Cheesecake Factory Luau Salad with an Asian Balsamic Vinaigrette, crunchy wonton sheets, vegetables and macadamia nuts, this recipe is a perfect copycat!
This post is one of a series of sponsored posts with Mountain Rose Herbs whose Sesame Oil, White Sesame Seeds and Black Sesame Seeds were used in the recipe.
Since it was taken off the menu I’ve wanted to re-make a version of it at home only to find that The Cheesecake Factory had actually released the recipe!
Yes, this recipe has quite a lot of ingredients. BUT, they’re all very easy to bring together and the salad itself is a total showstopper. You can even prepare parts of this recipe ahead of time like the dressing, the wonton crisp, the chicken, or the vegetable prep.
We’ve made this salad before for company and while it looks fussy, it is relatively easy to prepare. It is a whole lot of things thrown into a large bowl, piled high then layered with the wonton crisps. The added height gives it such a dramatic presentation and your guests will love it!
Tips for this Cheesecake Factory Luau Salad:
- When frying the wonton crisps take them out when they’re two shades lighter than you want them to end up. If you take them out at the right color they keep cooking a few seconds and get too dark.
- Mix up the dressing ahead of time. This will not only save time during prep, it will also help the flavors meld together better.
- Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken instead of buying and grilling your own.
- Adding the cut green onions to cold/ice water helps them curl for a beautiful topper.
Tools Used in the making of this Cheesecake Factory Luau Salad:
Balsamic Vinaigrette: Love this one, it is all natural and delicious and naturally lower in calories than most of the other versions at the stores.
Sesame Oil: This is not an ingredient to skip, I know it is just a teaspoon, but there is a TON of flavor in that teaspoon.
Rice Vinegar: This adds a sweet vinegar flavor to the dressing. Substitutions are not good for this ingredient either, but if you have to, the best option would be apple cider vinegar.
Sweet and Sour Sauce: I highly recommend the easy homemade version, but if you are going to buy pre-made I highly suggest this one.
Cheesecake Factory Luau Salad
Ingredients
SALAD:
- 3 chicken breasts , grilled & sliced into thin strips
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 1 red bell peppers , sliced into thin strips
- 1 yellow bell peppers , sliced into thin strips
- 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans , blanched, cut into 3? pieces
- 1 fresh mango , cut into small pieces
- 1 red onion , cut into small pieces
- 1 cup cucumber slices
DRESSING:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
GARNISHES:
- 1 ounce green onions , sliced into 1-inch thin strips
- 4 ounces sweet and sour sauce
- 4 ounce macadamia nuts , toasted and chopped
- 4 ounce carrots , peeled, sliced into 1-inch thin strips
- 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
- 8 6-inch egg roll wrappers , fried crisp
Instructions
- Toss the chicken with the five spice powder.
- Place the mixed greens, cucumber slices, chicken, bell peppers, green beans, red onion, and mango, into a large mixing bowl. Season the greens with salt and pepper.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the seasoned rice vinegar, your choice of balsamic vinaigrette, seasoned rice vinegar, sesame oil and granulated sugar.
- Drizzle the dressing over bowl with the salad ingredients, and toss together gently.
- Brush a small amount of sweet and sour sauce onto each crispy egg roll wrapper.
- In individual serving bowls, place a layer of dressed salad, top with an egg roll wrapper, and alternate finishing with a layer of salad. Then, top with the remaining garnishes.
Thank you for this recipe. I made a resolution in the Fall that I would learn to make all my favorite dishes and this was on my list along with Pad Thai, Korean BeBimBap, Thai Beef curry with green beans, and a pizza. So far pizza has proved the most challenging which surprised me. You made this dish much easier. I had forgotten that green beans were even in this salad till I read this recipe.
The only real difference I found was that on the Cheesecake Factory wrappers the nuts and seeds seemed almost encrusted into the wrappers. So I experimented with different ways to make the macadamia nuts stick to the wrappers. First I tried brushing them with egg and coating them with the nuts prior to cooking. Most of the nuts stuck but they are so expensive it killed me to lose any. Then I tried crushing them a bit and sprinkling them on the wrappers right after putting on the sweet and sour sauce and letting them kind of dry out a bit. That worked the best.
Years ago I took a Chinese cooking class and we made Chinese Chicken Salad from a master Chinese chef. He taught us to toss the chicken strips (I sous vide back then we poached them) with the salad dressing and sprinkling sesame seeds on them prior to assembling the salad. It ensures that each bite of chicken is full of flavor. Other than those two small changes I pretty much made the recipe as written. I can’t thank you enough.
That’s amazing, Kathryn! Thanks for coming back to let me know.
CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD TO TAKE TO A PICNIC? CONCERNED ABOUT THE WONTONS-ALSO CANTHE CHICKEN BE LEFT OUT? IS THERE A VEGAN REPLACEMENT?
This would still work. You could always add a bowl of ice underneath the salad bowl to help keep it cool. Also, add the wontons in right before putting the salad out or leave on the side for people to sprinkle on their individual portion. Enjoy!
Do you use both the rice vinegar and balsamic? I’m confused by instructions when it says your choice of? But then it also says add rice vinegar before that?
Yes. You’ll be adding your choice of balsamic vinaigrette (whichever brand you prefer) in with the rice vinegar, sesame oil and granulated sugar. Hopefully this helps clear things up.
Such a great copycat version. So sad the original if off the menu now but glad I can make my own version at home. This will be in our standard dinner rotation this summer for sure!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Lauren.
Sorry…I don’t see the chicken in the plating instructions. Is it mixed in with the salad?
You can either mix in the strip or lay them on top. I hope you enjoy it!
Is this cheese cake factory luau salads actual recipe? I haven’t been there in so long just to find out it’s off the menu now! 🙁
It’s as spot on a copycat as I’ve ever tried. It was a well loved dish by my parents and they love this version. Let me know if you try it!
Made this salad and we really enjoyed it. However the five seasons spice that is on the ingredients list wasn’t mentioned in the directions so I didn’t know how to apply it to the recipe. Can you give me an update on where it is used?
Thank you – great share!
So sorry about that! You’ll want to toss the chicken with the spices. I’ve edited to read correctly now. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
I just made this salad today and we really enjoyed it .. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe ?
I love the colors of this salad! And it’s so crunchy!
Thanks Catalina!
This salad is gorgeous! And I bet it is absolutely delicious too. 🙂
It really is, Carrie! You definitely need to try it!
Love this salad and love copycat recipes! Thanks for sharing!
Love the macadamia nuts and fried eggroll wrappers as your garnish! Overall, this salad looks amazing!!
Thanks Patricia!
I love Cheesecake Factory EVERYTHING! Can’t wait to try this out!