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Two white bowls with Spicy Thai Salad with Chicken with a fork on top placed on top of a marble surface.

Spicy Thai Salad with Chicken (Panera Copycat)

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5 from 2 reviews

Look no further than your own kitchen to create this easy and delicious Spicy Thai Salad with Chicken (Panera Copycat). The tangy Thai peanut dressing puts this salad over the top!

  • Total Time: 25 min
  • Yield: 1 salad 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the salad:

  • 4 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 2 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1/4 cup purple cabbage, shredded
  • 1/4 cup carrot, shredded
  • 1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/4 cup shelled edamame
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped almonds

For the dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced

Instructions

Make the dressing:

  1. In a small mixing bowl, start with creamy peanut butter as your dressing base. Add in the wet ingredients (soy sauce, honey, water, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and lime juice) and whisk until well-combined. Add in the red pepper flakes, garlic, and ginger, and whisk vigorously. The peanut dressing should be smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Make the chicken:

  1. Heat a non-stick skillet with vegetable oil over medium heat. Cook the chicken for about 3-4 minutes. Brush the chicken with the peanut dressing and flip to the other side, cooking another 3-4 minutes, until an internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove from heat and let cool. Slice the chicken once cooled.

Assemble the salad:

  1. In a large salad bowl, place the Romaine lettuce at the bottom of the bowl, and layer all of the other vegetable ingredients around the lettuce. Top the salad with the chicken slices and sprinkles of almonds. Drizzle the peanut dressing all over the top of the salad. Enjoy!

Notes

  • You can make the spicy Thai peanut dressing ahead of time and keep in the fridge. Or freeze it for up to 3 months.
  • I don't recommend using chunky peanut butter because the consistency may not be smooth. You already have the chopped almonds in the salad.
  • Instead of a whisk, you can use a small food processor or high-powered blender to cream all of these ingredients together.
  • You can control the spice level of the red pepper flakes, or eliminate it if you don't like spicy.
  • To save time, use prepared rotisserie chicken. Always a great substitute!
  • Add-Ons: Top with fresh mint and basil, green onions, cucumbers, bean sprouts, wonton strips, etc. (You can get creative!)
  • Author: Asian Caucasian
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 10 min
  • Category: Salads
  • Method: Stove top
  • Cuisine: Thai

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 687
  • Sugar: 28.9 g
  • Sodium: 1098.2 mg
  • Fat: 39.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 47 g
  • Protein: 43.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 82.7 mg