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Asian Crunch Salad With Crispy Chicken

Asian crunch salad with crispy chicken pieces in bowls next to roughly chopped almonds and dressing.
Asian crunch salad is full of colorful, fresh veggies, crispy chicken, and a creamy homemade dressing. This easy recipe is gluten free and dairy free.
Author: Lindsey Jenkins
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
 

Crunch Salad

  • 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 2 cups shredded green cabbage
  • 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • ¼ cup sliced green onions
  • ⅓ cup roasted almonds roughly chopped
  • creamy Asian salad dressing to taste

Crispy Chicken

  • 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • ⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs use gluten free if needed
  • 1 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt use ½ teaspoon if using any other kind
  • ½ teaspoon EACH garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • olive oil or avocado oil spray

Instructions

  • Add the chopped romaine, sliced cabbage, carrots, and green onions to a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces (chicken nugget size). Set up your dredging station. In one bowl, mix the panko bread crumbs and spices together. In the other bowl, beat the egg. Dredge each piece of chicken first in the beaten egg then in the breadcrumb mixture.
  • Cook your chicken in either an air fryer or on the stove top. See directions for each below.
  • Assemble your bowls. Toss the salad mixture with crispy chicken pieces, chopped almonds, and the dressing until mixed to your liking. Enjoy!

Air Fryer

  • Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF.
  • Arrange the breaded chicken pieces in a single layer in the tray. Spray the top of the chicken with avocado oil or olive oil. Cook for 9 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through and spraying the tops of each piece with a little more oil.
  • Transfer the cooked pieces to a wire rack and continue with this process until you’ve cooked all the chicken.

Stovetop

  • Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat with enough avocado or olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Cook the chicken in a single layer on each side until golden brown and at an internal temperature of 165ºF.

Notes

See the blog post for helpful tips, step-by-step instructions, and storage.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

No roasted almonds? - you can also use crunchy roasted cashews or peanuts.
Make it plant-based - used edamame beans or tofu instead of chicken.
Make it nut free - use toasted sesame seeds or sunflower seeds instead.
Add-ins - red bell pepper or any favorite crunchy veggies, bean sprouts, rice noodles, baked crunchy noodles, or crispy wonton strips, etc.
Variations - use a different salad dressing such as honey ginger dressing, creamy lemon miso dressing, or spicy cashew dressing.