This Thai Chicken Salad is loaded with flavor from chicken breast, crunchy vegetables and a peanut ginger dressing made with pantry staples like soy sauce, olive oil, lime juice, and a little sesame oil! It's easy to make, full of nutrition and a high protein option to meal prep for the week! Add it to a wrap or sandwich or serve it with crackers or chips.
As a dietitian, I make a lot of chicken salads because they are a great meal prep lunch and one of my favorite ways to turn plain dry chicken into something much more delicious!
I've developed so many chicken salad recipes over the years including a Southwest chicken salad, Buffalo chicken salad, healthy classic chicken salad, green goddess chicken salad and Tuscan chicken salad. But this Thai chicken salad recipe holds a special place in my heart because it's the only one that uses one of my favorite ingredients which is peanut butter! Just a small amount added to the dressing is the secret to making this chicken salad crave-worthy.
More High Protein Meal Prep Lunch Recipes
- Healthier Classic Chicken Salad
- Creamy Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Southwest Chicken Salad
- Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad with Cottage Cheese
- Asian-Inspired Spicy Tuna Salad
Jump to:
Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
This Thai Chicken Salad is made with simple ingredients. Below are some notes. Check the printable recipe card at the bottom for measurements.
Base Salad Ingredients
- Chicken - I use boneless, skinless chicken breast and bake it in the oven seasoned with salt and black pepper. As a shortcut, you can use rotisserie chicken. Chicken is a lean protein and also provides important nutrients including phosphorus and niacin.
- Cabbage - I use a combination of red cabbage and green cabbage. Cabbage holds up great in a salad like this and adds fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C. Grab a head of cabbage and chop it yourself or get pre-shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix and give it one more run through with a sharp knife. You can incorporate in some romaine lettuce for another crunchy veggie if you want.
- Carrots -
- Red Bell Pepper - I use a red bell pepper for this recipe. Bell pepper adds crunch, color, flavor, and vitamin C. You can use any color bell peppers you like. I like using red bell peppers because they are the sweetest but green bell peppers or an orange bell pepper works too.
- Green Onion - green onion adds tons of flavor. If you prefer, use shallot or red onion instead.
- Fresh Herbs - to add more flavor I use fresh cilantro and fresh mint! If you hate cilantro, feel free to use parsley instead or leave it out.
- Peanuts - I like to add peanuts for a bit of crunch and to enhance the light peanut flavor of the dressing. Good substitutes would be chopped cashews or almonds. I've made it with cashews and it's just as delicious as peanuts.
Dressing Ingredients
- Fresh Lime Juice - using fresh lime juice instead of lime juice from a bottle makes a big difference in the taste.
- Toasted Sesame Oil - using toasted sesame oil has a depth of flavor that adds a nuttiness to this dressing. I use Oi! brand or La Tourangelle brand. You can use regular sesame oil if it's what's accessible.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - extra virgin olive oil balances out the stronger sesame oil. You can substitute with avocado oil if you prefer! Both avocado oil and olive oil contain heart-healthy fats that are also good for brain health and hormone health.
- Rice Wine Vinegar - also known simply as rice vinegar. It's a bit sweeter than other vinegars but you can substitute with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you want! I use Marukan brand for this recipe.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce - to make this recipe gluten-free, you can substitute soy sauce with coconut aminos.
- Maple Syrup - adding a sweetener like maple syrup balances out the citrus flavor in this dressing. Feel free to use honey, agave, or your sweetener of choice. I find maple syrup compliments the other flavors the best.
- Fresh Ginger Root - freshly grated ginger root is an easy way to add zest and a bit of spice. Ginger also helps support a healthy gut. Ginger contains antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties.
- Garlic - a clove of garlic for flavor.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes - to add a little kick.
- Peanut Butter - to give the Thai peanut dressing a nutty flavor and make it a little creamy, add some natural peanut butter. You can substitute with almond butter, cashew butter, or a seed butter like sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option.
How to Make Thai Chicken Salad
Below are the directions for how to make this recipe with photos that I hope are helpful. The full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200°C). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat the chicken in olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165℉ (75°C). Let the chicken cool and shred.
- Step 2: Make the dressing by either stirring the ingredients in a small bowl, shaking them in a mason jar, or adding the ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
- Step 3: While the chicken is baking, chop the cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, green onion, mint, and cilantro. Add everything to a large bowl including the vegetables, herbs, and shredded chicken.
- Step 4. Pour the dressing on top and give everything a good toss. Add more salt to taste.
Hint: I like to shred my chicken by pulsing it in a food processor.
Dietitian Tip
Chicken Salad like this Thai Chicken Salad make for a great protein meal prep and are an easy way to take an ingredient that can be kinda boring (chicken breasts) and make it way more exciting. The cabbage and fresh herbs also add fiber and antioxidants.
Video of How to Make a Thai Chicken Salad
Here's a video showing how to make this recipe that I hope is helpful!
Variations for Thai Chicken Salad
The best part about making this chicken salad at home is that you can customize it to your taste. Here are some ideas.
- Spicy - add more red pepper flakes, cayenne peppers, or serrano pepper if you like it spicy.
- Deluxe - add snow peas, crispy wonton strips, or thin slices of cucumber for extra flavor.
- Thai Chicken Wrap - add this chicken salad to a tortilla to turn it into a wrap!
- Thani Chicken Salad Noodle Bowl - serve this chicken salad over rice noodles to turn it into a more filling meal.
Equipment
To shred the chicken, I usually use a food processor or a high-speed blender. I use my Ninja Food Processor.
Storage for Thai Chicken Salad
- Refrigerator - store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Expert Tips
- A small amount of peanut butter added to the dressing goes a long way in this recipe! It also helps the dressing emulsify a bit better. With that said, you can totally leave the peanut butter out. It still tastes great (I've tried it!)
- I like to finely chop the vegetables for this recipe so I get a little bit of everything in every bite.
- If you or someone you are serving doesn't like cilantro, replace it with parsley or leave it out. The meal will still have plenty of flavor.
- Give the chicken salad a taste about 5-10 minutes after combining everything and add more salt to taste as needed.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, this is a nutrient-rich option. The chicken provides lean protein, iron, B vitamins, and zinc. And the veggies provide important nutrients like dietary fiber and antioxidants. The extra virgin olive oil and peanut butter provide heart healthy fatty acids.
Absolutely! If you want to save time, you can totally use rotisserie chicken. If doing so, I suggest looking for a natural one.
I personally use a food processor to shred it. A hand mixer works too. If you don't want to pull out a food processor or blender, use a large kitchen knife or two forks.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Thai Chicken Salad:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Crunchy Thai Chicken Salad, Ginger Peanut Dressing
Equipment
- 1 food processor (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded (about 1 lb chicken)
- ½ red bell pepper, chopped
- ½ cup green cabbage, chopped
- ½ cup purple cabbage, chopped
- ½ cup carrots, grated
- 3 sprigs green onions, chopped (about ¼ cup)
- 2 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoon peanuts, chopped
Dressing Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger)
- 1 cloves garlic, grated (or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200°C). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat the chicken in olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165℉ (75°C). Let the chicken cool and shred.
- Make the dressing by either stirring the ingredients in a small bowl, shaking them in a mason jar, or adding the ingredients to a food processor or blender and blending until smooth.
- While the chicken is baking, chop the cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, green onion, mint, cilantro, and peanuts. Add everything to a large bowl including the vegetables, herbs, and shredded chicken.
- Pour the dressing on top and give everything a good toss. Add more salt to taste
- Hint: I like to shred my chicken by pulsing it in a food processor.
Video
Notes
- A small amount of peanut butter added to the dressing goes a long way in this recipe! It also helps the dressing emulsify a bit better. With that said, you can totally leave the peanut butter out. It still tastes great (I've tried it!)
- I like to finely chop the vegetables for this recipe so I get a little bit of everything in every bite.
- If you or someone you are serving doesn't like cilantro, replace it with parsley or leave it out. The meal will still have plenty of flavor.
- Give the chicken salad a taste about 5-10 minutes after combining everything and add more salt to taste as needed.
- Refrigerator - store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Comments
No Comments