This Thai chicken salad is everything you want in a weeknight dinner: fresh, crunchy, packed with flavor, and ridiculously easy to throw together. Picture tender shredded chicken tossed with crisp vegetables, fragrant herbs, and a tangy-sweet dressing that makes your taste buds sing. It’s the kind of meal that feels like you’re treating yourself to takeout, but you made it at home in less time than it would take for delivery to arrive.
I first fell in love with this salad during a particularly hectic week when I was craving something light but satisfying. I had some leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge, a bunch of wilting vegetables that needed to be used up, and zero energy for complicated cooking. What started as a “let’s see what happens” moment turned into our family’s go-to healthy dinner that even the pickiest eaters request on repeat.
You can make it by using a balance of sweet, sour, salty, and just a hint of heat.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes (if you need to cook chicken)
Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4-6 people
What You Need (Ingredients)
For the Salad
- 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie is your friend here)
- 4 cups napa cabbage, sliced thin
- 2 cups red cabbage, sliced thin
- 1 big carrot, shredded or cut into matchsticks
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
- 1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped up
For the Amazing Dressing
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Thai chili or 1/2 jalapeño, minced super fine (start with less if you’re scared)
- 1/4 cup neutral oil (whatever you have)
How to Make Thai Chicken Salad
- Make the dressing first; it gets better while you prep everything else. Just whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, and chili in a small bowl. Then slowly pour in the oil while whisking until it looks smooth. Taste it and adjust sugar if it’s too salty, lime if it’s too sweet. You get it.
- Deal with your chicken. If you’re using raw chicken, just season it and cook it in a pan with some oil for about 6 to 7 minutes per side until it’s done. Let it cool, then shred it with two forks. If you went with rotisserie (smart move), just shred it and move on.
- Prep all your veggies. This is the most tedious part, but it’s worth it. Everything needs to be cut pretty thin so each bite is perfect. Slice your cabbages, cut your carrot and cucumber into matchsticks, and slice your bell pepper. Put on a good playlist – it helps.
- Mix it all up. Throw the chicken and all the veggies, cilantro, mint, and green onions into a big bowl. Don’t add the peanuts yet – they go on at the end, so they stay crunchy.
- Add the dressing. Pour most of the dressing over everything and toss it with your hands or big spoons. It should be well coated but not drowning.
- Let it chill. This is key – let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes so all the flavors can get to know each other and the veggies soften just a tiny bit.
- Finish it off. Right before you eat, add those peanuts and give them one more toss. Taste it and add more dressing if you want. Eat it right away or stick it in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Helpful Tips For Thai Chicken Salad
Meal Prep Win: This salad is better after it sits for a while. You can make everything except adding the peanuts up to 4 hours ahead. Just throw the peanuts on right before you eat.
Lazy Person Hack: Buy that pre-shredded coleslaw mix instead of cutting your cabbage. Look for the colorful one with purple cabbage and carrots already in there.
Dressing Drama: Thai food is all about balance, so don’t stress if your dressing tastes weird at first. Too salty? Add more lime and sugar. Too sweet? More fish sauce and lime. Just keep tasting and adjusting.
Herb Game: Don’t just roughly chop your herbs. Stack the leaves, roll them up, and slice them thin. It looks way better and tastes fresher.
Switch It Up: No chicken? Use shrimp, tofu, or whatever protein you have. Just make sure it’s cooled down before you mix it in.
Ways to Eat This
This salad is great by itself, but here are some ideas to make it more of a meal:
- Serve it over rice if you want something more filling. The rice soaks up all that good dressing.
- Make lettuce wraps with butter lettuce for a fun appetizer that’s perfect for when people come over.
- Stuff it in pita pockets or wrap it up in tortillas for lunch.
- Serve it with spring rolls or potstickers for a whole Thai thing.
Keeping It Fresh
Leftover salad keeps in the fridge for about 3 days. The veggies get softer, but the flavors keep getting better.
Keep the peanuts separate and add them right before you eat so they don’t get soggy.
You can make the dressing a week ahead and keep it in the fridge. Just whisk it up before using because the oil separates.
Don’t freeze this; the fresh veggies get gross. Just eat it within a few days.
Questions Everyone Asks
Can I make this without chicken?
Totally. Use tofu, tempeh, or just load it up with more veggies like edamame. For the dressing, swap the fish sauce for soy sauce.
What if I can’t find Fish Sauce?
Fish sauce is what makes it taste authentic, but you can use soy sauce instead. Use about 1.5 tablespoons instead of 2.
How Spicy is this?
With one Thai chili or half a jalapeño, it’s got some heat but nothing crazy. Start with less if you’re sensitive. Take the seeds out for less heat, or just skip it entirely.
Can I Use Different Vegetables?
Yes! Try snap peas, bean sprouts, shredded Brussels sprouts, whatever you have. Just make sure you have different colors and textures.
What’s The Best Way to Shred Chicken?
Use it while it’s still warm and just go at it with two forks. You can also use your hands once it’s cool enough. It’s faster and you get better control
