The first time I ordered Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad was after a long day of holiday shopping with my bestie. Exhausted and starving, we collapsed into a booth, and both ordered what became our forever favorite. That perfect balance of crispy chicken and fresh vegetables was precisely what we needed, and now it’s a shopping day tradition for us. Applebee’s signature salad delivers with its crispy breaded chicken tenders atop a colorful bed of romaine lettuce, red cabbage, and carrots. The contrast of textures—from crunchy almonds and chow mein noodles to tender chicken—creates an irresistible entree salad that satisfies as a complete meal. This restaurant copycat brings all the flavors you love to home.
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Table of Contents
What Makes the Applebees Breaded Oriental Chicken Salad So Good?
The genius of this salad lies in its contrasting textures and balanced flavors. Traditional Oriental salads often use poached chicken, but Applebee’s upgrade to crispy breaded tenders adds satisfying crunch and makes the dish more substantial. The swap from mostly cabbage to predominantly romaine lettuce reduces bitterness while maintaining crispness. The honey-sesame dressing provides the perfect balance of sweet and tangy notes that complement both the chicken and vegetables.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
Applebee’s modern updates to the classic Oriental Chicken Salad recipe may be minor, but they make all the difference in terms of taste and texture.
Swapping crispy chicken tenders for poached chicken adds even more crunch and ensures the meat is tender. Replacing most of the cabbage in the traditional recipe with romaine lettuce helps mitigate some of the original dish’s bitterness.
Copycat Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad Ingredients
For the Chicken Tenders
- Chicken breast – Provides lean protein and serves as the centerpiece of this entree salad
- All-purpose flour – Creates the first layer of the breading for a crispy coating
- Salt – Enhances flavors throughout the breading
- Black pepper – Adds subtle heat to the chicken breading
- Garlic powder – Infuses the breading with savory notes
- Eggs – Help the breading adhere to the chicken
- Milk – Creates a rich egg wash when combined with eggs
- Panko breadcrumbs – Provide exceptional crispiness to the chicken coating
- Cooking oil – Creates the perfect golden-brown exterior on the chicken
For the Dressing
- Honey – Adds natural sweetness to balance the tangy dressing
- Rice vinegar – Provides acidity and authentic Asian flavor
- Mayonnaise – Creates a creamy base for the dressing
- Dijon mustard – Adds complexity and slight heat to the dressing
- Sesame oil – Delivers authentic Asian flavor and nutty aroma
- Salt – Balances and enhances all flavors in the dressing
For the Salad
- Romaine lettuce – Provides a crisp, fresh base with mild flavor
- Red cabbage – Adds color, crunch, and nutritional benefits
- Carrots – Contribute natural sweetness and vibrant color
- Almonds – Add protein, healthy fats, and satisfying crunch
- Green onions – Provide mild onion flavor and fresh color contrast
- Fried chow mein noodles – Create the signature crunch that defines this salad
Fine fried chow mein noodles are best for this dish, but you can also use regular-sized fried chow mein noodles. Even seasoned instant ramen noodles or crispy fried onions will work in a pinch.
To make Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad Dressing
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a bowl.
- Stir or whisk until combined and smooth.
To prepare the breading mixtures for the chicken tenders:
- Set up a breading station with three wide, shallow bowls and a wire rack over a rimmed baking tray.
- Whisk the egg and milk in a bowl.
- Use a fork to mix the flour, salt, black pepper, and onion powder in another bowl.
- Place panko breadcrumbs in the last bowl.
- Pat the chicken breasts and cut them into inch-and-a-half strips.
- Dredge each chicken strip in the flour, dunk it in the egg mixture, and then coat it with panko. Place it on the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken strips.
- Place the breaded chicken strips in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to allow the breading to adhere.
To bread and fry the chicken tenders:
- Pat the chicken breasts and cut them into thin strips.
- Dredge each chicken strip in the flour, dunk it in the egg mixture, and then coat it with panko. Place it on the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken strips.
- Place the breaded chicken strips in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to allow the breading to adhere.
- Take the chicken tenders out of the fridge.
- Pour at least three inches of oil into a wide heavy-bottom pan and clip a deep-fry thermometer to the side. To make frying easier, use a deep fryer.
- Heat the oil over medium-high until the temperature reaches 350 degrees F.
- Cook the chicken tenders in batches for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown.
- Use a food spider to remove the chicken and drain it on a paper towel. Check to make sure the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees.
- Cook the remaining chicken tenders.
- Cut the fried chicken tenders into bite-sized pieces.
To assemble the Oriental chicken salad:
- Rinse and dry the lettuce and red cabbage to remove any excess moisture.
- Chop the lettuce into bite-sized pieces and shred the cabbage and carrots. Try using a vegetable shredder to make it much easier. Thinly slice the green onions.
- Place the lettuce, chopped veggies, almonds, and noodles in a large salad bowl.
- Toss all the ingredients for the salad except the chicken in a large mixing bowl.
- Plate the salad and top with the cubed chicken before serving.
Applebee’s Oriental Fried Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Oriental Dressing
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 pinch salt
Fried Chicken Tenders
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup plain panko bread crumbs
- 3 cups peanut oil for frying
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into long strips
Salad
- 3 romaine hearts chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
- 2 green onions chopped
- 5 ounces chow mein noodles
Instructions
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve.
- Set up a dredging station for the fried chicken: In a small bowl, mix the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In a separate small bowl, beat the egg and milk until fully combined. Place the panko bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl.
- In a heavy-duty pot, heat the peanut oil to 350°F over medium heat.
- Working one at a time, dredge each chicken strip in the flour mixture, coating evenly. Dunk the chicken strip into the egg mixture, coating completely. Then coat the chicken strip with the bread crumbs. Repeat for all the chicken strips.
- Fry the breaded chicken strips in the peanut oil, flipping halfway through the cooking process, until each side is golden brown. Remove from the oil and allow the chicken strips to drain on a few paper towels. When they have cooled, dice them into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the salad. Top with the breaded chicken and dressing. You may toss before serving or allow each serving to be tossed individually.
Notes
Nutrition
What to Serve With Fried Chicken Salad
You don’t need more than a fork to enjoy this salad, but adding a side dish or two is a nice touch. Although half of a sandwich or a cup of soup is a classic pairing, you can get a little more creative than that by serving a stuffed baked potato or crispy potstickers instead.
Storage Instructions
- Prepped vegetables will stay crisp for only a few hours once cut
- Store chicken, dressing, and salad components separately in airtight containers
- Fried chicken will stay crispy for up to 3 days if reheated in an oven or air fryer
- Dressing keeps fresh for up to one week in the refrigerator
More Applebee’s Copycat Recipes
Popular Salad Recipes
- California Chicken Salad
- Chicken Caesar Salad
- Chicken Fajita Salad
- Panera Cobb Salad
- Panera Greek Salad
- Sante Fe Salad
- Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Thai Noodle Salad
- Warm Spinach Salad
Check out my easy salad recipes and the best copycat restaurant recipes on CopyKat!
I made this today, exactly to recipe, and it was delicious. I recommend this recipe to everyone who likes Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad. Yum!
I really loved when they had this on the menu. I would eat it every time! Thanks for the copycat recipe Iʼm gonna make it and try it tonight!