulp free orange juice, honey, Dijon mustard, low sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, salt and a touch of warm water. Whisk well.
How to Make Mandarin Orange Shredded Chicken Salad
Boil a pot of water and add the chicken tenderloins. Boil for about 15-17 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Drain the water and set the chicken aside to cool. Once it’s cool to touch, shred the chicken into a large bowl using your hands.
In a separate small mixing bowl, combine your choice of creamy citrus yogurt dressing. Set aside.
Next, add the diced celery, thinly shaved green cabbage, finely diced shallots, and diced English cucumber to the bowl with the shredded chicken. Be sure to remove the core of the cucumber.
Season everything with salt and cracked black pepper.
Then, add the toasted almonds and crispy chow mein noodles. Gently toss to combine.
Next, add the prepared mandarin oranges and drizzle the salad dressing over the top. Gently fold all the ingredients together until the chicken salad is well coated in the dressing.
Top everything with sesame seeds, finely chopped chives and the remaining crispy chow mein noodles. Serve and enjoy.
Storage
Store any leftover mandarin orange chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Extra dressing can be stored in a separate sealed container in the refrigerator. Looking for more chicken salad recipes?
Mandarin Orange Shredded Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Orange Yogurt Dressing – Simple Version
- ¼ cup 0% Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons orange juice, pulp free
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Orange Yogurt Dressing
- ¼ cup 0% Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons orange juice, pulp free
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce, low sodium
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon warm water
Chicken Salad
- 1 – 1.5 lbs. chicken tenderloin, boiled, Smart Chicken
- ¾ cup celery, diced small, about 3-4 ribs
- ⅓ cup shallot, finely diced
- ¾ cup English cucumber, diced, remove core
- 1 cup green cabbage, thinly shaved, Napa cabbage works too
- ¾ cup mandarin oranges, drained or peeled
- ¼ cup toasted almonds
- ¼ cup chow mein sticks
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1-2 tablespoons chives
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Equipment
- 1 pot boil chicken
- 1 colander drain chicken
- 1 large mixing bowl chicken salad
- 1 small mixing bowl dressing
Instructions
- Boil a pot of water and add the chicken tenderloin. Boil for about 15-17 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Drain the water and set the chicken aside to cool. Once it’s cool to touch, shred the chicken into a large bowl using your hands.
- In a separate small mixing bowl, combine your choice of creamy citrus yogurt dressing. Set aside.
- Next, add diced celery, thinly shaved green cabbage, finely diced shallots, and diced English cucumber to the bowl with the shredded chicken. Be sure to remove the core of the cucumber.
- Season everything with salt and cracked black pepper.
- Then, add the toasted almonds and crispy chow mein noodles. Gently toss to combine.
- Next, add the mandarin oranges and drizzle the salad dressing over the top. You can use as much or as little dressing as you desire. Gently fold all the ingredients together until the chicken salad is well coated in the dressing.
- Top everything with sesame seeds, finely chopped chives and the remaining crispy chow mein noodles. Serve and enjoy.
One Comment on “Mandarin Orange Shredded Chicken Salad”
I prepped this today for lunches next week and of course I had to sample some as I was filling containers. Man is this delicious! That dressing is unreal!