Description
Crispy, golden chicken tossed over crunchy romaine, cabbage, carrots, and almonds, all drizzled with a sweet and tangy honey oriental dressing. This copycat Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad tastes just like the restaurant favorite—but even fresher at home.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Honey Oriental Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1½ tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon sesame oil
For the Crispy Chicken:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
For the Salad:
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- ½ cup chopped red cabbage
- ½ cup chopped Napa cabbage
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
Instructions
- In a bowl or blender, mix honey, rice vinegar, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and sesame oil until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Slice chicken breasts into long, thin strips.
- In one bowl, whisk together egg and milk. In another bowl, combine flour, panko, salt, and pepper.
- Dip chicken strips into the egg mixture, then coat fully in the flour-panko mixture.
- Carefully fry chicken strips in hot oil for 3–4 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Transfer chicken to paper towels to drain. Once slightly cooled, cut into bite-size pieces.
- In a large bowl, toss together romaine, red cabbage, Napa cabbage, and shredded carrot.
- Top salad with crispy chicken and sliced almonds.
- Drizzle with honey oriental dressing and serve immediately.
Notes
- For a lighter option, bake the breaded chicken at 425°F for 15–20 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Store dressing separately if meal prepping to keep everything crisp.
- Add extra crunch with chow mein noodles if desired.
- Always test oil temperature with a small crumb before frying to avoid greasy chicken.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salad (¼ of recipe)
- Calories: 620 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 28 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg