Copycat Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad
This fresh and crunchy salad brings that restaurant favorite right to your kitchen table.
recipesbynani.comThere is something so satisfying about the mix of textures in this classic salad. Between the crispy chicken, the crunch of the noodles, and those bright pops of citrus, it never gets boring.
My best tip for this recipe is to keep the noodles and almonds separate until the very last second before you eat. This ensures everything stays perfectly crispy rather than getting soggy from the dressing.
🧺 Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, sliced into strips
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1 can mandarin oranges, drained
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup crispy chow mein noodles
- 1/2 cup creamy honey mustard or oriental dressing
👩🍳Instructions
- 1
Place your flour in one shallow bowl and the beaten egg in another. Put the panko breadcrumbs in a third bowl.
- 2
Dip each chicken strip into the flour, then the egg, and finally coat it thoroughly in the breadcrumbs.
- 3
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the chicken strips for about 4 minutes per side until they are golden brown and cooked through.
- 4
Drain the cooked chicken on a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
- 5
In a large serving bowl, toss the chopped lettuce and cabbage together.
- 6
Top the greens with the crispy chicken strips, mandarin oranges, almonds, and chow mein noodles.
- 7
Drizzle your favorite dressing over the top and serve immediately.
💡 Tips
Store the dressing in a separate container so you can keep the salad fresh for lunch the next day. If you like a little heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to your breading mixture.
Made this recipe? Let us know how it went.
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