Chinese Chicken Noodle Salad (鸡丝凉面)

Chinese chicken noodle salad is a perfect summer dish. Thin noodles are tossed in a nutty, aromatic and savory sesame sauce and topped with tender shredded chicken and crunchy cucumber. It’s super easy to prepare, can be cooked ahead for meal prep, and is addictively tasty! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

The hot summer continues. It’s the time of the year that I try to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. Unfortunately, unlike many of my friends, my appetite never decreases despite the heat. That’s why I’m sharing this super easy and delicious Chinese chicken noodle salad recipe, which is perfect for summer.

Ji Si Liang Mian, or directly translated as shredded chicken cold noodles, is a homestyle dish that my mom likes to make when she doesn’t feel like cooking. All you need to do is mix a rich sauce, boil the noodles, chop some cucumber, and put it all together. This is a perfect dish to use your leftover rotisserie chicken in. But if you do not have leftover chicken on hand, no worries! I’ve included the method to easily steam the chicken for this dish. 

Chinese chicken noodle salad key ingredients

Making a great noodle sauce is easy, but you do need to gather a few ingredients:

1. Chinese sesame paste (芝麻酱)

Chinese Sesame Paste (芝麻酱, zhī ma jiàng) is also known as roasted sesame paste. It is thick and light-brown in color, made from roasted white sesame seeds. It has a similar texture to natural smooth peanut butter and tahini, but with a smokier, nuttier, richer flavor. It’s totally possible to either use natural peanut butter or tahini as an alternative. But when possible, I highly recommend trying out Chinese sesame paste, since it creates a much more authentic taste for your Chinese chicken noodle salad. 

You can find Chinese sesame paste at most Asian markets or on Amazon. When purchasing, make sure to get the type that is made with 100% sesame, and not the type that’s blended with peanuts. 

2. Homemade chili oil (辣椒油)

The secret ingredient that will make your noodle sauce 10 times better. It is fresh, made with quality ingredients, and tastes much more fragrant than the bottled chili oil. Making the oil takes as little as 10 minutes and the result is so rewarding. I usually make a big batch and store it in the fridge. It stays good for months.

In the recipe it’s listed as an optional, just in case you do not want any spiciness in your dish. But I highly recommend adding some chili oil, if you do not mind at least a mild spicy taste.

3. Chinkiang vinegar (镇江香醋)

Also called black vinegar, it is made from various grains and aged until the color turns dark brown or inky black. It has a fermented, malty taste and woody character that distinguishes it from the light-colored and fruity rice vinegar. Consider this ingredient the balsamic vinegar of Chinese cuisine, as it has a rich, pungent, and tart flavor, sometimes with a hint of sweetness. You can order it from Amazon or purchase it in an Asian market.

I rarely recommend replacing Chinkiang vinegar with another ingredient, unless you want to make the sauce gluten-free. In this case, you’ll need to use rice vinegar, and the taste of the sauce will slightly change.

4. What type of noodles to use

You can use almost any type of noodles to make Chinese chicken noodle salad and the result will be good. However, for the best texture, I recommend using thin wheat noodles, preferably the fresh type. 

My favorite noodles are the fresh ones from Havista. You can find this brand in most Asian markets, such as H Mart and 99 Ranch Market. I used Shanghai Yangchun Noodles (in the left picture). They are quite thin, but still have a nice chewy texture. Chongqing Xiao Noodles have a similar texture and are very suitable as well. Long-Life Noodles are thinner and will taste much more tender once cooked. They have a similar texture to Japanese somen. All of these will work, but if you like some chewiness to your noodles, pick the Yangchun or Chongqing noodles.

Of course, you can also use fatter noodles if you prefer. And you can use rice noodles for a gluten-free dish.

How to make Chinese chicken noodle salad

1. Lay a bed of green onion onto a plate that can fit into your steamer
2. Add the chicken on top. Generously season it with salt
3. Steam until the chicken is just cooked through
4. Let the chicken cool off a bit and shred it 
5. Toss the noodles with the sauce
6. Assemble the bowl by adding the toppings 

Cooking notes

1. Rotisserie chicken works well, too

You can steam the chicken, and the process for that is included in the recipe below. But you can save even more time by using rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken.

2. Topping options

The default noodle topping in my family is always sliced cucumber. But you can use many other veggies or skip the veggies altogether. Great topping options include sliced bell peppers, bean sprouts, thinly sliced radishes, and shredded lettuce. 

3. Prepare ahead for meal prep

This dish holds up in the fridge quite well and it’s suitable for meal prep. And it tastes great when served cold, so it’s perfect if you need to bring the dish to work or to a picnic. 

4. Make the dish vegetarian 

When I’m feeling lazy or want my meal to be lighter, I simply chop up some baked tofu to throw on top of my noodles. You can bake the tofu at home, or simply buy the packaged one from the grocery store. 

Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, it takes a couple of minutes to boil the noodles and whisk the sauce together. You can serve the noodles as an appetizer or snack, but I can always devour a big bowl of them for dinner! 

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do 🙂

Other easy dishes that are perfect for summer

• Air Fryer Garlic Ribs (蒜香排骨)
• Easy Tofu and Celery Salad
• Zha Jiang Mian (Old Beijing Fried Sauce Noodle, 炸酱面)
• Bean Sprout Salad (凉拌豆芽)
• Cantonese Lettuce with Oyster Sauce (蚝油生菜)

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Chinese Chicken Noodle Salad (鸡丝凉面)

5 from 4 votes

Chinese chicken noodle salad is a perfect summer dish. Thin noodles are tossed in a nutty, aromatic and savory sesame sauce and topped with tender shredded chicken and crunchy cucumber. It’s super easy to prepare, can be cooked ahead for meal prep, and is addictively tasty! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

To make the dish gluten-free, replace the light soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos, replace the Chinkiang vinegar with rice vinegar, and use rice noodles instead of wheat noodles.

Author: Maggie Zhu

Course: Appetizer, Main, Side

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: homestyle

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

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Ingredients

Chinese Chicken Noodle Salad

• 2 (1 lb / 450 g) total small boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) (*Footnote 1)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 green onions
• 1 lb (450 g) fresh thin wheat noodles , or 14 oz (400 g dried noodles) (*Footnote 2)
• 1/2 cucumber , thinly sliced (*Footnote 3)
• green onion for garnish , chopped (Optional)

Sauce

• 1/4 cup Chinese sesame paste (or unsweetened natural peanut butter)
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
• 3 teaspoons dark soy sauce (Optional) (*Footnote 4)
• 2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar (or honey, or maple syrup)
• 2 tablespoons homemade chili oil (or to taste) (Optional)
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 thumb ginger , grated
• 2 cloves garlic , minced

Instructions

• Chop the green onions into 2” (5 cm) sticks, reserving a small amount of the green part for garnishing. For garnishing, thinly slice the green onion into rounds.
• Prepare a steamer by adding 2” (5 cm) water into the pot. Cover and heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Use a plate that can fit into your steamer rack. Spread the green onion sticks onto the plate to make a bed. Place the chicken breast on top. Sprinkle salt evenly over the chicken.
• When steam comes out of the steamer, place the steamer rack with the chicken on top, and cover the steamer. Cook for 15 minutes. Test the chicken by using a thermometer inserted into the thickest part. It should read 165°F (73°C). Or insert a knife into the thickest part, and the juice should run clear. If the chicken is still pink inside, steam for another 5 minutes. Once done, transfer the chicken to a plate to cool.
• Once the chicken is cooked, you can use the same pot of water to boil the noodles according to the package instructions. Once done, drain the noodles, rinse with tap water to stop cooking. Then drain again and set aside.
• While cooking the chicken, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk to mix well.
• Boil the noodles according to package instructions, until al dente. Drain the cooked noodles and rinse the noodles with cold tap water to stop cooking. Then transfer to a big bowl.
• Once the chicken has cooled, transfer it onto a cutting board. Shred the chicken into thin slices using two forks.
• To assemble, add the sauce into the cooked noodles. Toss to mix well.
• To serve, transfer the noodles into individual serving bowls. Top with the shredded chicken, cucumber and green onion. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

1. You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken for this dish. In this case, you don’t need to cook the chicken and can add it directly onto the noodles.
   I used two small chicken breasts in the dish, which is a more generous serving that’s suitable to make the dish a main course. If you want to make the dish as a side, 1 chicken breast should be enough.
2. You can use many types of noodles to make this dish. I like to use thin noodles because they soak up the sauce and taste great. If you like a chewy texture, use udon, or even better, fresh hand-pulled or shaved noodles. You can use rice noodles to make the dish gluten-free, or even zucchini noodles if you want to make the dish paleo-friendly.
3. If you use a mandoline to slice the cucumber, gently squeeze the water out of the cucumber before adding it to the bowl, so the sauce won’t get watery.
4. The dark soy sauce adds a beautiful dark brown color to the sauce. If you do not have dark soy sauce, replace it with regular soy sauce.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 330kcal, Carbohydrates: 26.2g, Protein: 19.3g, Fat: 16.6g, Saturated Fat: 2.9g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 655mg, Potassium: 260mg, Fiber: 2.2g, Sugar: 3g, Calcium: 69mg, Iron: 2mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Don’t forget the last step! Leave a comment below, and tag me @OmnivoresCookbook and #OmnivoresCookbook on Instagram!

The post was published on Aug 3, 2018 and updated on Aug 16, 2022 with new photos and video.