Crunchy Thai Chicken Salad with Creamy Peanut Dressing
Make this fresh, flavorful Thai Chicken Salad featuring tender shredded chicken, crisp vegetables, and an addictive homemade peanut dressing. It is a healthy, satisfying meal perfect for lunch or a light dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Tossing
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 large carrot, julienned
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup shelled edamame, cooked
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1/3 cup chopped peanuts, for topping
- 2 tablespoons crispy chow mein noodles (optional, for crunch)
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sriracha or chili garlic sauce (adjust to taste)
- 3–5 tablespoons warm water (to thin)
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and sriracha.
- Add warm water one tablespoon at a time, whisking until the dressing reaches a smooth, pourable consistency. Set aside.
- Prepare the salad base: In a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine lettuce, red cabbage, julienned carrot, sliced red bell pepper, edamame, cilantro, and green onions.
- Add the shredded chicken to the vegetables.
- Pour about half of the peanut dressing over the salad mixture. Toss gently until all ingredients are lightly coated. Add more dressing as needed to reach your desired level of coating.
- Divide the salad among serving bowls.
- Top each serving with chopped peanuts and crispy chow mein noodles, if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For meal prepping, store the dressing separately from the salad ingredients to maintain maximum crunch.
- You can substitute rotisserie chicken for the cooked chicken breast to save time.
- If you want a spicier dressing, increase the amount of sriracha or add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 550
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 19
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 35
- Cholesterol: 95