This delicious Thai Chicken Salad is a fresh and flavorful combination of crispy cabbage, sweet carrots, crunchy cashews, and tender, juicy chicken all topped with a zesty honey lime dressing. With its variety of flavors, colors, and textures, this simple hand-tossed salad is sure to become a new favorite!
It may not officially be summer yet, but here in Alabama is sure feels like it! We’ve been in the mid-to-upper 90s for several weeks now, and no relief is in sight! When it’s hot outside I find myself wanting to make cool meals that call for very little – if any – cooking. Which is just one of many reasons why I love this Thai Chicken Salad recipe!
I know what you are thinking. Salad? How boring! Well stay with me for a few and you’ll see why this delectable Thai Chicken Salad with a zesty homemade Honey Lime dressing is about as far from boring – and bland – as you can get!
There are so many reasons why I love this colorful and crunchy Thai Chicken Salad. It’s crisp and cool, you can use any kind of vegetable in it, and it works just as well with shrimp as it does chicken.
Another thing I love about it? The dressing. Ohhhhh the DRESSING! It’s sweet, it’s tangy, it’s spicy. It’s zesty, and it’s oh so good. It’s quite versatile, too. You can use it on many different foods ranging from noodle salads to baked chicken or shrimp.
But enough rambling, let’s get to what you came for – my Thai Chicken Salad recipe!
Easy Thai Chicken Salad Recipe
This scrumptious salad is so easy to make. And while this crunchy Thai Chicken Salad with honey lime dressing is well worth the few minutes that go into making it, if you are in a time-crunch, you could always use leftover chicken breasts or store-bought Rotisserie chicken.
Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links for products or services that I use and love, and highly recommend. If you make a purchase from one of these links, Bullock’s Buzz will make a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Kitchen Tools Needed to Make Thai Chicken Salad
- small mixing bowl for dressing
- large mixing bowl for salad
- large saute pan/skillet for chicken
- knife (I love this Santoku knife!)
- grater
- whisk
Thai Chicken Salad Ingredients
This recipe will make enough Thai Chicken Salad for 4 servings. Exact amounts are on the printable recipe version at the end of this post.
Chicken Ingredients
- chicken breasts (boneless/skinless)
- red onion (finely chopped)
- garlic (paste)
Dressing Ingredients
- fresh lime juice
- fish sauce
- fresh ginger (peeled/grated)
- red pepper flakes
- honey
- olive oil
Salad Ingredients
- cabbage (shredded)
- red pepper (diced)
- carrots (grated)
- scallions (chopped)
- fresh basil (chopped)
- fresh cilantro (chopped)
- cashews
How to Make Thai Chicken Salad
Chicken Directions:
- Begin by prepping a skillet with cooking spray.
- Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Next, add the onion and garlic in the skillet. Cook for two minutes.
- Now add the chicken to the skillet with the onion and garlic, and saute the chicken until browned and fully cooked. Set the chicken aside to cool.
- Once cooled, dice the chicken.
Dressing Directions:
While waiting for the chicken to cook, go ahead and start making the dressing.
- In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, ginger, and red pepper flakes.
- Next, slowly add in the olive oil whisking as you go.
- Then add honey to taste, and whisk some more to incorporate.
Salad Directions:
- Combine the cabbage, red pepper, carrots, scallions, basil, cilantro, and diced chicken.
- Toss with the dressing, making sure it is mixed well.
- Top the salad with cashews, then serve and enjoy!
As promised, with its variety of flavors, colors, and textures, this delicious Thai Chopped Chicken Salad is anything but boring and bland!
Best of all, this scrumptious salad works perfectly served as a side or as a complete meal. Enjoy!
Printable Salad Recipe
Crispy Thai Chicken Salad
This delicious Thai Chicken Salad is a fresh and flavorful combination of crispy cabbage, sweet carrots, crunchy cashews, and tender, juicy chicken all topped with a zesty honey lime dressing.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 lb chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp garlic paste
For the Dressing
- 4 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin
For The Salad
- 4 cups cabbage, shredded
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 3 carrots, grated
- 2 scallions, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup cashews, halved
Instructions
To Make the Chicken
- Prep skillet with cooking spray. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Add onion and garlic in the skillet. Cook for two minutes.
- Then add chicken to the skillet with the onion and garlic. Saute the chicken until browned and fully cooked.
- Set the chicken aside to cool. Once cooled dice the chicken.
To Make the Dressing
- Add the lime juice, fish sauce, ginger, and red pepper flakes to a medium bowl. Whisk together to combine.
- Slowly add the olive oil whisking as you go.
- Next, add honey to taste. Whisk well to incorporate.
For the Salad
- Combine the cabbage, red pepper, carrots, scallions, basil, cilantro, and diced chicken into a large mixing bowl.
- Add dressing and toss until well combined.
- Top with cashews. Serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 426Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 1277mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 5gSugar: 13gProtein: 40g
Nutritional information is automatically calculated with ingredients and serving size and may not be accurate. Please always double check with your own nutritional apps as well.
Looking for more deliciously simple salad recipes? Give these a try…
More Easy Salad Recipes
Steak and Heirloom Tomato Panzanella – A Classic Italian Bread Salad
Fresh Fall Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all of the latest updates!
I hope you enjoy this deliciously refreshing Thai Chicken Salad as much as I did! I’d love it if you’d share! Use the social sharing buttons below the post title to share with friends and family.