Thai Chicken Salad (One Bowl)

Super crunchy, creamy, quick and easy Thai chicken salad recipe with peanut dressing, homemade with simple ingredients in one pot in 20 minutes. Loaded with shredded chicken, cabbage, carrots, green onions, peanuts, sesame seeds.

This salad is so bright and refreshing! From the vibrant colors to the flavors and textures, it is sure to please. This salad is much different than the typical American Chicken Salad due to the focus on vegetables instead of chicken and mayo. This Chicken Pad Thai (One Pot) and Thai Peanut Noodles (One Pot) are along the same flavor profile, and are great recipes to add to your meal planning.

How To Make Thai Chicken Salad Recipe From Scratch?

1. Make salad dressing- By whisking together peanut butter, rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, honey, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, water.
2. Add salad ingredients- This includes coleslaw mix, grated carrots, green onions, cilantro.
3. Toss- Until combined.
4. Add toppings- This includes roasted peanuts, sesame seeds.
5. Enjoy- Serve immediately!

Peanut Dressing (Thai Chicken Salad Dressing)

Whisk together the following ingredients in a bowl or jar until smooth and creamy:

• ½ cup Peanut butter, Smooth
• ¼ cup Rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp Lime juice
• ⅓ cup Soy sauce, Low sodium
• 2 tsp Sesame oil
• 2 tbsp Sriracha, Or chili paste
• 2 tbsp Honey 
• 1 clove Garlic, Finely minced
• 1 tsp Ginger, Freshly grated
• Salt, To taste
• Pepper, To taste
• ¼ tsp Red chili flakes, Optional
• 2-3 tbsp Water, To thin out the sauce

The quantities of any of these ingredients can be adjusted to your liking.

What to Serve With Thai Chicken Salad?

This is one of those filling salads that can easily be served on its own or you can use it as a filling in sandwiches, wraps, quesadillas, spring rolls.

Soup is another classic pairing. Try one of these: Egg Drop Soup (One Pot), Curried Butternut Squash Soup (One Pot), or Carrot Ginger Soup (One Pot).

Pasta is another great compliment to this salad. Serve these Sesame Noodles Recipe (One Pot) or a boiled ramen or soba noodles.

Variations for Spicy Thai Salad

Chicken noodle salad- Add crispy chow mein noodles, uncooked ramen, or even cooked ramen or thai stir-fry noodles.

Add other vegetables- Such as thin slices of bell peppers, cucumbers, mushrooms, bok choy, or edamame.

Add fruit- Such as unripe papaya or mango.

Add avocado- For a creamier texture and flavor.

Add other protein- Such as shrimp, marinated and grilled beef, or tofu.

Make it vegetarian- Leave out the chicken and add tofu or vegetarian soy meat.

Add other herbs- Such as mint or Thai basil.

Add quinoa- About a ½ cup cooked quinoa adds extra heartiness.

Make it gluten-free- Use coconut aminos or gluten free soy sauce.

Tips and Techniques

Why is my salad soggy? How to fix it? This usually means there is too much salad dressing, or the veggies have been sitting in the dressing for too long. To prevent this, use less dressing or drizzle on some of it at a time instead of adding all at once. Also, wait off on adding the dressing until you are just ready to serve.

Do you serve this salad hot or cold? It's typically served cold.

How to make it less spicy? Leave out or reduce the amount of red chili flakes and sriracha.

What kind of peanut butter to use? Use creamy peanut butter so you can create the smoothest dressing possible. Homemade or store-bought peanut butter can be used.

What kind of vinegar to use? I recommend rice vinegar for this recipe. It provides the best flavor. Distilled white vinegar is too strong and not recommended.

What can I use instead of honey? Agave syrup or maple syrup would be a good substitute for honey.

Don't omit sesame oil- Even thought only a small quantity is added, it adds a big powerful flavor.

Storage

Refrigerate- This salad is best served immediately, but can be stored in a sealed container for up to 1 day.

Freeze- You cannot freeze salads due to the high water content of the vegetables. They would disintegrate and become "watery" upon thawing.

Make ahead instructions- Store the dressing and salad separately. Combine when you are ready to serve.

More One Pot Salad Recipes

• Easy Kale Salad (One Bowl)
• Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe (One Bowl)
• Tabbouleh Salad (One Bowl)
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad (One Bowl)

Recipe