Thai Peanut Chicken Salad

This salad is amazing! Crunchy slaw and juicy chicken covered in a savory peanut sauce over a bed of greens and topped with honey-sesame roasted brussel sprouts. This salad isn’t a side dish…it’s the meal!

This salad is so stinkin’ good! I love Thai peanut sauce and could probably put it on everything I eat. Confession: I’m a sauce girl. I love to dip! And that’s why I like to try to make most of my own so I know what’s going into it. But full transparency- sometimes I just want to cook a dish and have the sauce already made, tasty and ready to pour on top. That’s okay, it’s about balance. So on that note, I recommend trying this Bangkok Peanut Sauce by House of Tsang. OMG!! It’s not that bad for you, but it does have a lot of sodium per serving so try to modify your portion.

This salad comes together in under 20 minutes and is a meal in itself, so no need to worry about making anything else. I did use leftover grilled chicken that I shredded (you’ll need about 2 cups worth, for 4 servings). If you do not have leftover chicken, you can prepare skinless chicken breasts or tenders in 10 minutes or less. I like to boil chicken before shredding it. I personally feel like boiling the chicken helps it not dry out. It only takes 8-10 minutes depending on the size of your breasts or you can use tenders which will cook up even faster. Just let it cool off before you try to shred it! Nobody wants burned chicken fingers! (get it?)

I also added Air Fried Sesame & Honey Brussels Sprouts to this salad for an extra dose of Vitamin C, K and healthy, filling fiber.

What you need to make Thai Peanut Chicken Salad

Shredded cooked chicken– hopefully you have leftover chicken; if not boil fresh (not frozen) breasts or tenders for 8-10 minutes, cool, then shred
Cole slaw mix
Shredded carrots
Red bell pepper
Honey– local raw honey is best
Olive oil
Peanut butter– I recommend using a brand uses just peanuts, like Crazy Richards or Haddar. Other brands add sugar and unhealthy oils. You can substitute other nut butters to accommodate taste and dietary needs.
Rice vinegar
Low Sodium Soy sauce or Coconut aminos
Sesame Oil
Red pepper chili flakes
Ground ginger
*Optional: Brussel Sprouts
*Optional salad ingredients: red onion, avocado, jalapeño

How to make this delicious salad

Add all sauce ingredients to a pan and cook on medium low until smooth and creamy, then remove from heat.

Mix cole slaw and red peppers.
Shred chicken.

Add chicken into the slaw mix.
Pour the peanut sauce over the veggies and chicken and mix until well combined.
Set slaw mix in refrigerator, IF you decide to make the brussel sprouts.

To make Air Fried Sesame & Honey Brussels Sprouts, follow the link to read full details of the recipe.

Cut the bottom stems of the sprouts and peel away the outer layers of the sprouts. (the ones that naturally fall off after cutting off the base)
Cut brussels in half, then add to a mixing bowl. Drizzle with sesame oil, olive oil and honey.
Place in air fryer, cooking at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Add salad greens of your choice to a plate and top with chicken mixture, brussel sprouts, diced red onion, sliced jalapeno and avocado.

Good for you ingredients

Nut butters- Choosing the better brand for you and your family

With an increase in peanut allergies over the years, most homes are now peanut free. If your family does not have any peanut allergies than follow recipe as is. Thankfully there are alternatives and other nut butters that can easily be substituted.

When choosing the right peanut butter, it’s important to read the ingredients lists. Many store bought brands have added sugars and oils that add trans fat. Added sugars and trans fats have been linked to many health problems, especially heart disease. Look for a peanut butter brand that has just simply peanuts or peanuts and salt. Your first time trying a “natural” peanut butter, it will taste different, but the more you eat it your taste buds will adjust. Often times, we’re not eating a plain spoonful of peanut butter….although that is TOTALLY acceptable, no judgement zone here! When mixed into recipes or coupled with an apple or other foods, it taste like the delicious, creamy, salty, naturally sweet goodness it is!

If you are a peanut free home then healthy alternatives are: almond butter, sunflower butter, cashew butter, tahini butter and walnut butter. They will all have their unique tastes, so try out a few and find which one is the best match. As with peanut butter, be sure to read your ingredients lists to make the healthiest choice. Look for brands whose ingredients are just: nuts and or salt.

I like to try a variety of nut butters for their various nutritional profiles and to mix it up. For example, some sunflower brands have more magnesium and Vitamin E than peanut butter and are naturally lower in saturated fats.

How to store leftovers

To store: Store leftovers separately. The chicken and slaw mix can be placed in a glass container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Brussel sprouts will also refrigerate for 2-3 days. (Time Saver Tip: Take leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Fill a container with salad greens and add the chicken & slaw mix on top and you have lunch. Or try wrapping chicken & slaw mix in a tortilla wrap for a quick on the go lunch.)
To freeze: I do not recommend freezing these ingredients.
To reheat: These ingredients can be consumed without heating. If you don’t like them cold, allow them to set out a few minutes before serving or microwave for 30 seconds or until desired warmth.

Family Friendly Options

I get it. Kids don’t always eat exactly how we want them to and their taste buds are still maturing. Maybe these few tricks can help!

Use frozen chicken tenders for this recipe. As always, I recommend reading the ingredients list- looking for fewer preservatives & additives like: disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, sodium alginate (I feel like I need to type out the pronunciation in syllables) all of which are added sodium. Choose brands that are labeled USDA Certified Organic, No Antibiotics and made with only white meat chicken. Some brands I like are: Applegate Organics Chicken Strips, Perdue Simply Smart Organics Chicken Breast Tenders and CauliPower Real Cluckin’ Chicken!
Instead of salad, make a wrap! Fill a tortilla with a spoonful of the slaw mix (without the shredded chicken if that’s how you’re making it for everyone else), dice up a chicken tender and wrap it up. Wraps are fun finger like foods for kids to eat and they’re still getting healthy lean protein and some veggies.
Encourage kids to try 1-2 brussel sprouts on the side. Maybe they can even have some extra peanut sauce or other sauce to dip them into for added encouragement.