Asian Ramen Salad with Chicken
Asian Ramen Salad has tender chicken, crisp cabbage, crushed ramen noodles, almonds and green onions in a simple soy sesame dressing. As the chicken is cooked and the coleslaw mix is bagged, it takes only 15 minutes to prepare.
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Looking for new salad ideas? This Asian ramen salad with chicken has plenty of crunch and flavor. It’s super simple to prepare and always makes a great lunch.
Need another easy noodle dish? Try Taco Ramen for a warm ramen dinner with ground beef and taco seasoning. This Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Salad is another delicious lunch option with chicken. If you want pasta instead of noodles, check out my Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad or Orzo Pasta Salad.
Why You’ll Love It
- 15-minute prep: Cooked chicken and bagged coleslaw keep the prep short, with only the dressing left to whisk. It’s a great lunch to whip up when you want something delicious but quick and easy to prepare.
- No cooking needed: Rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken keeps the recipe to mixing, whisking and tossing.
- Tasty Asian elements: The soy sauce, green onions, rice vinegar, and sesame oil give this salad delicious oriental flavors.
- Crunchy ramen texture: This gives the salad something special and unusual.
Ramen Noodle Salad Ingredients
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients, measurements, and detailed instructions.
- Cooked chicken: Use shredded or chopped cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken is the fastest choice.
- Coleslaw mix: Bagged shredded cabbage saves prep and gives the salad its crisp base. You can use shredded cabbage or shredded cabbage with shredded carrot, as you prefer.
- Ramen noodles: Crush the dry noodles and throw away the seasoning packets or keep them for another use.
- Sliced almonds: Toast them lightly if you have a few extra minutes. The flavor is better.
- Green onions: Slice thinly so the flavor spreads through the salad.
- Vegetable oil: Forms the dressing base and helps coat the cabbage and noodles.
- Soy sauce: Adds salt and savory flavor to the dressing.
- Sugar: Balances the vinegar and soy sauce in the dressing.
- Rice vinegar: Adds a mild tang to the salad.
- Sesame oil: Adds a nutty flavor to the soy dressing. Don’t be tempted to add extra because this ingredient can overpower other flavors.
Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken shortcut: Buy a rotisserie chicken if you don’t have cooked chicken ready.
- Different protein: Try cooked turkey or grilled chicken strips.
- Honey swap: Replace the sugar with honey for a softer sweetness.
- Vinegar swap: Use apple cider vinegar if rice vinegar isn’t in the pantry.
- Nut-free option: Use sunflower seeds in place of sliced almonds.
- Mandarin oranges: Add drained mandarin orange segments for sweetness.
- Spicy dressing: Whisk in a small amount of sriracha.
- Extra protein: Add some shelled edamame.
Asian Ramen Salad
Ingredients
- 2 packages ramen noodles 3-ounce packs, crushed, seasoning packets discarded
- 2 cups chicken cooked and shredded or chopped
- 14 ounces coleslaw mix
- ½ cup green onions sliced
- ½ cup almonds sliced
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add the coleslaw mix and cooked chicken.
- Add the sliced almonds, crushed ramen noodles and sliced green onions.
- In another bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oil, rice vinegar, sugar and sesame oil until the dressing is smooth and the sugar has dissolved.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything until evenly coated.
- Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving so the noodles soften slightly but still have some crunch.
- Toss once more just before serving to redistribute the dressing.
Notes
- Break noodles in the bag: Open the bag slightly first so pieces don’t scatter across the counter.
- Use a deep bowl: Cabbage shreds and ramen need space for tossing, or the dressing collects at the bottom.
- Check sweetness: Use the full sugar amount for the classic flavor, or reduce it slightly if using a sweeter coleslaw mix or one with carrot as well as cabbage.
Nutrition Information
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Kim’s Top Tips
- Crush unevenly: Leave some larger ramen pieces so the salad has bigger crunchy pieces.
- Toast the almonds: Use a dry skillet and stir often. Thin almond slices brown quickly.
- Dress close to serving: Add the dressing 10 to 15 minutes before eating for the best ramen texture.
- Use cold chicken: Warm chicken wilts the cabbage and softens the ramen too fast.
- Toss again before serving: Oil can collect at the bottom of the bowl, so a second toss helps coat the salad.
How to Store
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The ramen is best within 24 hours though.
Make ahead: Mix the salad base and dressing separately up to 1 day ahead. Don’t add the dressing until you’re almost ready to serve it.
Freezing: Don’t freeze this salad. The cabbage and ramen lose too much texture.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Asian ramen noodle salad with Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef or Slow Cooker Beef with Broccoli. Kung Pao Beef would work too. Some more options are Bang Bang Shrimp, Shrimp Toast or Korean BBQ Short Ribs.
Easy Asian Ramen Noodle Salad FAQs
No. Use the noodles dry and crushed. Dry ramen gives the salad its crunchy texture. Cooked ramen would make the salad too soft. Adding the dressing 10 to 15 minutes before serving softens the noodles slightly.
No. Discard the seasoning packets or save for another use. The dressing already has soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and sesame oil.
Yes. Reduce the sugar by a tablespoon or two, then taste the dressing before adding it to the salad. The soy sauce and rice vinegar still give it enough flavor, but the dressing won’t be as sweet.
