Name: Paleo Chinese Chicken Salad {Whole30}
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 3 medjool dates (pitted and softened if necessary by soaking in very hot water for 5 minutes); 1/4 cup almond butter; 3 Tbsp coconut aminos; 1 Tbsp sesame oil; 1/2 inch fresh ginger (peeled and chopped); 2 cloves garlic (peeled and chopped); 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar); 2 cups slaw mix; 1 cup Purple cabbage (shredded); 1 bunch Scallions (green and white parts, thinly sliced); 3/4 cup Raw cashews (or almonds, chopped); 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped); 1/2 cup Mandarin oranges (check labels for Whole30); 2 Tbsp avocado oil (ghee, or coconut oil); 1 1/2 lbs Chicken thighs (boneless and skinless); 3/4 tsp onion powder; 3/4 tsp garlic powder; Sea salt and black pepper

Whole 30 Egg Free No Added Sugar

This Chinese Chicken Salad is a crunchy salad dream with tons of sweet and savory flavor. The almond butter sesame dressing is sweetened with dates, making this salad paleo and Whole30 compliant. Perfect for lunches and dinners, and the leftovers save well to pack the next day.

The heatwave has officially taken me down. I used to openly HATE the heat, but over the past few years started to sort of like it/embrace it. I even thought maybe I could be one of those “the hotter the better” people.

But as of today, I guess that’s a no. When the real-feel passes 100° F, my body quickly says “f— no”. Doing a hot yoga class in the morning probably didn’t help the situation, even wearing breathable, moisture wicking gear. No matter how much water I drink, moving even a little bit seems out of reach.

But seriously, if you are one of those hotter-the-better people, I envy you big time right now.

Now for the transition to this salad!

Option 1: “salads are great in the heat!” Yes, this is true, except for the fact that for this particular Chinese chicken salad, I have you pan frying your chicken, possibly the hottest way to cook anything. So darn, this transition is flawed.

Option 2: “even if I can’t handle the heat, I am still grateful for huge salads loaded with crunchy goodies and packed with flavor like this Chinese Chicken Salad!” Good enough for me. And really, ain’t it the truth. Amen.

But even more seriously, you are going to flipping LOVE this salad. Because the dressing is drinkable (weird, but this is my standard for salad dressing) the chicken is flavorful and juicy and even after all that, it’s both Paleo and Whole30 compliant.

This Chinese Chicken Salad is bound to become one of your absolute favorite, put-on-repeat salads! But don’t take my word for it just like that – you need to make it to believe it.

Ingredients in Chinese Chicken Salad

Slaw mix
Purple cabbage
Scallions
Cashews or almonds
Cilantro
Mandarin oranges
Avocado oil
Chicken thigs
Onion powder & garlic powder
Sea salt & black pepper

I decided to use boneless, skinless thighs over breasts because they are so much juicier and more flavorful. I basically use them whenever I possibly can because they are just that GOOD!

However, you can easily swap in breasts if that’s your thing. Heck, you can use whatever chicken you like! Leftover rotisserie, slow cooked, instant pot – the sky is the limit – use your favorite.

Ingredients in Almond Butter Sesame Dressing

Medjool dates
Almond butter
Coconut aminos
Sesame oil
Ginger
Garlic
Rice vinegar

If you want you can substitute apple cider vinegar for the rice vinegar.

How to Make Almond Butter Sesame Dressing

Put all of the dressing ingredients into a blender and blend until everything is combined and has become smooth and creamy. Don’t worry if your dressing is too thick – you can add a small amount of water to smooth it out. Start with a 1/2 teaspoon and add more if necessary.

To keep the salad Whole30 compliant, I used Medjool dates to sweeten the dressing. DO NOT be intimidated if this is new to you – they blend up perfectly smooth with the rest of the ingredients.

I used a NutriBullet but you can probably use any blender. Just make sure you soak your dates in a little hot water before using them to make sure they’re nice and soft.

I hope you’re ready for a super easy yet HIGHLY delicious Chinese Chicken Salad recipe that’s going to become a new favorite – even for the non-paleo eaters! Get your dates soaking and grab your ingredients, it’s time to EAT – let’s go!