Thai Chicken Salad
This Thai chicken salad with peanut dressing is so fresh, bright, and easy to make! It’s a great way to use leftover or rotisserie chicken, and it’s on your table in just 20 minutes.
- 1 pound coleslaw mix
- 3 cups shredded cooked/rotisserie chicken
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh scallions
- 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
- Small handful fresh cilantro (chopped (optional but recommended))
- Small handful fresh basil (sliced thin or torn (optional))
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
- 5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (see note)
- 3 tablespoons water (or more as needed)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (see note)
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Add the dressing ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and whisk together until smooth. Taste and adjust (e.g. add more lime juice or honey). If your dressing comes out really thick (peanut butter brands can vary), add even more water than suggested.
- Prep all the salad ingredients and add them to a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and serve immediately. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
Love cabbage? Try my Best Coleslaw or Easy Egg Roll in a Bowl next.
Why you’ll love it
If you enjoy Thai food as much as I do, you’ll devour this Thai-inspired chicken salad. The peanut, lime, and ginger dressing is incredible. Pair it with crunchy cabbage, veggies, and fresh herbs, and you have one flavor-packed salad! I like to eat it year-round since it has ingredients available all the time.
Even picky eaters will enjoy it. This simple Thai salad will be a hit with your entire family. I like to consider it a salad for people who don’t really like salad. It’s that good. It’s also packed with so much good stuff that it’s filling enough to eat as a meal on its own.
What you’ll need
Cilantro and basil – I strongly recommend adding both these fresh herbs. They complement the dressing so well. If you can’t eat cilantro, sub for Italian parsley. Mint works too!
Peanuts – chopped peanuts top it all off.
Peanut butter – I used a smooth creamy variety. I don’t recommend natural peanut butter for this recipe.
Soy sauce, lime juice, honey – this trio makes up the wonderful savory-tangy-sweet flavor combination!
Toasted sesame oil – it has a distinct flavor and is used in many Asian recipes. Don’t confuse it with the regular kind.
Garlic powder – for another savory layer. Use fresh minced garlic instead if you like.
Fresh ginger – it adds a punch of bold flavor.
Water – depending on the brand of peanut butter and how thick you like the dressing, you may have to add more than suggested to thin out the dressing.
Pro tip and troubleshooting
We’re using the toasted variety of sesame oil that’s darker in color and can be found in the Asian foods aisle along with soy sauce. Regular sesame oil has a lighter color and is often found with other cooking oils like olive oil, so don’t get that one.
If you store your peanut butter in the fridge, make sure to let it warm up on the counter for a little before making the dressing so it’s not cold and hard and mixes properly. You can also add more water to thin it out to desired consistency.
How to make Thai chicken salad
Add all the dressing ingredients to a bowl, and whisk until combined. Make sure to test it and adjust as necessary (more lime juice, honey, water, etc.) Prep all the salad ingredients, and place them in a large bowl.
Top the salad with the homemade peanut dressing, season with salt & pepper, and serve immediately.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
A sharp, quality chef’s knife makes the chopping and prep work a breeze.
This is the glass prep bowl pictured, and it’s easy to toss with kitchen tongs.
I use one of my favorite kitchen tools to grate the ginger, my Microplane zester/grater. It’s so much easier to grate when it’s frozen! Just store ginger in a ZipLoc freezer bag so you always have some handy.
Substitutions and variations
If you don’t want to buy pre-bagged coleslaw mix, you can cut up/shred your own cabbage and carrots.
Cucumber would be a great addition to this salad! I’d cut it up in fairly small cubes. I’ve also seen people add papaya.
Want to make this a spicy Thai chicken salad? Try adding some crushed red pepper flakes, cut-up fresh Thai chilis, or some sriracha sauce to the dressing. A little heat would be fantastic here.
What to serve with this salad
This is quite a large salad. It serves four as an main dish on its own no problem, but you could easily feed up to six people depending on how much they eat or if you serve it with something else. Serve with a dinner roll or crusty bread, and you’re good.
If you want a riff on soup and salad, pair it with this light 15 Minute Thai Green Curry Soup.
Leftovers and storage
This salad does work for leftovers for a day or so just fine, but it may get a bit less crisp. Just store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Keep in mind leftovers aren’t quite as good as when freshly made, so you could certainly halve all the ingredients if you don’t want anything left over.
Or you could store the dressing in a jar in the fridge for up to a week and use when you’re ready!
Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
Thai chicken salad with peanut dressing is so fresh, bright, and easy to make!
