Description
This Crunchy Chicken Salad is a vibrant and flavorful dish combining crisp vegetables, tender rotisserie chicken, and a tangy homemade dressing based on ramen noodle seasoning. Enhanced with crunchy slivered almonds, sunflower kernels, and sweet dried cranberries, it’s perfect for a quick, refreshing meal or potluck favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
Dressing
- 2 (3-oz) packages chicken-flavor ramen noodles (seasoning packets reserved)
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- â…“ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar
Salad
- 1 (12-oz) package broccoli slaw
- 1 Red Delicious apple, cored and diced
- 1 cup sunflower kernels
- 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 1 rotisserie chicken, deboned and chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: Whisk together the seasoning packets from the ramen noodles, vegetable oil, white vinegar, and sugar in a bowl. Set this mixture aside to let the flavors meld.
- Combine salad ingredients: In a large bowl, add the broccoli slaw, diced apple, sunflower kernels, dried cranberries, chopped green onions, red bell pepper, slivered almonds, and chopped rotisserie chicken. Pour the prepared dressing over the top and toss everything thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are well coated.
- Add ramen noodles: Just before serving, crush the uncooked ramen noodles and sprinkle them over the salad. Toss once more gently to distribute the crunchy noodles without making them soggy.
Notes
- For added freshness, prepare the salad shortly before serving to keep noodles crunchy.
- You can substitute rotisserie chicken with cooked shredded chicken breast for a homemade touch.
- If you prefer a gluten-free version, replace the ramen noodles with gluten-free crunchy toppings such as toasted nuts or seeds.
- This salad keeps well refrigerated for up to 2 days but is best eaten fresh.
- Adjust the sugar quantity in the dressing according to your preference for sweetness.
