These Chinese chicken salad wraps take everything you love about the classic restaurant salad and roll it into a tortilla you can eat with one hand. Soy and sesame brushed chicken breasts go under the broiler until golden, then get tossed in a creamy ginger dressing I shake together in a mason jar. Crisp romaine, red cabbage, carrot matchsticks, juicy mandarin segments, and oven baked wonton strips fill every bite with crunch. When I first made these, my kids eyed them with suspicion. One bite later, they were asking for seconds, and these wraps have been in our lunch and dinner rotation ever since.
If you prefer the fork and bowl version, my Chinese Chicken Salad is the one to make, and for a low carb option, try my Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Looking for more fast weeknight meals? Browse my collection of 30 minute dinners.
In This Post
Why You’ll Love these Chinese Chicken Salad Wraps
- Big crunch in every bite: Homemade wonton strips, cabbage, and carrots give these wraps a texture that store bought sandwiches cannot match.
- Sweet, savory, and bright: Mandarin oranges and a touch of sugar in the dressing balance the salty soy and nutty sesame on the chicken.
- Ready in 30 minutes: Ten minutes of prep and about twenty minutes in the oven is all it takes to feed four.
- Satisfying without feeling heavy: Each wrap has about 30 grams of protein, so it holds you over from lunch to dinner.
- Kid approved: Mild flavors and a fun handheld format win over even the pickiest eaters at my table.
Heather’s Expert Tips for the Best Chinese Chicken Salad Wraps
Drawing from 20 years of recipe development and my time co-founding a spice company, here’s what makes this recipe worth making exactly as written.
- Bake the wonton strips first: They only need about 5 minutes at 425°F. Watch them closely and pull them as soon as the edges turn light gold, because they go from crisp to scorched fast.
- Keep the chicken marinade simple: After years of developing blends as a co-founder of Spiceology, I have learned that a few bold ingredients often beat a long list. Soy sauce and toasted sesame oil season the chicken while the broiler builds flavor, and the dressing does the rest.
- Grate the ginger fresh: A microplane turns fresh ginger into a juicy paste that melts into the dressing. Dried ground ginger tastes dusty by comparison.
- Dress the chicken, not the greens: Tossing only the diced chicken in the dressing keeps the romaine and cabbage crisp, so the wraps do not turn soggy before you finish rolling.
- Warm the tortillas: Ten seconds in a dry skillet or microwave makes large tortillas pliable enough to fold and roll without cracking. Even better – make your own with my Homemade Flour Tortillas recipe.
Equipment Needed
- Rimmed baking sheet for baking the wonton strips and broiling the chicken
- Small mixing bowl for the soy and sesame oil mixture
- Silicone pastry brush for coating the chicken
- Half pint mason jars for shaking up the dressing
- Microplane grater for fresh ginger
- Julienne peeler for quick carrot matchsticks
Ingredients for Chinese Chicken Salad Wraps
Before we get started, let’s gather all the ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make these delicious wraps:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – or substitute with boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Wonton wrappers – strips of wonton get baked to add a crunchy element to the wrap.
- Soy sauce – low-sodium or tamari work great.
- Sesame oil – such as toasted sesame oil or for a lighter flavor use regular sesame oil.
- Fresh ginger – my hack is freezing the ginger to make grating fast and easy.
- Fresh garlic – minced with a sharp chef’s knife or use jarred garlic in a pinch.
- Flour tortillas – or use whole wheat or gluten-free tortillas or wraps.
- Shredded cabbage – green or purple or a mix of both.
- Julienned Carrots – use a julienne peeler or a sharp chef’s knife.
- Green onions – or chives that are chopped small.
- Mandarin orange segments – adds a nice citrus element to the wraps.
- Mayonnaise – for the dressing.
- Dijon mustard – adds a kick to the dressing mixture.
- Rice wine vinegar – adds umami to the dressing.
- Granulated sugar – adds balance to the dressing mixture.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
- Use rotisserie chicken: Skip the broiler and dice about 3 cups of store bought rotisserie chicken for a no cook shortcut.
- Lighten the dressing: Swap half the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt for extra tang and protein.
- Add a little heat: Whisk a teaspoon of sriracha or chili crisp into the dressing.
- Add more crunch: Sprinkle in toasted sliced almonds or chopped cashews along with the wonton strips.
- Make it gluten free: Use gluten free tortillas and tamari, and swap the wonton strips for crushed rice crackers.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
- Store components separately: Keep the dressed chicken, chopped vegetables, and mandarins in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Keep wonton strips at room temperature: Store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days so they stay crisp.
- Assemble just before eating: Once rolled, the wraps are best within a few hours. Wrap them tightly in parchment for packed lunches.
- Freeze the chicken only: Broiled chicken freezes well for up to 3 months before it is dressed. Mayonnaise based dressing does not freeze well, so mix it fresh.
- No reheating needed: These wraps are meant to be served cold or at room temperature. Thaw frozen chicken overnight in the fridge before dicing and dressing.
What to Serve with Chinese Chicken Salad Wraps
- Creamy Ginger Chicken Meatball Soup for a soup and wrap combo on chilly days
- Easy Vietnamese Pho when you want a heartier meal
- Curried Carrot Soup for a warm, lightly spiced side
- Sesame Broccolini Noodles to round out an Asian inspired spread
- Sweet Green Tea & Ginger Mojito for a refreshing drink
- Mixed Berry Crisp for an easy dessert
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but prep the components rather than the finished wraps. Broil and dress the chicken, chop the vegetables, and bake the wonton strips up to 3 days ahead, then roll the wraps just before serving so the tortillas stay soft and the wontons stay crunchy.
They share the same flavors, but the wrap version is built to be handheld. The chicken is tossed in a thick, creamy dressing that clings to the filling instead of a thinner vinaigrette that would drip, and everything is layered into a tortilla for easy lunches and picnics.
Large 10 to 12 inch flour tortillas are the easiest to roll without tearing. Spinach, whole wheat, or gluten free wraps also work well, just warm them first so they bend without cracking.
Absolutely. Drain them well and pat them dry with a paper towel so the extra syrup does not make the tortilla soggy.
Yes, they travel well for a few hours if you roll them tightly in parchment and keep them chilled. For longer stretches, pack the wonton strips separately and add them right before eating.
More Recipes to Try
Chinese Chicken Salad Wraps Recipe
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Ingredients
- 4 large flour tortillas, or wrap of choice
- 5 wonton wrappers, sliced into strips
- 2 medium chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp soy sauce, or tamari
- ½ tsp sesame oil, toasted or regular
- cooking spray
- 3 cups romaine lettuce, coarse chopped
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchstick sized pieces
- 2 mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned
- 2 green onions, sliced
Dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ½ tsp grated fresh ginger
- ¼ tsp sesame oil, toasted or regular
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º F.
- Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and add wonton strips. Toss to coat in cooking spray. Bake 5 minutes, or until starting to lightly brow and get crisp. Remove and set aside.
- In a small bowl mix together the soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil.
- Increase oven temperature to the broil setting. Spray the same rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and add chicken breasts. Brush chicken on both sides with soy sauce mixture. Broil until golden and cooked through (don't burn), turning once, about 10-15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Dice and place in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a 1/2 pint mason jar add the mayonnaise, granulated sugar, rice wine vinegar, dijon mustard, grated ginger, and sesame oil. Cap the jar and shake vigorously until dressing is combined. Pour over chicken and toss to coat.
Assemble Chicken Wrap
- Lay 1 tortilla on a work surface and add 1/4 of each: prepared chicken, romaine, carrots, cabbage, mandarins, scallions, and wonton chips. Fold edges in and roll to make the wrap. Repeat with remaining wraps.
- Serve immediately with extra dressing, if desired.
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Nutrition
*Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Please Leave a Review & Star Rating!This chinese chicken wrap recipe was originally published on March 26th, 2015. It has recently been updated with new photography, tips, and storing instructions.
Hi! I’m Heather
I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.
Handheld Chinese chicken salad? Sign me up!
Perfect food for picnics! Your photos look beautiful, can’t wait to make these yummy chicken wraps!
Thank you so much Sommer! I miss you mucho! Thanks for always being awesome! xo
They’re very pretty! I love your ingredients. Kids should love these, in spite of their healthfulness!!!
Thank you Chef Mimi. My kids gobbled them up. They were sure at first when I told them what it was, but that song changed quickly after the first bite. 🙂