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Home Cuisines Thai Recipes

Thai Chicken Salad

By:Nagi
Published:6 Nov '17Updated:2 Jul '19
118 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Get your taste buds dancing with this bright Thai Chicken Salad! The zesty Thai chilli lime dressing with the signature South East Asian balance of sweet-sour-savoury and a little heat from chilli will make any salad exciting!

Thai Chicken Salad with a bright zesty Chilli Lime Dressing, classic balance of Thai tangy-sweet-salty flavours. recipetineats.com

A THAI CHICKEN SALAD WITH BIG FLAVOURS!

Yowzer! This is about as far as you can get from bland, boring salads. I’m a huge fan of Asian salads because they are typically much lighter and fresher than many Western ones, and the dressings pack a great flavour punch.

And this one is no exception. It’s a chilli-lime Thai dressing that has that South East Asian signature sweet-salty-tangy balance with a little buzz of heat from chilli.

Thai Chicken Salad Dressing recipetineats.com

I know it looks really spicy because it’s red. But actually, it’s not that spicy because I make this using a store bought Chilli Garlic Sauce. You won’t find me eating this by the spoonful but actually, it’s not that spicy, it looks more dangerous than it is in reality. Go on, have a taste test! 1 teaspoon of this doesn’t even have the same amount of spiciness as 1 Thai or Birds Eye Chilli.

Chilli Garlic Sauce is a terrific trick for thickening dressings / sauces in the same way mustard does in Western dressings, as well as adding spiciness / garlic + some tang because it’s not just made with garlic and chilli. It’s pretty common nowadays, sold at all the supermarkets here in Australia in the Asian section. But don’t worry if you can’t find it, I’ve provided plenty of alternatives in the recipe (Sriracha, hot sauce (even Frank’s), fresh chillies, chilli paste, sambal oelak – loads of options!).

Chilli Garlic Sauce

Thai Chicken Salad ingredients

Ah yes, I almost forgot. The spice-adverse may be alarmed to see yet more chillies in the photo above – the finely sliced red chillies.

But fear not! Firstly, they are large red chillies that actually aren’t that spicy at all. Rule of thumb is: the larger the chilli, the less spicy they are, the smaller they are, the spicier they are.

Secondly, yes the finely julienned red chillies add a touch more heat into this salad and it looks pretty, but it’s not a deal breaker just to leave them out. I often do (mainly because I can’t be bothered with the extra chopping action!)

Thai Chicken Salad with a bright zesty Chilli Lime Dressing, classic balance of Thai tangy-sweet-salty flavours. recipetineats.com

I honestly would not classify this salad as really spicy. The dressing is warm rather than spicy and I barely notice the fresh chilli tossed through the salad. If this was on a restaurant menu that had a spiciness indicator in the form of chilli icons, with 1 chilli being mild and 3 chillies being “blow your head off” spicy, this would be a 1 chilli dish.

You won’t be wiping sweat beads off your forehead and guzzling ice water / beer, cursing me silently (or out loud). 😉 Promise! – Nagi x


MORE CHICKEN SALADS YOU’LL LOVE

  • Lemon Chicken Salad

  • Hawaiian Chicken Salad

  • Chicken Salad with Avocado Dressing

  • Chinese Chicken Salad

  • Mexican Avocado Chicken Salad

  • More giant Salads for Meals

Thai Chicken Salad with a bright zesty Chilli Lime Dressing, classic balance of Thai tangy-sweet-salty flavours. recipetineats.com

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

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Thai Chicken Salad with a bright zesty Chilli Lime Dressing, classic balance of Thai tangy-sweet-salty flavours. recipetineats.com

Thai Chicken Salad

Author: Nagi
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Main, Salad
Thai
5 from 37 votes
Servings2 people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe VIDEO above. A chicken salad with a fantastic Thai chilli lime dressing with a great tangy-sweet-salty-spicy balance that South East Asian food is known for. Using Chilli Garlic Sauce is a great way to thicken dressing as well as adding more layers of flavour. Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side. 

Ingredients

  • 180 - 220 g / 6 -7oz chicken breast

Salad:

  • 150 g / 5 oz mixed lettuce leaves (or other of choice)
  • 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes , halved
  • 1 small cucumber , sliced
  • 1/4 red onion , finely sliced
  • 1/2 large red chilli , deseeded and very finely sliced (Note 1)
  • 1/2 cup roasted cashews , unsalted preferred
  • 1/4 cup coriander / cilantro leaves

Thai Chilli Lime Dressing:

  • 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander/cilantro stems (see video)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Chilli Garlic Sauce (Note 2)
  • 1 small garlic , minced
  • 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice (or rice vinegar)
  • 2 tsp fish sauce (Note 3)
  • 1 tbsp canola oil (or vegetable, grapeseed or other neutral oil)
  • 1 1/2 tsp sugar (any, I use white)

Instructions

Chicken:

  • Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Boil water in a saucepan. Add chicken, put the lid on, let the water come back up to a simmer, then remove from stove. Set aside for 20 minutes (even up to 45 min is fine). (Note 4)
  • Remove chicken from water and shred, then cool.

Dressing:

  • Place ingredients in a jar. Shake well. Taste and adjust as required. It should be a balance of tangy / sweet / salty / hint of spice. (Note 5)

Salad:

  • Place Salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle over most of the Dressing, toss. Serve immediately, drizzled with remaining Dressing.

Recipe Notes:

1. Large Chilli: The larger the chilli, the less spicy it is. I use Cayenne peppers which are common here in Australia, they are about 12 cm / 5" long. They are not that spicy once sliced thinly and dispersed throughout the salad. It's more for colour and a bit of heat, so you can leave it out if you're concerned. Watch the video to see how I deseed it with a spoon and finely slice it.
2. Chilli Garlic Sauce is a terrific sauce sold in jars that is now widely available in supermarkets here in Australia (Woolies, Coles etc). It's made with chilli, garlic, vinegar and some seasonings so you get lots of extra flavour layers by using it in a dressing, plus it thickens the sauce like mustard does in Western dressings. Can be substituted with: sriracha, any hot sauce, crushed chilli in a jar, sambal oelak or other chilli pastes. Because the spiciness differs, start with a conservative amount and adjust to taste.
3. Fish Sauce: This can be substituted with soy sauce if you really insist - or need to. It's not quite the same because fish sauce has more complex flavours than soy sauce.
4. Chicken Poaching: This is a foolproof way to poach chicken, guaranteed to come out juicy every time and it is scientifically impossible to overcook the breast. The chicken can stay in the water for 45 minutes and it will still be the same as it was at 20 minutes. If your breast is larger than 220g/7oz, boil for 2 minutes before taking it off the stove, then leave for 20 minutes. Read more about this method in this recipe: Foolproof Poached Chicken Breast.
5. DRESSING: You should not be able to taste any of the ingredients individually. Too sour, add more sugar and oil. Too sweet, add more lime and/or fish sauce. Too fish-saucy, add more lime, oil and sugar.
6. SPICINESS: This salad looks spicier than it is because of that gorgeous fiery red colour of the dressing! But actually, it's fairly mild. The dressing has a warm tingle rather than the bite of spiciness, and the chilli in the salad is sliced very finely and it's not a spicy chilli (see Note 1). Feel free to adjust the spiciness to your taste - just add the chilli gradually into the dressing.
7. Nutrition per serving, assuming 2 servings. 148 calories is attributable to the cashews, so there's an opportunity to cut down on calories here (but note the cashews make this salad extra special!!).

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 385gCalories: 465cal (23%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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118 Comments

  1. Emma says

    March 30, 2021 at 10:45 pm

    5 stars
    I was so impressed with myself for making something so tasty, even my daughter who is the salad queen really enjoyed it. This is a regular for my household now. Thank you so much

    Reply
  2. Kathryn says

    March 23, 2021 at 7:08 pm

    5 stars
    Sooooo good!! Recipe makes enough for 2 big adult serves. We’ve made it twice now, once with poached chicken and once with leftover roast chicken. Both delish. Also just subbed chilli sauce for sweet chilli

    Reply
  3. Narelle Lawler says

    September 19, 2020 at 10:26 am

    5 stars
    A friend made this for lunch with the vegetable frittata. I loved both so much I immediately signed up and am now searching all these amazing recipes!

    Reply
  4. Robyn says

    September 18, 2020 at 8:44 am

    I love this salad and make it for friends and family but can’t eat it myself because of the sugar in the dressing and I am allegic to the sugar. Is their something i change the sugar with to get the correct balance?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 18, 2020 at 10:54 am

      Hi Robyn, are you able to have honey or another sweetener like that? N x

      Reply
  5. Haylie says

    September 6, 2020 at 2:39 pm

    Hi Nagi, just wondering if you have ever tried this recipe with Laoganma Chilli Sauce with Diced chicken condiment?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 7, 2020 at 9:57 am

      I haven’t Haylie! N x

      Reply
  6. J says

    August 20, 2020 at 1:25 am

    Hello, would love to try this dish! Any suggestions on what to go along with this dish for a small dinner party? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 20, 2020 at 1:28 pm

      Hi J – are you serving this on the side or as a main? What about a curry & some coconut rice? N x

      Reply
      • J says

        August 20, 2020 at 1:54 pm

        as a side, I was thinking a Thai green curry but wasn’t sure if it was too contrasting. But I’ll give it a try, together with coconut rice. Thanks.

        Reply
  7. Vicky says

    June 27, 2020 at 6:37 pm

    5 stars
    AMAZING- this is the best salad I have ever made. Thank you for another household favourite to add to my growing list lol!

    Reply
  8. Vanessa says

    April 11, 2020 at 1:38 pm

    5 stars
    Sooooo good, so easy, and as a bonus, extremely healthy.

    Reply
  9. Hau says

    March 5, 2020 at 4:08 am

    Hi, what if I don’t have roasted cashew nuts at hand

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 5, 2020 at 3:45 pm

      Try peanuts Hau! N x

      Reply
    • Carla Khouri says

      June 5, 2020 at 7:59 pm

      5 stars
      Nagi, (#masterchef)😉
      THANKYOU🙏 so much for all your beautiful recipes… totally addicted to #recipetineats and of course #lifeofdozer. Your my go to site for easy but totally fabulous gastronomic indulgence. ❤

      Reply
  10. Rob says

    February 20, 2020 at 1:16 am

    5 stars
    Potentially a strange question.. due to medical treatment I am undergoing I can’t touch lettuce of any type, stone fruits and berries are also out, just to name a few things I have to negotiate around… I was curious if you think this type of recipe could work with different salad ingredients in order to make up for the missing flavor of lettuce…

    Also could duck meat work instead of chicken ? Or am I getting too elaborate for my own good..

    Absolutely love your site, and it has been a huge goto for me in my cooking in order to work around my dietary needs in regards to my treatment..

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 20, 2020 at 12:49 pm

      Hi Rob, You sure can sub the lettuce with any other vegetables to make up a salad – it would be great with duck too! N x

      Reply
  11. Lynne says

    January 31, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely awesome. Only way to get husband to eat a salad for dinner :). Real tasty. So easy. Will become a firm favourite.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 1, 2020 at 9:42 am

      You’ve totally converted him Lynne!!

      Reply
  12. Rebecca Clifford says

    January 30, 2020 at 9:11 pm

    5 stars
    Another winning recipe for me! I was so skeptical about the poaching of the chicken but it turned out so good! I used canola oil & the taste was quite strong so next time I think I’ll use olive.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 31, 2020 at 7:02 am

      I’m so glad you loved it Rebecca, you can definitely substitute any oil you prefer. N x

      Reply
  13. Carol Fraser says

    January 23, 2020 at 6:50 pm

    5 stars
    It was WAAAYYY too hot today to cook so I made this salad but bought a chook from our local chicken shop. Another big hit and managed to save an undressed portion for lunch tomorrow. I accidentally put soy and fish sauce in the dressing, it still tasted great.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 24, 2020 at 6:52 am

      It was a stinker yesterday wasn’t it Carol?! I often shortcut by using a BBQ chook – I’m so glad you loved this recipe! N x

      Reply
  14. Dara says

    January 22, 2020 at 6:35 pm

    Nagi – I love this recipe but would like to make it with a seafood mix – squid, prawns etc. I’m guessing it might be best to stir-fry the seafood rather than poaching it?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 23, 2020 at 10:05 am

      Hi Dara, yes – I’d fry the seafood instead 🙂

      Reply
      • Dara says

        January 23, 2020 at 11:15 am

        Thank you! Happy New Year to you from NZ (and to Dozer too of course!)

        Reply
  15. Jennifer Bartl says

    December 19, 2019 at 6:35 pm

    5 stars
    Loved this, I bought a commercial dressing and made yours as well.
    Yours was much better, in my opinion, but daughter 2 says coriander tastes of soap.
    She preferred the bought one.
    Great recipe for a hot day. I added rice noodles and have enough for lunch as well.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 19, 2019 at 7:25 pm

      Some people love it and some people just hate it Jennifer!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the salad though 🙂

      Reply
    • Ceanne says

      April 28, 2020 at 5:45 pm

      I have 2 friends who complain that cilantro tastes like soap. Both have Norwegian backgrounds and one claims there is a specific gene which causes them to taste cilantro as soap. I adore cilantro. If I cook anything for them which contains cilantro, I don’t put the cilantro in the dish, but supply it in a separate bowl so each can add as desired. Nagi, your recipes are awesome!

      Reply
  16. Nikki says

    November 15, 2019 at 6:20 pm

    all i can say is O.M.G !! this recipe is amazing. I did tweak it a little as i didn’t have everything on hand, but it still tasted great. This is the 3rd night in a row now that i’ve made something for dinner of this site. The thing i love the most about these recipes is that you don’t need to spend ours in the kitchen preparing them and the flavours are just divine. Thank-you for introducing me to you amazing foodie world and recipes xo

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 16, 2019 at 2:16 pm

      Thanks so much Nikki, I really enjoy hearing what people think of my recipes!

      Reply
    • Samantha says

      January 3, 2020 at 5:32 pm

      5 stars
      Another delicious recipe Nagi!! Usually I only look up recipes for inspiration but your website is the exception, I have at least 10 of your recipes on constant rotation and they are all absolutely delicious!
      Added bonus you have an adorable dog!
      Thanks again!

      Reply
  17. Desiree' from South Africa says

    October 18, 2019 at 5:01 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi. Another perfect dish! It is very hot here so this salad was ideal for dinner. Served with home made tortillas, this was a real hit with no leftovers to pack for the lunches. I used roasted peanuts as I didn’t have cashews but kept all other ingredients. Thanks to you my family is now super excited at dinnertime to sample a new recipe from your blog at least 3 times a week.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 20, 2019 at 2:13 pm

      Perfect Desiree!!

      Reply
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