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Thai Chicken Salad

Thai chicken salad with crisp shredded cabbage, juicy shredded chicken, and crunchy peanuts, tossed in a bright peanut-lime dressing. Quick to make with a creamy peanut butter sauce that clings to every bite.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Thai
Calories: 430
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken salad base
  • 2 cup cooked chicken breast, shredded
  • 4 cup shredded green cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 0.25 cup chopped roasted peanuts Save a little for topping if desired.
Peanut-lime dressing
  • 3 tbsp creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

Method
 

Assemble the salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, green cabbage, purple cabbage, carrots, and cilantro.
Make the peanut-lime dressing
  1. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger until smooth, adding 1–2 tablespoons of warm water only if the dressing is too thick.
Toss and serve
  1. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat everything evenly.
  2. Top with chopped roasted peanuts.
  3. Serve immediately for the best crunch, or chill for up to 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
  4. If making ahead, store leftover dressing separately and toss just before serving to keep the cabbage crisp.

Notes

For crisp cabbage, toss right before eating; if chilling, keep the peanuts separate until serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 2 days, but expect cabbage to soften slightly; freeze not recommended. Dietary swap: use tamari instead of soy sauce for a gluten-free option while keeping the same flavor profile.