Description
A vibrant and flavorful Thai Peanut Chicken Salad combining shredded chicken with fresh cabbage, carrots, peanuts, and herbs, tossed in a creamy, spicy peanut dressing. This quick and easy recipe offers a perfect balance of savory, tangy, and spicy notes, making it a delicious and healthy meal option for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 2 cups cooked chicken (shredded)
- 2 cups cabbage (shredded)
- 1 cup carrots (shredded)
- ½ cup peanuts (chopped)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
- ¼ cup green onions (chopped)
- 2 Thai chili peppers or jalapenos (optional – for spice)
- 1 lime (sliced into wedges)
Thai Peanut Dressing
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- ½ teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Prepare the Dressing: Add all of the ingredients for the Thai peanut dressing—creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, maple syrup, chili garlic sauce, fresh lime juice, and water—into a blender. Blend until the dressing is smooth and creamy, ensuring all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Combine the Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl, toss together the shredded cooked chicken, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, and optional Thai chili peppers or jalapenos. This creates a colorful and textured base for the salad.
- Dress the Salad: Pour the prepared peanut dressing over the combined salad ingredients. Toss everything together thoroughly so that the dressing evenly coats all components, enhancing the flavors. Serve the salad with lime wedges on the side, allowing guests to squeeze fresh lime juice over their portion for a zesty finish.
Notes
- You can substitute the cooked chicken with cooked tofu or tempeh to make this salad vegetarian.
- For an extra crunch, toast the peanuts lightly before adding them to the salad.
- Adjust the number of chili peppers based on your heat preference.
- This salad can be made ahead of time; refrigerate dressing and salad separately and combine before serving to keep the greens fresh.
- Use gluten-free soy sauce to make this recipe gluten-free.
