Get my Cookbooks! Thai Chicken Salad
This Thai Chicken Salad is easy to make with homemade peanut dressing, crispy cabbage, shredded chicken, crunchy peanuts, and more! It’s a refreshing dinner idea that also makes a great side dish.
Be sure to try my Mango Salsa and my Ambrosia Salad recipes next!
Thai Chicken Salad
This incredible Thai Chicken Salad has to be one of the most refreshing, flavorful salad recipes you can possibly make. The homemade peanut dressing steals the show, it’s got the perfect balance of tangy, savory flavor with a hint of sweetness. It coats the crispy cabbage and shredded chicken like no other, with delicious bites of bell peppers, carrots, slivered almonds, peanuts, green onions, and more!
Bonus: It’s super easy to make, especially with a few shortcuts, like using Coleslaw mix for the cabbage/carrots and leftover or rotisserie chicken!
How to Make It
Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Combine dressing ingredients and chill until ready to serve. Prepare salad ingredients and toss together in a large bowl. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing and toss to coat. Serve!
Pro Tips
- 16 oz. Coleslaw mix can be used instead of slicing your own cabbage and carrots.
- Using rotisserie chicken in this recipe is a time saver as well. You can also poach your own chicken to shred. (See notes section in the recipe card for instructions).
- I like using green and red cabbage for color, but all green may be used if preferred.
- Do not add dressing until ready to serve: Chill the salad and dressing separately and don’t toss until ready to serve. The salt in the dressing draws moisture out of the cabbage, so serving it immediately after tossing will ensure it’s fresh and crisp.
- The Sriracha sauce doesn’t make it spicy, it just rounds out the flavors. I use Frank’s Sriracha Sauce. Hot sauce may also be used.
- If you have leftover cabbage from this recipe, use it to make my Egg Roll in a Bowl and/or my Cabbage and Sausage recipes!
Storage
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, but note that this salad is best when served fresh.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links*)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Mini Food Processor– I have this one, it takes up very little space and is perfect for making salad dressings!
- Large Serving Bowl with Lid and Serving Tongs
- Cutting Boards
- My Favorite Chef Knife
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Try These Next
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- Chickpea Salad
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- Peach Cobbler
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- Tortellini Pasta Salad
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- Pineapple Fried Rice
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- Macaroni Salad
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- Italian Pasta Salad
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thai Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup Chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon sriracha, can sub hot sauce
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
Salad
- 4 cups shredded chicken
- 4 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
- 1 red bell Pepper, diced
- 1 cup carrots, julienned
- 1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained and patted dry
- ½ cup green onions
- ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- ½ cup honey roasted peanuts
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- Optional: Chow Mein Noodles, Crispy Wonton Strips, Toasted Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a food processor or in a large bowl with a whisk until uniform in consistency. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Prepare the salad ingredients and toss them together in a large bowl.
- When ready to serve, add the dressing in increments and toss to coat until desired consistency is obtained. Serve!
Notes
- To make shredded chicken: Bring 3 chicken breasts to a very gentle bubble. (A full boil will make it tough.) Bubble gently for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes, then use 2 forks to shred. Season with salt/pepper.
- 16 oz. Coleslaw mix can be used instead of slicing your own cabbage and carrots.
- Using rotisserie chicken in this recipe is a time saver as well. You can also poach your own chicken to shred.
- I like using green and red cabbage for color, but all green may be used if preferred.
- Do not add dressing until ready to serve: Chill the salad and dressing separately and don't toss until ready to serve. The salt in the dressing draws moisture out of the cabbage, so serving it immediately after tossing will ensure it's fresh and crisp.
- The Sriracha sauce doesn't make it spicy, it just rounds out the flavors. I use Frank's Sriracha Sauce. Hot sauce may also be used.
- If you have leftover cabbage from this recipe, use it to make my Egg Roll in a Bowl and/or my Cabbage and Sausage recipes!
Storage:
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, but note that this salad is best when served fresh.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.
Here I am again singing your praises, Steph. Like your Chinese Chicken Salad, I and my guests for dinner last Friday enjoyed this salad so much, that they made the peanut dressing for a routine salad and said it was scrumptious, too. I sauté pre-cut chicken strips in a little grapeseed oil, allow to cool and toss together. I also recommend your site since all of the recipes have been winners and you seek commentary from us cooks. That is admirable and says a lot about your openness.
I will definitely keep making more recipes especially since my home grown tomatoes are ripening after a HOT Labor Day weekend!
Sincerely,
Christine Santee
Hey Christine! I am soooo happy that you and your guests loved the Thai Chicken Salad, it’s definitely a huge favorite of mine! (I’m so glad you all loved the dressing too, I’m obsessed with it!! 😍) Your feedback really made my day- I am so glad that you love (and recommend!) my site! I appreciate your support so much! Have a wonderful week ahead!! 🩷🩷🩷
I don’t have cilantro. Will it taste ok without?
Yes, it will still taste great! 🙂
Dear Steph,
I made a half portion for two to judge how much we liked this recipe today. I made the other half just now since it was just scrumptious! I used a rotisserie chicken that was moist and very flavorful and cut it into chunks rather than shredding it. Thank you for yet another wonderful 5 star recipe
This colorful salad is visually pleasing and healthy with a rainbow mix of vegetables.
.
Question: do you use a store bought won-ton and crisp it yourself or do such items exist in stores? I may have to find an Asian store since our local grocery stores do not carry already crisped won-tons. I used Chow Mein noodles that my husband likes ( I do not care for them).
Thanks,
Christine Santee
I’m so happy that you loved the recipe Christine! For this recipe, I usually grab crispy wonton strips in the produce section of my grocery store, they even have them at Walmart. They sold as crunchy toppings for salads 🙂 They do also have wonton wrappers in the produce section of my stores and those can be fried up in a little peanut oil (or canola/vegetable oil) until crispy. I do that when I make my Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe! 🙂
Excellent. Only change I made was I added some Thai basil because I had it.
Great addition Libby! I’m so happy you liked it! Thanks so much for the great review💖
This is a great recipe. I made some slight variations. I used Dole’s bagged slaw. It already has carrots and purple cabbage. I only had crunchy peanut butter so I omitted the almonds (didn’t have them anyway). I made my own honey roasted peanuts with hot honey which added a nice kick. I slow cook chicken thighs because I had them.
This would be very good without the chicken as well.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it Tim, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!! 🙂 -Stephanie
This recipe was DELICIOUS. I made it for dinner tonight exactly as written and wouldn’t change a thing. Served it with suggested Chow Mein noodles and hubby and I both loved it. Thank you for this keeper!
I’m soooo happy that it was a success Heather!! Serving it with crunchy chow mein noodles is the best, way to go. Thank you so much for the review!! ❤️❤️
Made this tonight – use baked chicken from grocery store and bagged coleslaw mix . It was delicious!!! The dressing was so good!
I’m soooo happy to hear that Lisa!!! I am enjoying this recipe today myself! I can’t get enough of that dressing either. 😍 thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it, have a great weekend! ❤️
My husband and I loved this salad. Layered all the ingredients except almonds, peanuts and wontons and scooped out enough for two and added dressing to taste. I only did 2 cups of chicken since the coleslaw was used. Flavors are on point. Thanks for my new summer recipe.
You’re very welcome Joan! Definitely the perfect summer recipe! Thanks so much for the review!😃
This salad was really delicious. A lot of prep work for me: poached chicken in soy, garlic, ginger, and a bit of chicken bouillon and used the broth from this to add to dressing. Dressing: I doubled the lime juice and did use Sriracha, which made it just within my low spice tolerance level but up to my husband’s. I used an emersion blender for dressing; these are so convenient.
Added a cup of chopped raw broccoli, otherwise ingredients as directed. The red pepper added nothing. Topped all with fine Asian crunchy noodles. Will definitely add to the rotation. Thank you!
I’m so happy that you jumped right into this recipe Jane!! 🙂 I appreciate your review as well, thank you so much! -Stephanie