Thai Crunch Chicken Salad
User Reviews
5
Thai Crunch Chicken Salad
Description
Thai Crunch Chicken Salad includes boneless, skinless chicken breasts baked after being coated with a sauce blending sweet chili, rice vinegar, coconut milk, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, peanut butter, soy sauce, and lime juice. Half the sauce is used to marinate and coat the chicken before baking, while the remaining sauce serves as dressing. The salad features Napa and red cabbages, cucumber, carrot, edamame, green onions, and cilantro, tossed together for varied textures and fresh flavor.
The combination of cabbage and fresh vegetables provides a crisp base contrasted by tender baked chicken coated with a sauce that is both sweet and tangy with peanut and coconut undertones. Chopped peanuts sprinkled on top add an extra layer of crunch.
After baking, the chicken is cooled slightly and shredded or cut into chunks before layering over the salad and topping with peanuts and dressing. This salad can function as a satisfying main dish, suitable for lunch or dinner with a balance of protein and vegetables.
This recipe adapts a sauce originally used for Thai chicken wings, repurposed here to marinate and dress the chicken salad for enhanced depth of flavor.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Dressing + Marinade
- 1 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup coconut milk lite, canned
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 garlic pressed or finely minced, cloves
- 2 peanut butter creamy, tablespoon
- 2 ginger grated, teaspoon-sized knobs
- 2 lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salad
- 1 Napa cabbage chopped, small
- 1/2 red cabbage chopped, small
- 6 green onion sliced
- 1 cucumber peeled, sliced and quartered, large
- 2/3 cup carrot chopped or sliced
- 2/3 cup edamame
- 2/3 cup cilantro torn, fresh
- 2/3 cup peanut chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then place in the baking dish.
- Combine chili sauce, vinegar, coconut milk, sugar, garlic, ginger, peanut butter, soy sauce and lime juice in a saucepan, whisking to combine. Bring to a boil, the reduce to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and pour half of the sauce over the chicken, turing chicken to coat completely. Set remaining sauce aside to dress the salad with.
- Bake chicken for 25-30 minutes, or until it is cooked through.
- While chicken is cooking, combine all salad ingredients, except for peanuts, in a large bowl and toss. When chicken has finished cooking, let cool for a few minutes then either shred or cut into chunks. Serve salad, top with chicken, top with peanuts, then top with dressing.
Notes
- The flavorful sauce also originates from a Thai chicken wings recipe, which can be repurposed for this salad.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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