Crunchy Thai Chicken Salad
We love this flavorful, crunchy Thai chicken salad with perfectly cooked chicken, plenty of fresh veggies, peanuts, and the most delicious Thai-inspired creamy dressing. This easy salad is perfect for lunch, dinner, or making ahead! This Thai chicken salad has been on repeat for lunch lately. It’s perfect for making for tonight or ahead of time for lunch tomorrow. I love leftovers with this salad since the chicken gets better over time, and there’s no lettuce to be found. Instead, you’ll find hearty, crunchy veggies like cabbage, celery, and bell pepper that hold up well to a night or two in the fridge. The secret to the best salad is to let the chicken sit in our creamy dressing for about 20 minutes before tossing it with the veggies. As written, this turns out as a full dinner-worthy salad, but you can always skip the extra veggies and make the creamy dressing and chicken for a stand-alone salad more similar to classic chicken salad. Feel free to add it into a wrap, lettuce wraps, or turn it into a sandwich. Key Ingredients Chicken: I use chicken breast for this salad, but like to butterfly them before baking them in the oven. This means I slice each chicken breast horizontally, almost all the way through, and open it like a book to create a thinner, even thickness (which also means they cook quickly). If you don’t want to prepare the chicken this way, consider using chicken tenderloins or thin-cut chicken breasts from the store. Creamy Thai-Inspired Dressing: For this salad, we are mashing together a creamy chicken salad and a few of our favorite Thai flavors, like fish sauce, lime juice, and sweet Thai chili sauce (which I also use to make the dipping sauce for these crab Rangoon). We use mayo for the base. You can use store-bought, homemade mayo, or if you’d prefer it, swap it for plain Greek yogurt (remember that yogurt will be more tart). Veggies: I keep them more hearty, so they hold up over time, and I love cabbage, bell pepper, and celery (yes! celery). When slicing the celery, cut it on a diagonal into thin slices. It’s wonderful in this salad (trust me). Feel free to add more veggies like carrots or jicama. I also add a good amount of fresh cilantro for extra flavor. Extras: This salad is about crunch, so I love tossing some peanuts (cashews would be great, too), toasted sesame seeds, and some crispy wonton strips into the bowl. I buy the wonton strips and only add them if I plan to eat the salad right away since they do soften and become soggy over time. So, if you are making this ahead of time, portion them out and keep them in a separate container for when you plan to enjoy the salad so that they stay crunchy. Chicken: I use chicken breast for this salad, but like to butterfly them before baking them in the oven. This means I slice each chicken breast horizontally, almost all the way through, and open it like a book to create a thinner, even thickness (which also means they cook quickly). If you don’t want to prepare the chicken this way, consider using chicken tenderloins or thin-cut chicken breasts from the store. Creamy Thai-Inspired Dressing: For this salad, we are mashing together a creamy chicken salad and a few of our favorite Thai flavors, like fish sauce, lime juice, and sweet Thai chili sauce (which I also use to make the dipping sauce for these crab Rangoon). We use mayo for the base. You can use store-bought, homemade mayo, or if you’d prefer it, swap it for plain Greek yogurt (remember that yogurt will be more tart). Veggies: I keep them more hearty, so they hold up over time, and I love cabbage, bell pepper, and celery (yes! celery). When slicing the celery, cut it on a diagonal into thin slices. It’s wonderful in this salad (trust me). Feel free to add more veggies like carrots or jicama. I also add a good amount of fresh cilantro for extra flavor. Extras: This salad is about crunch, so I love tossing some peanuts (cashews would be great, too), toasted sesame seeds, and some crispy wonton strips into the bowl. I buy the wonton strips and only add them if I plan to eat the salad right away since they do soften and become soggy over time. So, if you are making this ahead of time, portion them out and keep them in a separate container for when you plan to enjoy the salad so that they stay crunchy. How to Make Thai Chicken Salad This Thai chicken salad is pretty simple to make and, I think, has a few elements that you might take away with you even if you aren’t making this exact salad. The first one is how we cook the chicken. Chicken breasts vary dramatically in size and thickness and are usually not uniform in how thick they are across the breast, so we butterfly them. This means that we take a knife, slice them almost through the middle, and open them like a book, flattening them on the baking sheet. Next, we rub them down with toasted sesame oil and tamari before baking them in the oven. The seasoning is simple and so good! Remember this technique for other recipes that have an Asian lean and call for cooked chicken. Alright, now the chicken is cooked, you’ll want to let it cool for a few minutes and fold it into our creamy dressing. Here’s the next tip you should take away with you whether you make this salad or not. Adding the warm chicken to the dressing encourages the chicken to absorb all the delicious Thai flavors from the dressing. I also pour any juices left on the baking sheet, which tastes amazing thanks to the sesame oil and tamari. The last step is to chill the chicken for a few minutes before tossing it with all your crunchy sliced veggies. Delicious! Crunchy Thai Chicken Salad PREP 30 mins COOK 15 mins TOTAL 45 mins PREP 30 mins COOK 15 mins TOTAL 45 mins We love this super flavorful and crunchy Thai chicken salad. We cook the chicken and make the creamy dressing from scratch. For the dressing, you will need something creamy. My preference is mayonnaise, but you can experiment with plain Greek yogurt if you’d like. Keep in mind that yogurt will be a little more tart. I’ve written this as a complete, dinner-worthy salad, but feel free to make the creamy chicken salad without any veggies and then use it for lettuce wraps, sandwiches, or wraps with tortillas. 4 Servings, makes about 8 cups You Will Need 1 pound (450g) chicken breast 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce 3 tablespoons (42g) mayonnaise 2 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce, like from Mae Ploy 1 teaspoon fish sauce 1 teaspoon lime juice, plus more for serving 1 teaspoon rice vinegar 3 tablespoons (25g) finely minced red onion Salt and fresh ground black pepper 4 cups (280g) shredded cabbage, use white cabbage, red cabbage, or a combination 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced 3 ribs celery, thinly sliced, about 1 cup 1/2 cup (70g) peanuts, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, optional Handful of crispy wonton strips, optional Directions 1Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2Prepare the chicken: Slice each chicken breast horizontally, almost all the way through, and open it like a book to create a thinner, even thickness. This “butterflying” technique guarantees quick, even cooking. Rub the chicken with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of tamari. 3Bake the chicken: Place butterflied and seasoned chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake until just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, tent with a sheet of foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. 4Make the dressing: Whisk 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, and 3 tablespoons finely minced red onion in the bottom of a mixing bowl. 5Marinate the chicken: Dice the cooked and rested chicken into 3/4-inch pieces, add to the bowl with the dressing, and then gently toss until the chicken is well coated. Add any liquid left on the baking sheet, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper, toss again, and let it sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, or until cool. 6Make Thai chicken salad: In a large salad bowl, combine 4 cups of shredded cabbage, sliced bell pepper, 1 cup sliced celery, 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, and the optional sesame seeds and crispy wontons. Add the chicken salad, making sure to scrape out all of the dressing. Toss well, then season with salt, pepper, and extra lime juice as needed. 1Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2Prepare the chicken: Slice each chicken breast horizontally, almost all the way through, and open it like a book to create a thinner, even thickness. This “butterflying” technique guarantees quick, even cooking. Rub the chicken with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of tamari. 3Bake the chicken: Place butterflied and seasoned chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake until just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, tent with a sheet of foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. 4Make the dressing: Whisk 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, and 3 tablespoons finely minced red onion in the bottom of a mixing bowl. 5Marinate the chicken: Dice the cooked and rested chicken into 3/4-inch pieces, add to the bowl with the dressing, and then gently toss until the chicken is well coated. Add any liquid left on the baking sheet, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper, toss again, and let it sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, or until cool. 6Make Thai chicken salad: In a large salad bowl, combine 4 cups of shredded cabbage, sliced bell pepper, 1 cup sliced celery, 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, and the optional sesame seeds and crispy wontons. Add the chicken salad, making sure to scrape out all of the dressing. Toss well, then season with salt, pepper, and extra lime juice as needed. Adam and Joanne's Tips Chicken: We butterfly the chicken breasts to promote even, quick cooking. If they are available, you can substitute 1 pound of chicken tenderloins or “thin sliced” chicken breast (both will allow you to skip the butterflying step.) Storing: This salad keeps for 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge. As it sits, the flavors will intensify, and the cabbage will wilt slightly (but not in a bad way). The only element of this salad that does not hold well is the wonton strips, which I recommend adding right before serving so that they are crispy. Nutrition facts are estimates. We did not include the wonton strips. Chicken: We butterfly the chicken breasts to promote even, quick cooking. If they are available, you can substitute 1 pound of chicken tenderloins or “thin sliced” chicken breast (both will allow you to skip the butterflying step.) Storing: This salad keeps for 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge. As it sits, the flavors will intensify, and the cabbage will wilt slightly (but not in a bad way). The only element of this salad that does not hold well is the wonton strips, which I recommend adding right before serving so that they are crispy. Nutrition facts are estimates. We did not include the wonton strips. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/4 of the recipe / Calories 419 / Total Fat 23.5g / Saturated Fat 3.6g / Cholesterol 87.1mg / Sodium 721.8mg / Carbohydrate 20.9g / Dietary Fiber 5.5g / Total Sugars 10.7g / Protein 33.7g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us