Chinese chicken salad, as its name suggests, is a salad with chicken, popular in the United States. The Asian influence comes from common Asian-themed ingredients. Though many variations exist, common features of most salads described as "Chinese chicken" contain lettuce, chicken, Mandarin orange slices, a ginger dressing, and won-ton noodles. Other common recipes will add a combination of water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, peanuts, and almonds.
The origin of the Chinese chicken salad most likely comes from Pan-Asian cuisine pioneers, such as Wolfgang Puck for example, rather than having acutal roots in Chinese cuisine, as salad is dish of Western origins. From there, the pleasing combination of ingredients have given it widespread popularity, establishing the Chinese chicken salad on many restaurant menus, including the fast food establishment Wendy's and the exclusive Spago.
