Asian Chicken Chopped Salad (Whole30 Paleo Keto) 
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Asian Chicken Chopped Salad (Whole30 Paleo Keto) – a deliciously nutritious salad with a sweet and tangy Asian dressing, free of soy or sugar!
One week into our January round of Whole30 and we are going strong! We’re eating super delicious and satisfying food everyday and my cravings for naughty treats have been minimal. Even my husband, who was a hard sell, is sticking to the plan with few complaints!
This Asian Chicken Chopped Salad recipe is an excellent addition to any Whole30 or Paleo meal plan. Full of crunchy good-for-you veggies and a dressing that is just the right amount of sweet and tangy, it totally hits the spot if you’re having cravings for Asian food! This salad is perfect as a stand alone Whole30/Keto friendly meal, complete with servings of protein (chicken), veggies (cabbage and peppers), and healthy fats (almonds and dressing).
How to Make Asian Chopped Chicken Salad
To prepare this salad, I start with the shredded chicken. This foolproof recipe for making shredded chicken in the Instant Pot (favorite appliance ever!!) is my method of choice. I make a big batch on Sunday and add it to all my salads, including this one! Also convenient is store bought rotisserie chicken.
Next is the dressing…sweetened naturally with dates and full of awesome sesame ginger flavor, this dressing is down right drinkable. If you haven’t tried coconut aminos yet in place of soy sauce, you are going to love it! It has a mild, salty flavor and brings savory richness to all kinds of recipes. You can also find the ingredients for this dressing at Thrive Market, my absolute favorite source of Whole30 compliant staples!
This dressing is so good, you’ll want to make a double batch! It also makes an excellent dipping sauce or marinade. Typically I store the dressing in a mason jar until ready to use. The salad is super easy to throw together using a premade bag of coleslaw mix, red cabbage, sliced red peppers, green onions, and almonds. If I’m going to serve it immediately, I combine everything together at this point. For meal prepping, I keep the dressing separate and toss it in individual servings.
I love these glass containers and cute portable salad dressing bottles for prepping this salad ahead.
Variations on Asian Chicken Chopped Salad
For Keto diets, reduce or remove the dates in the dressing to keep the sugar carb count lower.
Other delicious add-ins for this salad include mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, sunflower seeds, and pea pods.
Try cooked shrimp in place of the chicken for a different version.
Pineapple juice and red pepper flakes are great substitutions and/or additions to the Asian dressing.
Check out my meal prep Mason Jar version of this salad or these Meal Prep Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups for more convenient, tasty, and nutritious lunch options!
If you need a little push to get started on your own Whole30 journey, head over to this post for a complete Whole30 Survival Guide with menu, shopping list, and tons of tips. And be sure to join my Facebook Whole30 Support Group for extra encouragement!
For More Whole30 Salad Recipes, Check Out:
Easy Chopped Detox Salad with Garlic Lemon Vinaigrette
Meal Prep Mason Jar Cobb Salad
Curried Chicken Salad with Apples
Whole30 Rosemary Chicken Salad
Did you make this recipe and love it too? Please leave your rating and review below! And don’t forget to tag your photos of this recipe on Instagram!
Asian Chicken Chopped Salad (Whole30 Paleo)
Ingredients
- 4 cups cole slaw mix (cabbage with shredded carrots)
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin
- 1 cup shredded chicken breast
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 2 green onions, finely sliced
- 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
Asian Dressing
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 3 large pitted dates, see note below
Instructions
- For the salad, place all ingredients in a large bowl or serving dish and toss to combine.
- For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a small blender or food processor (I used my Magic Bullet.) Process until dates are completely ground and dressing is a slightly creamy texture.
- Best when salad and dressing are combined just before eating.
Notes
Nutrition
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Vegetarian
Dairy Free
89 Comments on “Asian Chicken Chopped Salad (Whole30 Paleo Keto)”
This is so delicious!!!! Thank you for sharing! Curious if it keeps its crunch after the first day if you mix the dressing in with the salad?
Thanks, Stefanie! If I’m going to do individual servings (like for lunch each day), I like to keep the dressing separate and mix it in when I’m ready to eat.
Thank you so much! It was delicious!
Made this tonight for dinner and it was AMAZING!!! I added in come cilantro and chopped snap peas because they were in the fridge. Delicious!
How many servings does this generally make?
Hi Kristin,
You should get about 8 one-cup servings. Enjoy!
Do you happen to know the nutritional facts with this? Looks amazing and I want to be sure to account for it correctly in my log.
Anthony – I use myfitnesspal for calculating nutritional facts on recipes…when I plug this into the app it comes to about 175 calories per one-cup serving. Hope that helps!
How many servings does this make? Want to make sure I have enough for my lunches next week?
Hi Marci, the recipe makes about 8 cups. Happy meal prepping!
I just downloaded this app! Can you guide me to where to start calculating recipe facts??
Hi Cathy, I’m assuming you are referring to the Fitness Pal app. To get nutrition facts, from your dashboard click on More, then click on Meals, Recipes & Foods. Click Create a Recipe. Then click Add from the Web. You will need to copy and paste the url of the recipe here. After it uploads, it will ask you to check the ingredients. Do this because sometimes it gets amounts, etc. wrong. Then save the recipe – per serving nutrition info will be available. Once you get the hang of it, it’s super simple to use! You can add any recipe found on the internet or add recipes manually. I love this app!!!
Thanks! That’s what I did, but have a home recipe, NO URL unfortunately! So couldn’t get it to work without having an URL
You can use myfitnesspal app to figure out nutritional info/calories for home recipes.
This recipe is amazing. I’m crazy in love with it. I have to double it to have enough for myself and my husband for dinner and lunch the next day. Even my 2.5 year old likes it! And I really love how easy it is.
Thanks, Colleen! SO glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe!
Is there an alternative for the dates?? Like coconut sugar?
(I don’t need it to be whole30)
Darla, I haven’t tried it but I think coconut sugar or honey would work just great!
Did you substitute with honey? How much did you use? TIA!!
What is coconut aminos?
Beb – coconut aminos are a soy-free alternative to soy sauce, made from the sap of coconut blossoms. If you’re concerned about soy in your diet, feel free to use soy sauce.
This was so good! We loved it!
Thanks, Lisa! So glad you enjoyed it!!
Would the amount be the same if using soy sauce?
Yes, they are an equal swap!
YIKES! Recipe Rating and Post Comment tabs are too close together…clearly, I rate this a 5-star recipe…would give it 10 stars if I could…when I was tapping the stars, I tapped post too soon! Sorry…can’t find a delete or edit option!
This is quite possibly the BEST thing I have ever eaten! The dressing is A…MAZ…ING! Whether on or off of Whole30, this recipe will be a frequent guest on the menu planner! Thank you…thank you…thank you!
This was so delicious and perfect for my first week in whole30! Do you know how long the dressing would keep in the fridge? Would love to make a big batch to keep on hand for for later weeks.
Hi Jessilyn! Thanks so much! I think the dressing could last up to 2 weeks in the frig. Congrats on your first week…Whole30 is a life-changer 🙂
This is our new favorite. The dressing is yummy on other foods too. Great to dip grilled chicken in.
Love love love this!!! How many days do you think the shredded chicken is ok in the fridge? I made extra chicken – froze most but wondering if the portion I kept in the fridge is ok after 2 1/2 days or not.
Hi Pam – the rule of thumb for cooked chicken is 3-4 days. I have gone up to 5, just use your best judgment! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Is sesame oil on the whole 30? I thought she said no seed oils.
Yes, sesame oil is allowed! 🙂
While this looks delicious, sesame oil is on the list of oils to avoid on Whole 30 – see p. 102, “It Starts With Food,” by Dallas Hartwig & Melissa Hartwig (the Whole 30 gurus).
Hi Susan,
I refer to the more recent book by the Hartwigs, Whole30: The 30 Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom, page 68, which states that Sesame Oil is approved for the program. They do indicate that the healthiest way to use it in small quantities as part of a dressing or sauce. So for me, this recipe is totally compliant, but it is totally up to you if you choose to include it in your Whole30!
Wow this was good. I shared the recipe with my support/competition group lol. Thanks. I made a double batch of the salad and I’m sure glad I did. How long does the dressing hold ?
Thanks, Melisa! Glad you enjoyed it! The dressing should keep well up to 2 weeks. But it’s usually long gone before then 😉
Thank you for the recipe–it was delicious! I made a substitution in the dressing because I didn’t have dates on hand. I used crushed pineapple and it worked very well. This is going into my rotation! 🙂
Thank you, Kate! Pineapple…what a great idea!!
This was AAAAMAZING! My only regret was not doubling it. I used it as the dressing for Asian chicken Boston lettuce wraps. Not that it needs tweaking but I may try adding a bit of orange juice/zest and red pepper flakes next time. This is the kind of recipe that makes Whole30 sustainable. Thank you!
how many servings are in this recipe? can’t wait to make this! thanks for sharing.
Ann-Marie – roughly 8 one-cup servings. Enjoy!
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it. But I can’t have dates or rice vinegar is there substitutes? Thank you.
You could try apple cider vinegar in place of the rice vinegar. I have heard of some readers trying fresh pineapple juice instead of dates. Or if you’re not on the Whole30 plan, honey is a great substitute for adding a little sweetness. 🙂
This recipe is a true gem! SO satisfying and even better because it’s low guilt! Thank you, this is a staple in our house now.
Thanks, Amanda! So glad to hear it! 🙂
Amazing! Love the salad dressing. Thank you.
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Is rice vinegar allowed on Whole 30?
Hi Brenda, Yes rice vinegar is whole30 approved 🙂
Have all the ingredients and can’t wait to try it. Just kind of scratching my head at the amount of chicken. One cup of chicken divided 8 ways equals 2 tablespoons of chicken per serving! Shouldn’t a Whole30 meal closer to half and half, protein and veggies? I guess I could throw some extra chicken in there. What do you think? Thanks for the great recipe.
The recipe makes approximately 8 cups total, so I chose to break down the nutritional analysis based on a 1 cup serving. I would typically eat 2-2 1/2 servings at a time, though! 🙂
It was AMAZING
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It was a good thing that I was alone when I had this for lunch because I licked my bowl clean. No, really…I did. It was sooooo good! I made a double batch but didn’t double the dates. I didn’t want too much sugar in it. Going to share this recipe on my health mom’s FB page! Thank you
Sarah – thanks for the awesome review! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Thank you so much for this recipe……. it was amazing!!!!!! Even my very picky eaters loved it and asked for seconds….. good thing I made a double recipe!
Thanks, Diane!
There must be a rice vinegar that is sugar-free, because I just pulled my bottle out of the cabinet, and it definitely has 5g of sugar, and unfortunately it is from High Fructose Corn Syrup. 🙁
Mary – Yes, there is! I use Nakano Natural Rice Vinegar. Zero sugar!
There was a restaurant in Los Angeles in the 1980’s called Chin Chin and they were famous for their “Chinese” chicken salad. People still rave about it and this recipe is on spot! Really delish and I know that it’s healthier than the original :)) Thanks Nikki!
Thanks, Kath!!
I realize I’m a bit late to the party, but is the sweetener really necessary? We’re a sugar free family. Will the recipe work without the sugar?
Hi Megan – I think it’s definitely worth a try! Especially if you are accustomed to sugar free recipes. I hope you’ll let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Agree with so many others – this salad was amazing! Look forward to making it again next week 🙂
Thanks, Kim!!
It doesn’t say how much sweetener to use in place of the pitted dates I have no clue how much to use lol
Hey Olivia – I would start with a teaspoon or two, then taste it and add more to your liking!
Holy Hell this is a great salad. This will be on rotation even after my Whole30. This is potluck worthy food.
Hey Janessa – thanks for taking the time to leave a rating and review! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Just made this for lunch. Delicious! Thanks for sharing!!!
Thanks, Karen! So happy you enjoyed it!
This looks delicious and is delicious! Have made this several times and I can’t get enough of it!
Thanks, Amanda! It is addictive!
This is DELICIOUS!!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing. Also, like your idea in the comment section to do small servings with dressing on the side for later/lunches.
Thanks, Shannon!! Happy New Year!
This is my new favorite salad! I think it has everything to do with the dressing. The dressing is divine! I crave this salad, and I rarely crave salad, let alone one with meat in the recipe! Thanks!
Nikki, this salad was delicious! For some reason I bought figs instead of dates, but it turned out amazing anyway. My husband, who is a finicky eater, even said “honey, that was really, really good”. I used my own roasted chicken I made in my Ninja Foodi and that was by far the best chicken I’ve ever made. I also set half of the dry ingredients aside for tossing dressing on it the next day. I think the dressing was even better after chilling in the fridge overnight. Thanks for a great recipe that allowed me some variety on my Whole30 adventure!
Thank you so much, Liz!! And good to know on the figs, I’ll have to try that!
If using liquid stevia, how many drops…to replace dates.
Hey Nicole – I’ve never used Stevia but I’m guessing a few drops?
That dressing is out of this world.
Very authentic Asian and “clean” flavor.
To whomever makes this: don’t skip any of the ingredients. They are all very well thought out, especially the red bell pepper and the green onions.
Thank you so much for posting!
I made this for lunch today using leftover grilled chix from last night’s supper. I added cut up orange slices and used honey instead of dates. I would’ve added cilantro if I had it. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
That Asian chicken chopped salad looks absolutely fantastic. Beautiful photos, Nikki. I look forward to trying this.
So amazingly good. Even my husband liked it. Will definitely make this again!!!
Yay! Thanks for taking the time to leave a rating and review, Vicki!!
I had a similar Asian chicken chopped salad at a restaurant recently and found myself craving it and wondering if I could recreate it today.