This Asian chicken carrot salad is a more filling take on the viral TikTok shaved carrot salad. Roasted chicken chunks come together with ribboned carrots in a umami-packed dressing to make this delicious salad that's perfect for a light lunch.
It's simple, vibrant and perfect for your summer potlucks and BBQs. If you've tried my Asian spicy cucumber salad recipe, you're going to love this one.
Almost every week, I find myself craving some Asian food- my favorite spicy orange chicken and my Thai crunchy cucumber salad in specific, and it is on repeat in my household.
That said, I keep trying my hands at new, unique recipes whenever I get to, and recently, I tried a nice Korean green onion salad which was a hit in my household. And that's actually what inspired me to try another salad recipe this time.
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 10 minutes.
- ⏲️Cook time: 0 minutes.
- 👪 Servings: 2.
- 📋Main ingredients: Carrots, honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, sesame seeds, roasted chicken, shallots, garlic, lime juice, red pepper flakes, cilantro.
- ♨️Cooking method: Shave carrots 🡢 chop shallots and garlic 🡢 combine with other ingredients 🡢 toss and serve.
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Drizzle some homemade chili garlic oil over the chicken carrot salad right before you serve.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- It's ridiculously easy to make. You'll just need 10 minutes in the kitchen to make a bowl full of this salad.
- It's perfect to serve as a side or enjoy as a light lunch- just like my Thai fried egg salad.
Recipe Ingredients
Chicken: I used some leftover roasted chicken that I had. You can use shredded rotisserie chicken too.
Carrots: Use ripe, firm and unblemished carrots. Trim the ends and peel them before using.
Apple cider vinegar: For that fruity, tangy flavor. I like to use my hot pepper vinegar sometimes when I want to make it more spicy.
Honey: To balance out the tanginess. You can use brown sugar instead of honey if you want to.
Soy sauce: For that umami depth. You can use coconut aminos or tamari to make it gluten free.
Garlic + shallots: For a bit of a pungent kick. Use Air Fryer roasted garlic for a deeper flavor.
Sesame oil: For that authentic Asian flavor. Feel free to skip this if you don't have it at hand. Sometimes, I use my habanero infused oil for an extra kick.
Red pepper flakes: For the heat. Skip this if you can't tolerate spice.
Lime juice: To round out all the flavors.
Sesame seeds: For that nutty crunch. Lightly toast the sesame seeds before adding if you have a few extra minutes.
Cilantro: To garnish.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Skip the red pepper flakes and add a spoonful of chili crisp or your favorite chili oil (try my Sichuan chili oil or scallion ginger oil) for some extra yumminess.
- Sometimes, I like to use an infused honey (like my habanero hot honey or jalapeno honey) to bump up the flavors of the Asian carrot salad.
- If you don't have sesame oil, use any other neutral tasting oil- not extra virgin olive oil.
- If you're not a fan of garlic and shallots, skip adding them and use some grated ginger (or Air Fryer ginger powder) to add flavor to the salad.
How to Make Chicken Carrot Salad
Step 1: Shave carrots into thin ribbons. Add chopped garlic and shallots.
Step 2: Add other ingredients. Toss well to combine. Serve.
💭Top Tip
Refrigerate the salad for 10-15 minutes before you serve. This will help the carrots soften a teeny bit and soak up all the flavors from the dressing.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Use a peeler to slice the carrots into thin ribbons. Don't try doing this with a knife- they won't be as uniform.
- You can also prep the salad ahead of time if you want to. I like to batch make my Air Fryer shredded chicken or chicken floss and the dressing for this salad over the weekend and refrigerate them both separately. Then, all I need to do is slice the carrots and put everything together.
- You can also slice some cucumbers into ribbons and add them in along with the carrots to bulk up the salad.
- You can also try using different colored carrots (like heirloom carrots) to make the salad more colorful.
- Sometimes, I like to sprinkle a bit of Gomasio (Japanese sesame salt) over the salad right before serving, for a bit of extra flavor.
- You can also switch things up and use a nice jalapeno vinaigrette instead of making this dressing from scratch.
How to Serve Asian Chicken Carrot Salad
Enjoy this Asian chicken carrot salad as a meal on its own or serve it as a side with an Asian main of your choice- or even just with some steamed rice. I love serving it with my honey Sriracha shrimp rice bowl or Teriyaki chicken whenever I'm making this without the roasted chicken.
You can also stuff these carrots into your sandwiches and wraps. I love using some of this leftover salad along with my chili crisp fried egg or soy cured egg yolks and a bowl of rice to make a quick meal.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Store leftover Asian chicken carrot salad for up to 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
More Salad Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Asian chicken carrot salad or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Asian Chicken Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 3 carrots large
- 1 cup roasted chicken cubed
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 garlic
- 2-3 shallots
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Shave carrots into thin ribbons. Add chopped garlic and shallots.
- Add other ingredients. Toss well to combine. Serve.
Notes
- Refrigerate the salad for 10-15 minutes before you serve. This will help the carrots soften a teeny bit and soak up all the flavors from the dressing.
- Use a peeler to slice the carrots into thin ribbons. Don't try doing this with a knife- they won't be as uniform.
- You can also slice some cucumbers into ribbons and add them in along with the carrots to bulk up the salad.
- You can also try using different colored carrots (like heirloom carrots) to make the salad more colorful.
- You can also prep the salad ahead of time if you want to. I like to batch make my Air Fryer shredded chicken or chicken floss and the dressing for this salad over the weekend and refrigerate them both separately. Then, all I need to do is slice the carrots and put everything together.
