Chrissy Teigen’s Chinese Chicken Salad

Remember on The Office when Jim found a movie script that Michael Scott had written called Threat Level Midnight? Yeah, when everything in my life maxes out and I start losing my keys and driving the wrong way down one-way streets (in all fairness, they just changed the directions of the one-ways, but still) and forgetting the memory card for my camera when I’m supposed to be taking pictures of an event and accidentally melting a package of chicken thighs (and the plastic IKEA kids’ plate it was sitting on). And yes, I’ve done all those things in the last 48 hours. So. Chrissy Teigen’s Chinese Chicken Salad is coming at you a little late, but it’s happy to be here. And yes, this is new, un-plasticky chicken.

I got this recipe in a Blue Apron box last year (that’s an entire blog post of its own–we get lots of questions about meal kits. I’ve used all of them for lots of reasons, but I’m not using anything right now. And yes, I’m a food blogger than needs all the help she can get.) It was a quick family favorite. I’m not usually one that hops on celebrity bandwagons, and I’m not like a weird Chrissy Teigen superfan or anything, but I do think she’s funny and down to earth and every recipe I’ve tried of hers has been fantastic and her Target line is really cute and oh my gosh am I a weird Chrissy Teigen superfan??

There are a few versions of this recipe floating around, and I haven’t even checked her cookbooks to see if it is in there because I’ve taken what I liked from the different Blue Apron versions + added my own adaptations (I can’t get fresh wonton noodles where I live and I’m just using an entire bag of coleslaw instead of different cabbages for the sake of simplicity and my own sanity. I also doubled the sauce/dressing because there is not nearly enough in the original recipe and it’s delicious.)

Just as a warning, after I made this, it looked like a bomb went off in my kitchen. Please refer to the aforementioned Threat Level Midnight Scenario. I was running short on time and so all inhibitions were down and I probably made this in the messiest, least efficient way possible. Also my noodles, as you may have noticed, are a little browner than they should be. Luckily, they tasted good, possibly because they were blessed with a few swear words. While I was making this, I felt like I was on a very un-fun version of a cooking competition show. What I’m saying is the potential for mess here is very great, but if you stay calm and do things in an organized way, you can keep it under control.

Preheat oven to 450 F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, cook the noodles according to package directions, drain, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt, toss, and set aside (it’s okay for them to be cold).

For the crispy wonton wrappers, the original recipe calls for fresh wonton noodles. Since I don’t live in the kind of place where you can easily find fresh wonton noodles, I just got wonton wrappers from the produce department,

but if you can find the noodles, by all means use them because they are delicious. If you’re using the wrappers, use a sharp knife, cut the wonton wrappers into 1/4″ strips (you will probably need to divide the wrappers into a few stacks to make sure they’re all cut evenly).

Place on a large baking sheet and drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and make sure they’ve been separated. Set aside.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.

Place the cabbage, shredded carrot, and the dark green ends of the green onions in a large salad bowl. Set aside.

You can use anywhere from 1-2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, depending on how much protein you want to add and what you can find (what I’m saying is don’t stress if you can only find 1 3/4 pound packages of chicken thighs.)

Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and cut into 1/2″ slices. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken in a single layer and cook 3-4 minutes. Add the white ends of the green onions and the garlic and then flip/stir it to make sure all the sides have been browned. When done, remove from heat.

When the oven is ready, add the wonton wrappers and bake for 4-5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, stir, and then return to the oven for another 4-5 minutes or until light brown and crispy. Remove from oven.

When the chicken and wonton wrappers are cooked, add them to the bowl

and drizzle with the sauce. Toss and serve immediately.

Chrissy Teigen's Chinese Chicken Salad

This delicious protein- and veggie-packed Chinese Chicken Salad will become a family favorite!

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Ingredients

salad

• 6 ounces linguine noodles
• 6 ounces fresh wonton wrappers or fresh wonton noodles
• 1-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2" slices
• 16 ounce bag coleslaw
• 6 ounces shredded carrots
• 3 green onions chopped (separate green and white ends)
• 4-5 cloves garlic minced

dressing

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Optional: Your favorite Asian hot sauce like Sriracha, Gochujang, or Sambal Oelek to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, cook the noodles according to package directions, drain, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt, toss, and set aside (it's okay for them to be cold).
• For the crispy wonton wrappers, the original recipe calls for fresh wonton noodles. Since I don't live in the kind of place where you can easily find fresh wonton noodles, I just got wonton wrappers from the produce department, but if you can find the noodles, by all means use them because they are delicious. If you're using the wrappers, use a sharp knife, cut the wonton wrappers into 1/4" strips (you will probably need to divide the wrappers into a few stacks to make sure they're all cut evenly).
• Place on a large baking sheet and drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and make sure they've been separated. Set aside.
• Whisk together the dressing ingredients, including hot sauce to taste, and set aside.
• Place the noodles, cabbage, shredded carrot, and the dark green ends of the green onions in a large salad bowl. Set aside.
• You can use anywhere from 1-2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, depending on how much protein you want to add and what you can find (what I'm saying is don't stress if you can only find 1 3/4 pound packages of chicken thighs.)
• Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and cut into 1/2" slices. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken in a single layer and cook 3-4 minutes. Add the white ends of the green onions and the garlic and then flip/stir it to make sure all the sides have been browned. When done, remove from heat.
• When the oven is ready, add the wonton wrappers and bake for 4-5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, stir, and then return to the oven for another 4-5 minutes or until light brown and crispy. Remove from oven.
• When the chicken and wonton wrappers are cooked, add them to the bowl and drizzle with the sauce. Toss and serve immediately.

Author: kate jones

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