Thai Chicken Salad with Orange Peanut Dressing
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Thai Chicken Salad with Orange Peanut Dressing is a mind-blowing salad that will break you out of your boring lunch rut. Perfectly seasoned chicken is tossed with veggies, sesame, cilantro, and lettuce—but the real star of the show is this orange peanut salad dressing! The amazing crunch of this salad will satisfy both hunger and cravings. Try this for a lunch salad swap or paired with a Thai noodle dish.
I am all about the salads this month, can you tell? I love them lately because generally they are healthy and pretty easy to make, and they are incredibly versatile. So even if you are having a salad nearly every day for dinner you don’t need to get bored of them because the options are virtually endless!
Thai Chicken Salad
Today I made this delicious salad that has a Thai flair but it’s not so authentic that if you are new to Thai flavors you won’t just toss it (Thai flavors can be hard for me sometimes because of the fish sauce in some of it). This one sticks with pretty basic ingredients and the dressing is amazing! You’ll love all the variation in this salad with its bright flavors, creamy dressing, and all of that irresistible crunch. And the way the peanut butter and cashews pair with these specific veggies is so tasty. Cabbage or tofu could be good additions, too.
This time around I just used store-bought wonton strips to save time, but you can easily make homemade. Simply cut wonton wrappers into 1/2-inch strips then fry in 360-degree oil until golden (they’ll fry up quickly). If you are really trying to keep it totally healthy or gluten free then you can omit them but I love what they offer to this salad, it’s a mellow flavor but just it’s an addictive one. I couldn’t stop eating them straight from the bag before I finished making the salad.
Thai Peanut Salad Dressing
This Thai peanut dressing recipe is incredible. I think I’d eat almost anything drizzled in it. You can also adjust it to be spicier, sweeter, or creamier depending on your taste preferences. Just whisk or blend it together in a food processor and adjust accordingly. Then feel free to use it as a meat marinade or tossed into stir-frys—just store it in a mason jar in your fridge.
- Creamy peanut butter (you can also use peanut sauce, but I don’t recommend almond butter or cashew butter since the flavor isn’t as strong)
- Orange juice and zest (a little lime juice is also a good addition)
- Rice vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Ginger
- Garlic cloves
- Brown sugar
- Red pepper flakes
- Honey or maple syrup can be used for sweetness and desired consistency
- Sesame oil can be used to thin the dressing or revive it
I can’t wait to make his one again! It’s unique but in such a good way! Simply crave-worthy.
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Thai Chicken Salad with Orange Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice*
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp peeled and grated ginger
- 1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1 small clove garlic
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes , more or less to taste
Salad
- 1 lb boneless skilled chicken breasts , grilled and sliced
- 1 large head romain lettuce , chopped
- 3 carrots , peeled and chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper , seeded and chopped
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame , thawed
- 2/3 cup salted cashews , roughly chopped
- 1 cup wonton strips
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- White and black sesame seeds , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- For the dressing:
- Add all dressing ingredients to a blender, except red pepper flakes, pulse until ginger and garlic are finely minced. Season with salt to taste and add red pepper flakes and pulse just to stir in. Pour into an airtight container and chill until ready to serve.
- For the salad:
- Add all salad ingredients to a large salad bowl, pour dressing over and toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately.
- *If you want it a slightly thicker dressing use 2 Tbsp less orange juice.
- Recipe source: dressing inspired by Whole Foods