This Bang Bang Chicken Salad is fresh, crunchy, and full of bold flavor. Tender chicken and crisp vegetables are tossed in a creamy, spicy dressing made with chili oil and tahini, then finished with peanuts and sesame seeds—easy to make and great for meal prep.

Plate of Bang Bang Chicken Salad topped with peanuts, sesame seeds, and scallions, featuring shredded romaine, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, and bean sprouts, with chopsticks resting on the side and a large serving bowl in the background.

Before You Start Cooking

Chicken. You can use either cubed or shredded cooked chicken breast. This is a great way to use rotisserie chicken or leftover roasted chicken, but you can also cook chicken specifically for the salad, like my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breasts.
Dry your vegetables well. Excess moisture will dilute the dressing and cause the vegetables to soften more quickly. After washing, dry the cabbage, lettuce, and bean sprouts thoroughly—using a salad spinner or clean kitchen towels—before assembling.
Plan ahead. The dressing benefits from at least an hour in the refrigerator for the savory-salty-spicy flavors to mingle. If you’re short on time, you can make it a day or two in advance.

How to Make Bang Bang Chicken Salad

Overhead view of neatly arranged salad and dressing ingredients in bowls on a neutral surface, each labeled with text overlays including cooked chicken breast, romaine, shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, cucumber, carrots, scallions, peanuts, tahini, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame seeds and oil, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, mayo, chili crunch, and chili oil.

Step 1: Make the Bang Bang Dressing

The dressing is the flavor powerhouse in this recipe, so I like to start here and let it chill while I prep the rest of the salad. (The ingredient list might seem long, but each component adds great flavor!)

The Base

The creamy dressing base starts with mayonnaise and tahini. Use a good-quality mayo—Duke’s is my go-to for most dressings.

If you can find it, Japanese Kewpie mayo is also delicious here. It’s richer than American-style mayonnaise, with more tang and umami.

Tahini adds body and nutty depth to the dressing. My favorite is the Soom brand, which is smooth and not bitter. Be sure to stir the tahini well before measuring it—it often separates into oil and thick sesame paste in the jar.

The Seasonings

The bulk of the dressing’s heat, saltiness, and umami comes from chili oil and soy sauce.

Chili oil heat levels vary by brand, so I recommend starting with the smaller amount listed in the recipe and adjusting to taste. Sun Luck is a good, milder oil that’s often easy to find in the International aisle at the grocery store.

Soy sauce adds saltiness and umami to balance the creamy base. Chinese light soy sauce, Japanese shoyu, or tamari (for a gluten-free option) all work well. Check out my Chinese-Inspired Cooking Pantry Guide to read about the differences.

I like to use reduced-sodium soy sauce (such as Kikkoman) or San-J Tamari Lite.

Unmixed bang bang dressing ingredients in a glass bowl, including chili oil, chili crunch, tahini, garlic, mayo, soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger, with a metal whisk resting beside the bowl.

A few more add-ins bring the dressing’s sweet-savory-spicy flavors into balance:

Toasted Sesame Oil: Just a small amount adds a boost of sesame aroma and rounds out the tahini.
Rice Vinegar: Brings mild acidity and subtle sweetness that brightens the dressing’s richer flavors.
Light Brown Sugar: Just enough to soften the heat and salt without making the dressing too sweet.
Garlic and Ginger: Add punchy umami and a bright zing that keeps the dressing from tasting flat. I like to finely grate the ginger on a microplane so it distributes evenly throughout the dressing, and very finely mince or press the garlic.
Chili Crunch / Chili Crisp: Heat level can vary pretty significantly by brand, so start small and add to taste. If you’re new to chili crisp, Lao Gan Ma is a good starting point with a savory, lightly funky flavor and a good amount of crunch. Momofuku Original Chili Crunch is also popular for a spicier bite.

Once everything is whisked together, cover the mixing bowl (or transfer the dressing to a lidded container) and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour so the flavors can meld.

The finished bang bang dressing fully whisked in a glass bowl to a smooth orange consistency, with a metal whisk resting inside.

Step 2: Chop and Assemble the Salad

This Bang Bang Chicken Salad is all about fresh crunch, so once the dressing is done, it comes together quickly.

Start with the base. In a large salad bowl, combine shredded cabbage and chopped romaine lettuce hearts. I like using red cabbage for color, but you could also use a mix of red and Napa cabbage.

Once the greens are in the bowl, add your chicken and the rest of the vegetables:

Bean Sprouts: Use fresh mung bean sprouts, usually sold in bags or clamshell containers in the produce section or at Asian markets. They add a cool, crisp bite that really lightens the salad.
Carrots: I like making carrot ribbons for this salad. You can use a mandolin (as thick or thin as you like) or a vegetable peeler. For convenience, store-bought shredded or matchstick-cut carrots work just fine, too.
English Cucumber: Slice it into about ¼-inch rounds, then quarter them. English cucumbers have thin skins, so you can leave them unpeeled or peel them in stripes if you like a little contrast.
Scallions: Thinly slice them on the bias, using both the white and green parts, for a fresh, mild onion flavor throughout the salad.

Toss the chopped vegetables with the cooked chicken. You can use either cubed or shredded meat—this is a great place to use rotisserie chicken or leftover roasted chicken. You can also cook chicken specifically for the salad, like my Instant Pot shredded chicken breasts.

Overhead view of a large white bowl filled with chopped cooked chicken, romaine, shredded cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, and bean sprouts for Bang Bang Chicken Salad. Surrounding the bowl are small dishes with additional salad ingredients: chopped peanuts, sliced scallions, creamy orange dressing, extra cucumbers, and carrot ribbons. A white kitchen towel is partially visible in the corner.

Step 3: Dress and Garnish the Salad

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss until the chicken and vegetables are evenly coated.

If you’re serving family-style and cooking for different spice preferences, you might want to keep the salad lightly dressed and pass extra dressing at the table so everyone can adjust to taste. You can also fully dress the salad from the start if you prefer.

Finish with a handful of chopped, lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts and a few sesame seeds over the top for crunch.

Close-up of a hand pouring creamy, orange Bang Bang sauce from a ceramic bowl over a salad made with chopped chicken, cucumbers, shredded cabbage, and carrot ribbons in a white serving bowl.

Overhead photo of Bang Bang Chicken Salad in a white bowl with wooden serving utensils. The salad is a colorful mix of shredded cabbage, romaine, cucumbers, carrots, chicken, green onions, chopped peanuts, and sesame seeds tossed in a creamy orange dressing, with a green striped napkin styled underneath.

Serving Bang Bang Chicken Salad

This hearty salad has plenty of chicken and crunch to make it a satisfying main course. It’s especially good for lunch or an easy weeknight dinner, when you want something fresh and flavorful without turning on the oven.

It also works year-round, whether you’re serving it to cool off in the summer or brighten a winter day.

It’s best to serve the salad shortly after tossing, while the vegetables are still crisp. Once you add the dressing, the greens will start to soften as the salad sits.

If you’d like to add something alongside, you could serve a simple cup of soup—like my homemade wonton soup—or fried wonton strips for extra crunch.

Close-up of a fork lifting a bite of Bang Bang Chicken Salad with shredded cabbage, sliced cucumber, chicken, carrots, scallions, and sesame seeds coated in a creamy dressing.

Make Ahead Tips

This salad is a great option for meal prep, since most of its parts can be prepped in advance and assembled just before serving.

Mix. The Bang Bang dressing can be made up to 4 days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. Give it a good stir before using. (The dressing might thicken slightly as it chills. If you find that it’s too thick, add a few drops of water to thin it out.)
Chop. You can prep the vegetables ahead by washing and chopping the cabbage, romaine, carrots, cucumber, and scallions the day before serving. Store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator; lining the containers with a paper towel helps absorb excess moisture and keeps everything crisp.
Shop/Cook. Whether you’re using a rotisserie chicken or cooking your own, cooked chicken lasts up to 3 to 4 days refrigerated. Store it separately and add it to the salad just before serving.