Have an easy and flavorful meal on the table in less than 30 minutes with this Thai-Inspired Chopped Chicken Salad! Not only is it a great quick and healthy weeknight dinner, it’s also perfect for meal prep, wraps, and protein bowls. Try it out this week!
This post was originally published on August 6, 2020. It was updated on April 13, 2024.
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Table of Contents
Enjoy all the deliciousness of takeout, minus the hassle and expenses, with this Thai chicken salad recipe! Spicy, sweet, sour, crunchy, salty, and creamy, this refreshing salad has all the Thai flavors you know and love.
This recipe calls for a few Thai staples like fish sauce and toasted sesame oil that you may not already have on hand, but they're worth the effort of finding them. They will last a while in the pantry, and can be used in other delicious Thai recipes like this Thai Green Chicken Curry and Thai Salmon Panang Curry!
Why You’ll Love This Thai Chicken Salad
- Bold flavors. This recipe is the furthest you can get from bland and boring salad, with all the acid, fat, salt, heat, crunch, creaminess, and herbs that make Thai cuisine so complex and flavorful.
- Hearty. Though this salad is light and full of nutritious veggies, it’s also rich in lean protein and healthy fats that will keep you full and satisfied throughout the day.
- Versatile. This Thai salad recipe is easy to make vegan or gluten-free, and great for meal prep or modifying into bowls or wraps. It’s also family-friendly, ready in under 30 minutes, and delicious year-round making it a great option for a quick and healthy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Salad
- Lacinato kale: Finely sliced and massaged thoroughly. See notes below for instructions.
- Thinly sliced Napa cabbage: Napa cabbage is more typical in Thai recipes, but you can also use green or red cabbage.
- Carrots
- Cucumbers: Choose hot house, seedless, or Persian cucumbers. Cut them into matchsticks or chop them in your preferred style.
- Sweet red pepper: Or another color of sweet pepper, such as orange, yellow, or green.
- Green onions: Clean them well and chop the green and white part of the onions.
- Cilantro: Adds a classic Thai-inspired flavor. If anyone in your crew is cilantro-adverse, omit it or add it individually to servings.
- Mint: For a pop of fresh flavor.
- Dry roasted peanuts: Peanuts are a staple in Thai cuisine, but see my notes below for substitution recommendations if allergies are an issue.
Thai peanut dressing
- Natural creamy peanut butter: Either unsalted or salted will work per your preference. See notes below for substitutions.
- Toasted sesame oil: Use toasted rather than regular sesame oil if you can find it, as it has a deeper flavor and makes the dressing that much more delicious.
- Rice wine vinegar: Brightens up the dressing.
- Lime juice: Contributes a tropical fresh flavor. Use fresh lime juice for the best flavor.
- Fish sauce: A staple ingredient in Thai cuisine. Red Boat is my favorite brand.
- Soy sauce: Substitute for a low-sodium soy sauce, or use tamari or liquid aminos for a gluten-free option.
- Ginger powder: For sweet-spicy notes classic to Thai peanut dressing recipes.
- Red pepper flakes: Adds a hint of heat. Add red pepper flakes to your taste preferences. Omit if desired.
- Honey: For a sweet finish to balance out the rich nuttiness of the dressing.
Chicken
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts. Boneless skinless chicken thighs can also be used, but call for a shorter cooking time. See recipe card for instructions.
- Avocado or olive oil: Avocado oil offers a more mellow cooking flavor, but olive oil also works just fine.
How to Make Thai-Inspired Chopped Chicken Salad
Step 1: Combine all the vegetables on a salad or serving platter or in a large salad bowl.
Step 2: Season the chicken and sauté for 8-12 minutes, turning periodically throughout the cooking time, until cooked through.
Step 3: While the chicken rests, whisk the peanut dressing ingredients together.
Step 4: Slice the chicken and place it on the salad. Squeeze extra lime juice over the salad.
Step 5: Drizzle the peanut dressing over the salad, toss, and serve!
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Optional variation: boneless chicken thighs. If making this salad with boneless skinless chicken thighs, follow the instructions as listed, then cook for 6-8 minutes or until they have reached an internal temperature of 165°.
- Massaging kale. Add the kale to a bowl with a dash of oil and massage it by firmly grabbing and squishing handfuls of kale until it's tender and a darker green.
- Grilling the chicken. If grilling chicken rather than sautéing, grill over medium-high heat, or around 400° for 8-10 minutes, flipping every 2-3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through to a temperature of 165°. Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be grilled over the same heat for 6-8 minutes, or until cooked through.
Recipe Variations
- Mix-ins: Sugar snap or snow peas, halved baby tomatoes, cubed avocado, Thai basil, sliced mango, and sliced green papaya are all delicious additional mix-in options!
- Protein: The chicken in this recipe can easily be swapped out for grilled tofu, steak, or shrimp.
- Spicy Thai chicken salad: For an extra spicy dressing, use up to ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Gluten-free: Use tamari or liquid coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce, and make sure the fish sauce doesn’t contain gluten or wheat ingredients.
- Vegetarian/Vegan: Omit the chicken from the recipe and use an extra tablespoon of soy sauce or liquid aminos in place of the fish sauce. To make it fully vegan, use maple or agave syrup in place of honey.
Serving Suggestions
This Thai chopped salad is a delicious meal served as-is, but is also a great recipe to beef up with extra mix-ins as noted above. It’s also perfect for meal prep and can easily be enjoyed as protein bowls, wraps, or mason jar salads.
To make Thai chicken protein bowls, cut the salad recipe in half and serve in individual bowls over brown rice or cooled rice noodles with extra peanuts, lime wedges, and dressing on top for serving.
For mason jar chopped chicken salad, add dressing to the bottom of the jar and top with salad mix. Or, simply roll the salad filling and dressing into a tortilla for a delicious chicken Thai salad wrap!
FAQs
This salad is not gluten-free by default, as the soy sauce in the dressing contains wheat. However, you can easily make it gluten-free by substituting the soy sauce for tamari or liquid aminos!
Absolutely. If peanut allergies are a factor, you can substitute almond butter or sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter. You also can substitute chopped and dry-roasted almonds in place of the peanuts.
You can refrigerate this salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Just make sure not to dress it before storing as it will become soggy. If you anticipate having leftovers ahead of time, just dress the amount of salad you plan to eat and store the rest separately from the dressing.
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Tools Needed to Make This Recipe
- Cutting board
- Chef knife (I say it all this time, but this knife is an amazing deal for the under $30 price tag!)
- 12" Non-stick saute pan OR cast-iron skillet
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Large salad bowl
- Salad tongs
- Meat thermometer
More Healthy Salad Recipes
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Nectarine Salad
- Warm Kale Salad
- Blueberry & Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
- Chickpea & Grilled Corn Salad
- Italian Tuna Pasta Salad
- 5 Bean Salad
Thai-Inspired Chopped Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups dino or lacinato kale thinly sliced and massaged
- 4 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage
- 1 cup. shredded or match-stick cut carrots
- 1 cup match-stick cut cucumber
- 1 cup thinly sliced red pepper
- 3 green onions white and light green part thinly sliced
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- ½ cup mint leaves
- ½ cup dry roasted peanuts
- 1 mango sliced (optional)
- 2.5 tablespoons lime juice
Grilled chicken
- 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
- 1.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Peanut Salad Dressing
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or liquid coconut aminos if gluten-free
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- ⅛-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2-4 tablespoons water optional
Instructions
- Combine all the salad ingredients -- kale, cabbage, other veggies, mango (if using), and peanuts -- except for the lime juice in a large salad bowl.
- Heat a 10-12" non-stick skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium or medium-high heat. Add the avocado oil until it sizzles when flicked with water.
- Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Add it to the pan and cook the chicken for 8-12 minutes, flipping every 3 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove the chicken from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Combine all the dressing ingredients except for the water in a medium-size mixing bowl, small blender, or food processer. Whisk or blend/process together until combined and creamy. If the dressing is too thick, whisk or blend in an additional 2-4 tablespoon water until smooth.
- Slice the chicken crosswise and layer it on top of the salad. Squeeze the extra 2-3 tablespoons lime juice on the salad, dress it with the peanut dressing, and toss the salad until combined. Serve the salad and enjoy!
Notes
- Undressed leftovers last covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Gluten-free: Use tamari or liquid coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce, and make sure your fish sauce doesn’t contain gluten or wheat ingredients.
- Vegetarian/Vegan: Omit the chicken from the recipe and use an extra tablespoon of soy sauce or liquid aminos in place of the fish sauce. To make it fully vegan, use maple or agave syrup instead of honey.
- Using boneless chicken thighs: If making this salad with boneless skinless chicken thighs, follow the instructions as listed, then cook for 6-8 minutes or until they have reached an internal temperature of 165°.
- How to massage kale: Add the kale to a bowl with a dash of oil and massage it by firmly grabbing and squishing handfuls of the kale until it's tender and a darker color green.
- Grilling the chicken: If grilling chicken rather than sautéing, grill over medium-high heat, or around 400° for 8-10 minutes, flipping every 2-3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through to a temperature of 165°. Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be grilled over the same heat for 6-8 minutes, or until cooked through.
