Thai Chicken Salad

This colorful Thai Chicken Salad is loaded with fresh herbs and vegetables, grilled lemon chicken, and a pantry-friendly peanut dressing. It's a great recipe to add to your meal rotation if you're looking for nutrient-dense, unprocessed meals.

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine Asian, Thai

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Marinate Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 401kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

For the dressing:

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (see note 1)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (see note 2)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken:

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil plus more for oiling the grill
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (see note 3)

For the salad:

1 head butter lettuce cut or torn into 1-inch pieces (see note 4)
1 red bell pepper cut into strips, about 1 cup
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
2 thai bird chiles sliced, optional (see note 5)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, ginger, sesame oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). If the dressing is too thick, thin with water, 1 teaspoon at a time.

To make the chicken:

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme leaves. Place the chicken in a large freezer-safe plastic bag. Pour in marinade, squeeze out air and close the bag. Mash until chicken is evenly coated. Place the plastic bag in a dish and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Preheat grill over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Oil grates. Place chicken over direct heat on the grill, close the cover, and grill 5 minutes on each side, turning once.
Transfer chicken to indirect heat and continue to cook until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the largest chicken breast reaches 165 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Remove to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Slice or chop into small pieces and season to taste with salt.

To assemble the salad:

In a large bowl, add lettuce, drizzle with half of the dressing, and toss until evenly coated. Divided the lettuce between bowls or arrange on a large platter.
Top with chopped chicken, red bell pepper, cilantro, mint, and Thai bird chilies (if using). Garnish with peanuts and drizzle with the remaining dressing.

Notes

Peanut butter: I love Crazy Richard’s brand peanut butter because it is made with only peanuts (no added sugars or palm oil) and they support American peanut farmers, using only 100% US-grown peanuts. If you’re ambitious, you can certainly make homemade peanut butter which might be even better.
Rice vinegar: Or substitute apple cider vinegar.
Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a cinch to cook on the grill. If your chicken breast seems especially large, you can butterfly the chicken breast into 2 pieces so it cooks faster.
Butter lettuce: Or substitute romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, or even regular cabbage (for more crunch).
Thai bird chiles: These tiny red chiles are available at well-stocked grocery stores and Asian markets. They pack some serious heat, especially if you leave the seeds in as is traditional.
Yield: This recipe makes four entree-sized salads with 6 ounces of chicken per salad.
Storage: Store leftover chicken covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition