Despite its name, Chinese chicken salad is an American dish, believed to be invented by an Austrian chef named Wolfgang Puck who is doing Asian fusion cuisine in America. Others claim that the dish was invented during the 1930s, somewhere in the United States.

Regardless of the origins, the salad, consisting of shredded chicken, lettuce, vegetables, fried noodles, and almonds is popular throughout the States. The Chinese part in its name refers to the numerous Chinese-style seasonings such as soy, sesame, and ginger.

Today, there are many versions of the salad, with added Mandarin orange slices, peanut sauce, or bean sprouts.