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Thai Chicken Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing is bursting with flavor and is quick to pull together for a busy evening. The peanut dressing gets a little kick from a must-have pantry item you will use again and again. This is the perfect way to use up leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken.
The day before trash day is always a rude awakening. I’m always dumbfounded by the amount of leftovers that I end up tossing into the trash. My family hates leftovers. They refuse to eat them unless it’s unsauced pasta…you know…plain pasta.
In my efforts to waste less food, I developed this Thai Chicken Salad. It was created with the contents of my refrigerator on trash day just like this Santa Fe Chicken Salad. Don’t worry if you are missing a few things, the recipe is a loose interpretation of many Thai Chicken Salads I’ve had over the years.
But the dressing, you may want to be prepared for this one if you don’t have everything. The good thing about making the dressing is it will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week and all the pantry items you need you’ll either already have OR you will find other uses for them in other recipes.
How to Make Thai Chicken Salad
Leftover chicken is a lifesaver for this Thai Chicken Salad….I’ve even use marinated, grilled chicken with jaw dropping results. It’s a great main course salad that will make your weeknight meal planning a little easier.
- Make the dressing. Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
- Make the Salad. Arrange the salad ingredients on a platter and toss to combine.
- Dress the salad. Pour the dressing over the salad and serve.
You can make the dressing a few days in advance and refrigerate. The flavor gets better the longer it sits and is amazing as a dipping sauce for chicken and more!
Variations and Substitutions
This chicken salad is incredibly versatile and is a great way to use up ingredients you have leftover from other dinners during the week. Here are a few mix in ideas we love.
- Cooked, leftover rice noodles and toss them with the salad. It helps make the salad a bit more hearty but still light.
- Crushed Instant Ramen Noodles, a fun twist on the retro Ramen Noodle Salad.
- Leftover turkey, a great option to use up that leftover Roast Turkey Recipe from Thanksgiving.
- Pineapple adds brightness and tanginess.
- Chopped Cashews are buttery and crunchy. They go so well in this salad.
- Pickled Onion are a flavor bomb and make every bite addicting.
What To Serve With Thai Chicken Salad
These are a few recipes we like to pair with Thai Chicken Salad.
So spicy and flavorful, you’ll think you’re in Thailand….or not, but it’s really, really fresh and amazing. Trust me on this.
More Easy Chicken Salads
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Thai Chicken Salad Recipe
Equipment
- 1 food processor or blender
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1 lime, juiced and zested
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste, or curry powder
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chili paste
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
For the salad:
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 head Napa cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast
- 1 cup diced mango
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced, seeds and stem removed
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
- 2 scallions, green and white parts sliced
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage
- Bean sprouts, optional
Instructions
Make the dressing:
- Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a bowl of a food processor.
- Close the lid and process until smooth.
- Chill for up to 5 days.
Make the salad:
- Arrange the radishes and cabbage on a large platter or in a bowl.
- Top with the chicken, cilantro, peanuts, scallion, cucumber, carrots, bell pepper, cabbage and mango.
- Top with bean sprouts right before serving and drizzle with the dressing.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My new favorite salad!! I had leftover rotisserie chicken which was perfect. The dressing is amazing too!
Thank you so much! I ‘m so happy you liked it.
I remember the first i tasted the Pad Thai and I instantly liked it. Same with this Thai salad recipe. It’s full of flavors and incredibly delicious!
I just read the recipe for Thai Chicken Salad. In the dressing recipe there is the ingredient of 1 shallow chopped listed. In all my years of cooking I have never seen the word shallow. What is a shallow? I’m thinking this is a typo.
It’s a shallot. sorry about the confusion.
I love the combination of peanut dressing and lime combined with the veggies. So wholesome and healthy.
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you liked it.
Do you mean for dressing 1 shallot chopped? What’s a shallow? Thanks
It’s a shallot. Apologies for any confusion.
This is perfect for my carnivores (heavy on the chicken) and myself ( heavy on veggies)! Stopping by from SITS Sharefest and pinning several recipes!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope your family enjoys the pot pie. 🙂