Wolfgang Puck’s Chicken Salad
Out of all the celebrity chefs that we’ve become accustomed to these days, I think my all-time favorite must be Wolfgang Puck. His bright personality and happy demeanor are always such a joy to see, and his food is simply amazing. I had the pleasure of meeting him and he was such a fun and genuine individual. His food is no frills, nothing fancy. Just great tasting food made with perfect technique. He has many famous recipes, however one that stands out to us is Wolfgang Puck’s Chicken Salad from his Chinois restaurant in LA. In this recipe we’ll show you how to create our slightly abridged version of this amazing salad
How to make Wolfgang Puck’s Chicken Salad
Like most great Salads, this one kicks off by making a Vinaigrette. The dressing for this recipe is a Chinese Mustard t, which is made by whisking together Greek Yoghurt, Chinese Mustard, Rice Wine Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Honey, Salt and Pepper until it emulsifies

In Wolfgang’s recipe he uses Egg Yolk, but we opted for Greek Yoghurt instead. I love the lusciousness that Greek Yoghurt adds to Salads and is a much-underutilized ingredient. We also replaced the Chinese Mustard with English Mustard, but this was purely because of availability of the ingredients. It won’t impact the flavor that much in the end, so you can use either
Once the Vinaigrette is prepared, store it in a sealable container and refrigerate until you are ready to prepare the salad. If you prefer, you can make the Vinaigrette a few days in advance as it will keep well in the fridge before using
Preparing the star of the show, the Chicken!
Now, in Wolfgang Puck’s Chicken Salad recipe he pan fries and then roasts the Chicken. This technique is a great way to extract some beautiful flavor out of Chicken; however, we find that it can sometimes dry the Chicken out

For our version of the Chicken Salad, we instead poach the Chicken. Poaching Chicken is a wonderful way to cook Chicken, especially Chicken Breast as it ensures the Chicken stays beautiful and tender. To poach Chicken, all you need to do is Boil some water in a large pot. Remove it from the heat then add the Chicken and cover
It’ll take about 40 minutes to completely cook as the residual heat in the pot will slowly cook the Chicken. For the best flavor, we recommend adding some flavors to the poaching liquid. A simple combination of Salt and Black Peppercorns does the trick. You can also add some aromatics like Garlic, Ginger, and fresh Herbs if you like
Once the Chicken is cooked, allow it to cool and then shred it into strips. You can shred it by using the back of two forks or simply shred it by hand. Set the Chicken aside as you prepare the remaining Vegetables for the Salad

Assembling the Salad
Cut up the Cabbage and Lettuce into strips using a sharp knife and then give it a good wash. Wolfgang’s recipe suggests that you submerge the greens in ice water and then refrigerate. You can do this if you like, but honestly this is home cooking, so a simple wash will suffice
Then combine the shredded Chicken to the greens and then add in about half the Vinaigrette and mix well. We recommend only adding half because overdressing Salad can ruin it. Add half and you can gauge how much more dressing is required for the perfect flavor. Give it a taste and it’s ready to serve!
To finish the dish, sprinkle it with some Sesame Seeds and top with the Cilantro Stems. You’ve got a delicious version of Wolfgang Puck’s Chicken Salad to dive into
Try adding Strawberries. It’s not the classic recipe, but it tastes so good!
While not the traditional method to prepare this Chicken Salad, we highly recommend adding Strawberries (or any other in-season sweet fruits to the dish). I find the sweetness offers a welcome contrast to the bitterness of the Salad and visually looks amazing on the plate

Lots of different sweet fruits will work well depending on the season. If you’re in the height of summer then try adding in some Mangos, Plums, or Nectarines to the dish. Just dice the fruits up into bite-sized pieces and mix them into the Salad when you’re adding the Vinaigrette and enjoy!
So, while not exactly like the classic Wolfgang Puck recipe, we think our Chicken Salad dish carries all of the hallmark flavors of the legendary dish while adding our own spin to it. The addition of Greek Yoghurt to the dressing, and Poaching the Chicken create a wonderful flavor and texture that makes this Salad special
Recipe Details
2 people
10 minutes
40 minutes
50 minutes
Wolfgang Puck’s Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- 1 tbsp. Black Peppercorns
- 2 tsp. Salt
- ½ Red Cabbage, sliced
- 1 Romaine Lettuce, sliced
- 1 cup of Strawberries, halved and stems removed (optional)
- 1 cup of Peanuts, roughly chopped
- 4 Cilantro Sprigs
- Juice of 2 Limes
- 1 tbsp. Sesame Seeds
Vinaigrette Ingredients
- 1 ½ tbsp. Greek Yoghurt
- Chinese Mustard
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- 2 tsp. Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp. Sesame Oil
- 3 tbsp. Peanut Oil
- 1 tsp. Honey
- ½ tsp. Salt
- ½ tsp. Pepper
Instructions
- Begin by making the Vinegarette by combining all ingredients into a bowl and mixing well. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Set aside to refrigerate until ready to use
- Bring a large pot of Water to a boil and add 2 tsp. of Salt and 1 tbsp. of Black Peppercorns. Remove from heat then add the Chicken. Cover and let sit for 40 minutes to poach
- Once cooked, remove the Chicken and allow it to cool. Shred it into pieces and then set aside
- Mix the Red Cabbage, Lettuce and (optional) Strawberries in a large bowl along with the shredded Chicken. Add about half the Vinegarette and thoroughly mix through. Taste for seasoning, adding more Vinegarette if required
- To serve, either plate in a large bowl or individual serving bowls. Top with Cilantro Sprigs, Sesame Seeds, and a squeeze of Lime Juice
Recipe Notes
- The Vinegarette can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Just refrigerate in a sealed container until ready to use
- You can double the quantity of all ingredients if you are feeding 4 people
- Adding Strawberries is optional but are a great addition to the dish. YOU can also try different sweet fruits like Mango, Nectarines, or Plums
This delicious recipe pays homage to the famous Wolfgang Puck’s Chicken Salad from his LA institution Asian-fusion restaurant Chinois. It’s a great interpretation of this classic dish and is so easy to make at home. The Poached Chicken adds a beautiful flavor and texture to the dish, and guarantees perfectly cooked Chicken every time
For more wonderful Salads just like this one, check out these tasty recipes:
- Salmon Caesar Salad
- Watermelon and Mint Salad
- Cucumber Dill Salad with Mint and Feta
- Chopped Salmon Salad with Candied Peanuts
Happy Cooking!