Spicy Thai Chicken Salad Recipe
This spicy Thai chicken salad is an easy high protein recipe that with fantastic flavors from lime, sesame oil, Thai hot sauce, and fresh vegetables. Great as a lunch, easy dinner, or dip for crackers – or on top of a large bed of leaf lettuce.
This a simple and flavorful recipe to make if you have leftover rotisserie or cooked chicken. Make this salad once and meal prep for a week of easy lunches!
I love a good easy, make ahead, meal prep recipe – especially one loaded with juicy chicken, crunchy veggies, and amazing Thai flavors! This spicy Thai salad with chicken packs a lot of flavor in each bite, and is high in protein! There are tons of fresh vegetables like red cabbage, carrots, green onions, and fresh greens.
For the greens you can use any kind, but I made my salad with spinach, romaine lettuce, or watercress. I love pretty much all lettuce, but I find watercress is especially delicious. I love how flavorful each bite of this salad is too – the dressing takes about 5 minutes, but completely makes this salad!
This Spicy Thai Chicken Salad Recipe Is
- Bright
- Fresh
- Satisfying
- High in Protein
- Tasty
- Easy to Make
- A Great Meal Prep Recipe
High Protein Chicken Salad that’s Asian-Inspired
This delicious and satisfying chicken salad recipe (loaded with the best spicy peanut dressing) is great for those who are interested in increasing their protein intake. You can still have a filling lunch without added starches.
I love that the peanut chili vinaigrette dressing is so flavorful, too. This is a Thai-inspired recipe, using ingredients like peanuts, Thai chili paste, ginger, and sesame oil for flavor. You can see all our high protein recipes to find your next favorite!
What’s In This High Protein Thai Chicken Salad Recipe?
- Green Onions, Cabbage, Carrots, Ginger
- Cooked chicken breast – you can use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, or chicken breasts for this recipe.
- Vegetable Oil – or any light neutral flavored oil like a mild olive oil.
- Rice vinegar: I love this sweet & tangy rice vinegar, I always keep this seasoned rice wine vinegar stocked in my pantry for dressings and salads. If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can substitute apple cider vinegar too.
- Tamari: tamari is a gluten-free version of soy sauce. Tamari has a bright salty flavor, and adds a really nice depth of umami to this dish.
- Fresh Ginger
- Light Sesame Oil: The sesame oil gives the perfect sweet flavor to the sauce of this dish. Light sesame oil is traditional in a lot of Asian dishes, and will give your salad the perfect flavor.
- Thai Chili Paste- I love chili paste, or making my own hot sauce with Thai chili peppers! It gives a little heat and melds the Thai peanut dressing together. You can also add red pepper flakes for extra heat.
- Peanut butter – for a bit of creaminess in the sauce. You can use almond butter or sunflower seed butter too to make this allergy friendly.
- Honey or Low Carb Sweetener of Choice – For a low carbohydrate version, I used monk fruit which has no carbs or calories.
Other Optional Additions
- Red Bell Peppers, or even jalapenos for a kick would be great chopped into this salad.
- If you don’t have red cabbage available, Napa cabbage that’s been shredded, or chopped green cabbage are great alternatives.
- Red onion, or chopped spring onions for a little extra flavor.
- Top with sesame seeds for an optional crunch!
- Lemon juice or fresh lime juice for extra acidity.
Easy Weeknight Chicken Salad Prep
This easy Thai chicken salad recipe is what I call an Easy Weeknight Meal – which is on your table in about 30 minutes. If you have pre-cooked chicken, all you need to do is chop the vegetables, toss with the Thai salad dressing, and dinner is ready fast.
We have many 30 minute recipes that are great for the whole family. From soups and stews, to pastas and proteins – a tasty meal can be on your table in no time. Even faster than ordering takeout!
How Do I Make This Hot Thai Chicken Salad Recipe?
- In a large bowl, add the cooked chicken, carrots, red cabbage, and green onions. Set Aside.
- In a pint mason jar or medium bowl, add all the dressing ingredients together and shake for 2 minutes or until all ingredients in the spicy peanut sauce are well combined.
- Pour dressing over the chicken salad, and stir until well combined.
- To serve, add fresh lettuce/greens to a plate or bowl, top with a scoop of the chicken salad, and enjoy!
- Store leftover chicken salad in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
More Easy High Protein Recipes You’ll Love!
Marinated Mozzarella Balls Recipe (Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Keto)
Scrambled Eggs without Milk Recipe (Vegetarian, High Protein)
Tomatillo Green Chili Salsa Verde Recipe (Gluten Free, Vegan)
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Spicy Thai Chicken Salad
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 lbs cooked chicken breasts about 4 cups cooked, cubed or shredded
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 cups red cabbage finely chopped
- 6 green onions sliced
- 3 cups lettuce chopped
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoons tamari can use soy sauce for non-GF
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Thai chili paste or sriracha sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons honey or low carb sweetener of choice
- 1 lime juiced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the cooked chicken, carrots, red cabbage, and green onions. Set Aside.
- In a pint mason jar or medium bowl, add all the dressing ingredients together and shake for 2 minutes or until all ingredients in the spicy peanut sauce are well combined.
- Pour dressing over the chicken salad, and stir until well combined.
- To serve, add fresh lettuce/greens to a plate or bowl, top with a scoop of the chicken salad, and enjoy!
- Store leftover chicken salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Save Money on Fresh Groceries & Pantry Staples!
I get all the fresh produce for my recipes from my garden and from Misfits Market – they sell organic produce at a discounted price, and it’s purchased direct from farmers to reduce food waste. We get Misfit boxes every other week and love picking out our favorite seasonal produce for delivery. You can save up to 40% off grocery store prices. If you think produce delivery is too expensive… think again, and give Misfits Market a try!Nutrition
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I need my salads and this one is new to me but as tasty as they come