I am so in love with this recipe. I really like salad but rarely serve salads as a main entrée because the kids, although they’re pretty good eaters, they balk at Saladinner.
This is one exception. The recipe comes from My Kitchen Escapades (thank you so much for sharing it), and the original can be found here http://www.mykitchenescapades.com/2013/10/thai-chicken-salad-with-spicy-peanut.html
This is one of the rare recipes that I don’t really change very much, some tiny tweaks, but it is just fantastic as it is.
I love to use my little Bullet blender to make the marinades because I can just give a quick rinse between (the flavors are similar enough) and it’s superfast.
Marinade
A day (or two) ahead, marinate the chicken. You could marinate for less time but the flavor is better I’ve found when it’s at least overnight.
To your blender cup, add ½ C vegetable oil, 2 T. rice wine vinegar I like the seasoned when I can find it, 1/4C sugar…you can use fake sugar too but for this I think the real sugar gives a nicer browning on the chicken, 1 clove of garlic, ½ bunch of cilantro (I just use the stems of the cilantro and save the leaves. Since I’m blending it, the flavor is there and that’s all that matters) , the juice of 1 lime, and a dash of salt and pepper. Puree.
Prep 4 chicken breasts by filleting it down the middle. I use very large chicken breasts, which makes a bit extra so the kids can have a chicken sandwich while we’re macking on salad.
I like to do this in a gallon Ziploc back so I can moosh it around pretty good and refrigerate overnight or a day or 2.
Salad dressing
Blend ¼ C rice wine vinegar, ¼ C sweet red chili sauce, I usually use Mae Ploy, 1 t sesame oil, ½ t sugar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. I usually let sit overnight.
Salad mix
Chop 2 heads romaine lettuce, ½ head napa cabbage, a red pepper, a cucumber, 3 carrots, 3 green onions, and half a bunch of cilantro. Toss and add 1 cup of peanuts, I use dry roasted. This makes a HUGE amount of salad. Since we typically don’t eat it all between the 2 of us, I will usually put part of it in a bag (sans dressing) and have it for lunch the next day or so. It stays good for a couple of days.
Peanut sauce drizzle
Blend ¼ C peanut butter (I have used the natural and the less-natural and settled on the Skippy natural I find the not quite as natural emulsifies a bit better) with 2 T soy sauce, 1 T rice wine vinegar, 1 T Thai sweet red chili sauce and 2 or 3 T water (depending on how thick it is).
Pan fry the chicken until nice and done on medium low.
Chop the chicken
Toss the dressing with the salad and chicken, plate, and drizzle with peanut sauce.
IF YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE, YOU WILL ALSO LIKE:
- Doe’s House Salad
- Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
- Smoked Paprika Salad Dressing
- Spinach Salad With Hot Bacon Dressing
- Spinach and Strawberry Salad With Poppy Seed Dressing
Thai Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1/2 C. canola oil
- 2 T. rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 C. sugar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 1/4 C. lime juice
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1/4 t. pepper
- 2 1/2 Lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
Salad
- 4 C. chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 C. chopped Napa cabbage
- 1 cucumber peeled, seeded and chopped
- 2 carrots shredded
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 5 green onions chopped
- 2 C. cilantro chopped
- 1 C. dry roasted peanuts
Dressing
- 1/4 C. rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 C. Mae Ploy Thai sweet red chili sauce
- 1 t. sesame oil
- 1/2 t. sugar
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1/4 t. pepper
Peanut Sauce
- 1/4 C. natural peanut butter
- 2 T. soy sauce
- 1 T. rice vinegar
- 1 T. Mae Ploy Thai sweet red chili sauce
- 2 T. water
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