This crunchy Thai Chopped Salad with chicken and our homemade peanut dressing is a healthy and flavorful main-dish that is super fresh and satisfying. It’s full of crisp veggies, salty peanuts, and juicy chicken all coated in our creamy peanut dressing.

You can use any type of chicken to make this recipe – grilled chicken, leftover chicken, shredded chicken, or even rotisserie chicken. Best of all, this recipe is perfect for meal prep as most of the ingredients can be made ahead of time and stored separately in the fridge.

A serving bowl with Thai Chicken Chopped Salad and a ramekin of peanut sauce. Thai salad recipe, thai chicken salad, thai chopped salad.

Thai Chopped Salad

When you find yourself craving something exciting for lunch, this Thai Chopped Chicken Salad may be just what you’re looking for. It’s made with a rainbow of crunchy veggies and Thai-inspired flavors that range from sweet and salty to tangy and fresh. 

To cut down on prep time, I like to use a bag of coleslaw mix and pre-cooked chicken. This way, you’re only looking at about 20 minutes before you can dig in. This Thai Chicken Chop Salad is also perfect for meal prep as long as you keep the dressing and veggies separated. You can even store in separate portioned containers to have grab-and-go salads all week long.

Thai chopped salad with grilled chicken, thai crunch salad, thai chopped chicken salad recipe.

Key Ingredients

  • Chicken – you can use any kind of shredded or diced cooked chicken that you want. Rotisserie chicken works great, as does our Thai Marinated Chicken Breast recipe. Feel free to leave out the chicken completely if you want to make this vegetarian.
  • Green Onions – you’ll want these to be thinly sliced. 
  • Red Bell Pepper – you can use any kind of bell pepper, either sliced thin or diced.
  • Peanuts – chopped peanuts or cashews add flavor and crunch.
  • Coleslaw Mix – this is an easy solution because it involves zero chopping. Shredded broccoli mix works great, too. You could also shred your own red cabbage and carrots
  • Peanut Butter – while I usually use creamy peanut butter, you can definitely use crunchy if you don’t mind a sauce that isn’t completely smooth.
  • Water – instead of water you could substitute coconut milk.
  • Sugar – this recipe calls for granulated sugar, but brown sugar or even cane sugar would make a great substitute. You could even use a touch of maple syrup or honey. 
  • Soy Sauce – again, you can use regular soy sauce, low salt, or even tamari. If you have it already, a teeny dash of fish sauce will also pack a punch of flavor. 
  • White Wine Vinegar – this helps round out the flavors. You could substitute a bit of rice vinegar.
  • Lime Juice – for the best flavor, use fresh lime juice.

More Thai-Inspired Salad Ingredients

If you want to mix and match, here are a few more ideas for Thai salads:

  • Fresh cilantro
  • Crispy rice noodles
  • Diced cucumber
  • Edamame beans
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Diced mango
  • Shredded Napa cabbage
How to make chopped chicken salad with grilled chicken.  Thai chicken salad.

How to Make This Thai Chicken Salad Recipe

  1. Add salad ingredients to a large bowl. In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked chicken, green onions, bell pepper, peanuts, coleslaw mix, salt, and pepper.  Set aside.
  2. Make the peanut dressing. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the peanut butter, water, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar. Cook peanut sauce over low heat while whisking. Bring to a low boil, then remove from the heat, whisk until smooth, and allow to cool to room temperature before stirring in the lime juice.
  3. Toss the salad. Once the peanut dressing has cooled to room temperature, add as desired to the bowl with salad ingredients and toss until coated.
  4. Serve. To serve, top with additional crushed peanuts and an extra drizzle of peanut dressing, along with red chili sauce if desired. Enjoy!
A bowl of chicken thai salad made with fresh veggies, sliced chicken breast, and a ramekin full of peanut sauce. chopped salad with chicken. Chicken thai salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my peanut dressing is too thick?

You can easily thin down your peanut dressing with a touch of water. Add about 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

What’s the best chicken to use for this salad?

The good news is that you can use just about any kind of chicken for this salad. Rotisserie chicken works great, as does diced or shredded leftover chicken. Crock pot chicken also works great. 

Can I make any of this salad ahead of time?

Yes! This salad is perfect for meal prep as long as you keep the salad veggies, the chicken, and the peanut dressing in separate airtight containers in the fridge. The dressing will be good for up to 5 days, while the veggies and chicken can be stored for up to 3 days.

Storing Instructions

  • Thai Salad Dressing: store your peanut dressing in a jar or another airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • Thai Chicken: leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Veggies: as long as they are stored separately, they can be stored in a covered bowl or airtight container in the fridge overnight.
5 from 1 vote

Thai Chopped Salad Recipe

Author The Carefree Kitchen
This crunchy Thai chicken chopped salad with peanut dressing is a healthy and flavorful main-dish that is super fresh and satisfying. It’s full of crisp veggies, salty peanuts, and juicy chicken all coated in our creamy peanut dressing.
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Yields4 people

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cooked chicken, (shredded or chopped)
  • 1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin
  • 1/2 large red bell pepper, sliced or diced
  • 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
  • 16 ounces coleslaw mix
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Thai Peanut Dressing

  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked chicken, green onions, bell pepper, peanuts, coleslaw mix, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the peanut butter, water, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar. Cook peanut sauce over low heat while whisking. Bring to a low boil, then remove from the heat, whisk until smooth, and allow to cool to room temperature before stirring in the lime juice.
  • Once the peanut dressing has cooled to room temperature, add as desired to the bowl with salad ingredients and toss until coated.
  • To serve, top with additional crushed peanuts and an extra drizzle of peanut dressing, along with red chili sauce if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Storing the dressing: store dressing in a jar or another airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Storing leftover chicken: leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 634mg | Potassium: 666mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1188IU | Vitamin C: 128mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2mg
Disclaimer: Nutritional values were calculated using a third-party tool and are provided as an estimation only.
Course Lunch, Salad
Cuisine Asian, Thai
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This Thai Chopped Salad is fresh, flavorful, healthy, and crazy delicious. It’s loaded with crunchy veggies and juicy chicken all coated in a creamy homemade peanut dressing.

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