Peanut Chicken Salad

Entree salads are always a hit at my house. I know a lot of people don’t think you can make a filling meal with a salad – but it’s absolutely possible. My latest creation is a Vietnamese inspired Peanut Chicken Salad. The chicken is marinated with lime and cilantro. And the dressing is bursting with flavors of ginger, peanut and lime. This salad is bright and crisp – perfect for a summer dinner outside!

The dressing is the star of this salad for sure. I used date syrup, but you could also use honey if you prefer. I also used an all-natural peanut butter (literally just creamed peanuts). If you use a brand that has sugar added you might want to omit the date syrup (or honey), as it might get too sweet. You also might want to adjust the amount of ginger, depending on how much you want that flavor to stand out. Side note: Pint-sized Mason jars are great for mixing up homemade salad dressings.

For the base salad mixture, I used two different pre-bagged salad mixtures. If the broccoli slaw you select comes with a dressing packet, please do not add it to the mix, that will change the flavor entirely. And be sure to get a romaine salad mix that has carrots in it. If you cannot find one, add in some shredded carrots. I like to use English cucumbers because I don’t have to peel or seed them. If you have regular cucumbers, you may want to peel and/or seed them so they don’t make the salad soggy.

This salad is a full meal! So much going on you, are going to love it. If you feel you need something on the side, I would suggest a spring roll or gyoza. They would go great dipped in the peanut dressing.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Peanut Chicken Salad

A super flavorful crisp salad creation with marinated chicken and a ginger peanut lime dressing.

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American, Asian, Vietnamese

Keyword Chicken, entree salad, ginger, lime, peanut, peanut dressing, Salad, salads

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Marinating Time 4 hours hours

Servings 6

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 8 Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless
• ½ cup Oil
• ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• ¼ cup Honey or Date Syrup
• 3 Small Limes juice & zest
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
• ½ cup Fresh Cilantro fine chopped

For the Ginger Peanut Lime Dressing

• ⅔ cup Oil
• ⅓ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• ¼ cup Honey or Date Syrup
• ¼ cup Lime Juice
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• ⅔ cup Peanut Butter natural is best
• 2 tbsp Fresh Ginger fine grated

For the Salad

• 1 16oz bag Broccoli Slaw
• 1 10oz bag Romaine Salad Mix
• 1 English Cucumber halved and sliced
• ½ Medium Red Onion sliced
• 1 cup Cilantro chopped
• ½ cup Peanuts chopped
• 1 cup Wonton Strips ginger or regular
• 1 Lime cut in ⅛s, for garnish

Instructions

• Add chicken to a gallon-sized zipper bag. Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl and then pour over chicken. Seal bag and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours (up to over night).
• Add dressing ingredients to a mason jar. Secure lid and shake vigorously to combine. Place in refrigerator and let chill.
• In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add chicken and a half cup of the marinade. Cook for 10 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and let cool on a cutting board before slicing.
• In a large bowl, combine broccoli slaw, romaine mix, onions, cilantro and cucumbers. Add half of dressing, half of wonton strips and half of chopped peanuts. Toss to coat.
• In a shallow bowl, add a portion of the salad mixture. Place sliced chicken to one side of bowl. Sprinkle with wonton strips. Drizzle with dressing and then sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Garnish with 2-3 lime slices