Chinese Crispy Chicken Salad
I created this salad for my grocery store client, and it quickly became a bestseller!
One thing I’ve learned about grocery shoppers is that when there’s crispy chicken on top, it will sell!
Another thing I started doing this year was swapping traditional breading and flour for potato starch (I use Bob’s Red Mill). It gives chicken an incredibly crisp, golden crust with all those crunchy bits we love.
This salad starts with potato starch-crusted chicken breast served over a mix of iceberg, romaine, and radicchio, with julienned carrots, toasted sesame seeds, slivered almonds, and scallions. It’s all finished with a bold, delicious dressing made with soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sriracha, mandarin juice, and Dijon mustard.
It’s fresh, vibrant, crunchy, and so delicious. You’ll love it!
Ingredients
Chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced horizontally into thin cutlets
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil, for frying
Salad
½ head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
½ head romaine lettuce, outer leaves removed, thinly sliced
½ small radicchio, thinly sliced
1 carrot, julienned or shredded
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Soy Dressing
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sriracha
Juice of 1 mandarin orange
1 tablespoon agave
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, plus more to taste
½ cup light olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
For dressing, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sriracha, mandarin juice, agave, and Dijon mustard in medium bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more Dijon mustard if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
For chicken, pat cutlets dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Place flour, beaten eggs, and panko breadcrumbs into three separate shallow bowls. Dredge each cutlet in flour, shaking off excess, then dip into beaten eggs, allowing excess to drip off. Finally, press firmly into panko breadcrumbs, coating both sides evenly.
Heat about ½ inch of canola oil in large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, fry chicken for about 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until deeply golden, crispy, and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer to wire rack and season lightly with salt. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice diagonally into 1 × 2-inch strips.
To assemble, in large bowl, combine iceberg, romaine, radicchio, carrot, sesame seeds, almonds, and scallions. Add enough dressing to lightly coat and toss gently to combine. Arrange on large platter and top with crispy chicken. Serve immediately with remaining dressing on the side.
Note: For an equally delicious alternative, replace the flour, eggs, and panko with potato starch. Simply dredge seasoned chicken cutlets directly in potato starch, pressing firmly to coat both sides and shaking off excess before frying. Potato starch creates a wonderfully light, crisp crust with all those crunchy bits we love!
Serves 4.
