When I first started this website, I thought that I would stick to creating food that was quintessential Americana. But, that’s just not who I am. In fact, I plan to veer more Italian and Mediterranean this year. But I truly love all kinds of food from cultures all over the world and food filled with a variety of different flavors. So while this Chopped Thai Chicken Salad with peanut dressing is far from Americana, it’s full of flavors that make up what I love about the world and it’s food – it’s diverse, beautiful and delicious.
The beautiful thing about Thai food
Thai cuisine is one of the food cultures that inspires me most. I love that it takes fresh ingredients with color, texture and taste and mixes them together in a way that’s harmonious. I also love that noodles, so there’s that…
That said, this dish doesn’t have any noodles in it and would be considered a lower-carb meal.
Ready or not, summer is coming
Summer is around the corner and I’ve packed on some winter weight – like always. I’m making a real effort to create dishes for us that are healthier, loaded with vegetables and have a good source of protein.
Still, I don’t like bland food. I believe in eating things that taste good. I want my meals fully flavored with fresh herbs, spices and a blend of tastes. Thai food is perfect for my food belief system, and this Thai Chicken Salad is a delicious way to step into the season.
Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
This inspired Thai Chicken Salad with peanut dressing combines all my wants and needs into one, beautiful and delicious dish that fills me up and satisfies all my cravings for freshness. It combines colors, textures and flavors just like a Thai dish is supposed to do in a way that makes me happy.
The Thai Salad includes green and red cabbage for crunch and color. I include carrots, cucumbers and red peppers to make sure I get my fill of veggies. Cilantro and basil are added in to make sure the flavors are all heightened with fresh herbs. The delicious Peanut Dressing includes natural peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy, lime and more to complete the dish in a way that will make your taste buds happy. I love to keep it after making it in this bottle in the fridge. It keeps for about a week.
Tips for making the Thai Chicken Salad
- Make this with rotisserie chicken if you want to save time. It makes it the perfect weeknight meal. You can also try it with shrimp or steak too.
- Additionally, you can replace the peanut butter with another nut butter if you have an allergy.
- The Thai Chicken Salad will keep for about a day before everything becomes overly soggy. Just keep it in an airtight container.
- Feel free to add any additional vegetables you love!
Thank you for much for visiting today, friends! You can get the full printable recipe for the Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing Below. If you’re also a lover of low-carb, flavorful things check out the Bacon & Mushroom Smothered Chicken {HERE}. I hope you’ll come back again soon to see what else we’re cooking up here at the farmhouse!
Chopped Thai Chicken Salad with peanut dressing
Ingredients
Thai Chicken Salad Ingredients
- 1/2 large green cabbage
- 1/2 large red cabbage
- 1 - 1.5 pounds boneless chicken breast
- 6 oz shredded carrots
- 3 red peppers, chopped
- 2 English cucumbers
- 1/2 cup basil, chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
- Salt and pepper to add to the chicken before it's cooked.
- 1/2 cup crushed peanuts for garnish
- Additional basil, cilantro and lime for garnish as desired.
Peanut Dressing Ingredients
- 1/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter If you don't like peanut butter or you can't have it, you can try with any nut butter.
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2-2.5 Tbsp. natural honey Use the extra half tablespoon if you like a sweeter dressing.
- 2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, finely grated I like to use a lemon zester to grate my ginger.
- 2 tsp. fish sauce
- 1.5 tsp. garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 3 green onions Separate the white bottoms from the green tops. Only the white bottoms will go in the dressing. The green tops will be used as garnish.
Instructions
- For the salad dressing, combine your peanut butter, water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil and honey and whisk so it's well combined. This should only take 3 minutes or so to get a good salad dressing consistency. You can also use a small food processor if you like but if you whisk vigorously enough, I don't find a need to dirty an appliance. 🙂
- Add in the ginger, garlic and white bottoms from the green onions. Mix in well and then set aside.
- Chop all your vegetables and herbs for the salad and add them to a large bowl. This will actually take you the longest so if you want to meal prep and make dinner making easier then you can do this the night before too.
- Salt and pepper both sides of your chicken as needed and add your olive oil or sesame oil to the pan.
- One oil had heated add your chicken to the pan and cook each side for about five minutes. Make sure your chicken is heated to the appropriate temperature before removing it from the heat and consuming it.
- Once chicken has cooled for 5-10 minutes, chop it and add it to the salad.
- Pour dressing over the salad and mix well.
- Garnish with peanuts and additional basil, cilantro and lime as desired. Serve.
This looks like an amazing salad. I love to have salads for lunch, so this is perfect.
The peanut dressing on this salad sounds amazing. This is a salad that I need to make.
I do love a good chopped salad in the summer time as well. Looks delicious thanks for sharing
I like how this salad looks – so colorful! I have not tried a salad with peanut dressing before so this is a must try recipe for me. Thanks for sharing. It looks so delicious!
This looks so good. I have been trying to look for new salad recipes. I will definitely be trying this out.
This has me feeling so hungry. I would love to try this salad.
Mmm! I need this in my life. I love the combo of the chicken, cabbage & of course, the dressing! So good!
This recipe looks and sounds yummy, I can’t wait to give it a try.
Oh yes, this sounds delicious. Something I’d like to make for one of my girls’ groups.
This is definitely a great side salad or a meal in itself. Thank you for the recipe, I’d definitely try this for my family.
I also like that this Thai Chicken Salad is so easy to make. Even if it’s Thai, I’m familiar with most of the flavors and seasoning used for this recipe.
Sounds so good! I love salads with nuts, thanks for sharing your idea!
Mmmm… This chicken salad looks amazing and the addition of peanuts make it irresistible!
I used to make something like this years ago but haven’t for ages. I must try your version it sounds great.
This is a great twist on my usual salad recipe, I can’t wait to try it.
My goodness this recipe sounds delicious 😋
I love a good Thai Salad and I am so glad to see more Thai recipes becoming more mainstream these days.
Reading your recipe got me so hungry 🙂 I do love Thai food too, and the peanut sauce adds quite a bit to the flavors. Thanks for the inspiration to try a new Asian salad this Summer.
I love how fresh and crunchy this salad is. What really makes it delicious though is the peanut dressing drizzled on top.
I could eat a salad every night and this looks absolutely amazing!!!!
I love a good salad and that looks amazing. Now I’m hungry. Going to save your recipe!
This looks so delicious! Definitely need to try out this recipe!
I have never really thought about trying out thai salad. I will try this recipe out
I’m so glad that chose to include foods that are diverse instead of sticking to quintessential Americana foods! This salad looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it.
This looks amazing! My husband would love this because he eliminated grains, starch, and carbs from his diet. I eat vegetarian, so I would use this same salad recipe, and add more veggies instead of the chicken!
I love chopped salads! I had this before in a Thai Restaurant in Alaska and it was delish, I can’t wait to try this recipe!:)
This salad looks amazing! I know what I will be making this summer! YUM! 🙂
Chopped thai chicken salad looks yum. perfect filling meal.
Oh wow, I love Thai food and all the elements of this dish appeal! Definitely one to add to my list!
Oh my goodness! This Chopped Thai Chicken Salad with peanut dressing is amazing! I love peanuts so give me anything that includes them.
How colorful and it looks delicious. It is nice to have some healthy recipes like this.
Thank you for the recipe! I would love to try making this out. I hope I can successfully make it just the way you do.
I have almost everything for this salad in my house right now! About to go try this! It looks so refreshing for this hot day!
Saving and pinning, my daughter made a dish this week with a peanut sauce and now we are all hooked on thai food, lol!
Oh wow! This looks so good! Thanks for sharing the recipe babe!