Crispy Wonton Chicken Salad

By Eric Kim

Published June 26, 2022

Crispy Wonton Chicken Salad
Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(1,133)
Comments
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This dynamic chicken salad, starring crispy strips of fried wonton wrappers, draws inspiration from the wonton chicken salad at the soup and salad buffet chain Sweet Tomatoes, as well as the American Chinese chicken salads that pervaded chain-restaurant menus throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. In a supporting role, letting the crispy wontons shine, is the punchy dressing of peach preserves, rice vinegar, sesame oil and chili powder. The dressing’s low oil content – plus the addition of mayonnaise, which helps create an emulsion – means the salad greens stay crunchy and keep for longer. For the chicken, you can use any leftover meat or tear pieces from a store-bought rotisserie bird.

Featured in: This Chicken Salad Has It All

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings

    For the Dressing

    • 3tablespoons rice vinegar
    • 3tablespoons toasted sesame oil
    • 2tablespoons peach or apricot preserves
    • 2tablespoons mayonnaise
    • 1tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1teaspoon chili powder
    • ½teaspoon onion powder
    • Salt

    For the Salad

    • 8ounces cooked chicken meat, torn into bite-size pieces (2 cups)
    • 8wonton wrappers (see Tip)
    • Vegetable oil, for frying
    • Salt
    • 2romaine hearts, coarsely chopped
    • 4scallions, coarsely chopped
    • 1packed cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems
    • 1packed cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

958 calories; 73 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 44 grams monounsaturated fat; 18 grams polyunsaturated fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 27 grams protein; 916 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sesame oil, peach preserves, mayonnaise, soy sauce, chili powder and onion powder, and season to taste with salt.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the salad: Add the chicken to the dressing and toss.

  3. Step 3

    To fry the wonton wrappers, cut the squares into ½-inch strips, then cut those strips in half crosswise to shorten them. In a medium saucepan, heat an inch of oil over medium to 350 degrees, or until a wonton strip immediately bubbles when added. Carefully add the wonton strips to the hot oil and, stirring constantly with a slotted spoon, fry until puffy and golden, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Transfer the crispy wontons to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.

  4. Step 4

    Assemble the salad: Add the chopped romaine, scallions, cilantro, mint and half of the fried wontons to the bowl with the dressed chicken, and toss to combine. Season with salt as needed. Top with the remaining fried wontons and serve immediately.

Tip
  • Wonton wrappers are uncooked, flour-based thin sheets of dough, about 3½ inches square. You can find them in the refrigerated section of supermarkets. Store-bought fried wonton wrappers, often packaged as “wonton strips,” are a convenient alternative, though they can be harder to find; look for them near the salad croutons.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,133 user ratings
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Comments

Julia

I'm just here to say do yourself a favor and read the absolutely beautiful article Eric Kim wrote to introduce this recipe. It'll give you a big lump in your throat (NY Times Magazine, June 22, 2022).

Philippe Garmy

Crispy, fried shallots or onions (store bought) is a brilliant substitute to the fried wontons...

Steve

I make a very similar cabbage-based version of this based off a Marion Grasby recipe. I like it because it uses up the wonton bags all the Chinese takeouts include here in NYC. I started adding duck sauce packets to the dressing, which is the only useful application I ever found (serving same purpose as apricot preserves here). Try adding in a diced red chile, some crushed peanuts, and fried shallots too!

Monicah

Dressing is watery and bland. Not worth the time

Liza

Terrific! Made twice in one week.

Kay

Instead of making your own wontons just use the packaged wonton crisps in the salad section Add some roasted, unsalted peanuts Add orange (or mandarin orange) pieces

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