I’m pretty sure when people say eat the rainbow, they mean eat this this Thai chicken salad! This chicken salad recipe is super easy to make and so full of color and textures. You will love how fast it comes together, too. You just need some leftover chicken and fresh produce, and we’ll teach you how to make the best “peanut” sauce for the dressing. It’s all Paleo + Whole30 friendly, too!

Horizontal overhead image of thai chicken salad in a large serving bowl with all the ingredients separated out - cabbage, cucumber, cashews, red bell pepper, cilantro, mango, carrots, chicken and a "peanut" sauce.

How to make chopped Thai chicken salad

Well, it’s really easy. It is a little labor intensive to chop up all the veggies and mango, but once that’s done it’s really just putting it all together.

Below is a breakdown of how this Thai chicken salad recipe comes together. And here are some other healthy comfort food recipes you might like as well!

  • Prep produce – Chop up the cabbage (or buy pre-shredded), cilantro, bell pepper and cucumber. Shred the carrot on a grater.
  • Cube your mango. Here’s a twenty second video tutorial with an easy way to do it.
  • Chop some cashews.
  • Cube or shred some leftover chicken.
  • Make the “peanut” sauce dressing.
  • Put it all in a large serving bowl and toss.

Paleo + Whole30 “peanut” dressing for Thai chicken salad

You’d expect a Thai chicken salad recipe to have a peanut sauce for the dressing, but peanuts aren’t Paleo or Whole30 friendly since they’re a legume, so we’ve made a compliant version for this chopped Thai chicken salad. It’s easy to mix up and has all the “peanut” flavor. Here’s what you’ll need.

  • Creamy cashew butter
  • Sesame oil
  • Coconut aminos
  • Rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar will work too)
  • Fresh ginger
  • Garlic
  • Water
  • Sea Salt
Vertical straight on image of pouring the "peanut" sauce over the Thai chicken salad in a bowl.

You just mix it all up in a jar or bowl. You can either toss it with all the ingredients or you can keep it on the side and just put however much you want on each serving of the salad. This is a great idea if you’re making this salad for meal prep. Then, all the veggies retain their crunch. If you have any leftovers, go ahead and put it on all the things!

Vertical overhead image of Thai chicken salad all mixed up and served in a bowl with lime wedges, fresh cilantro and chopped cashews on top.

Leftover chicken salad recipe

We love this Thai chicken salad recipe because it uses leftover chicken. You can shred it, cube it or cut your chicken into thin strips. Rotisserie chicken would work well, too. However you prefer it and in whatever form is easiest for you will be great! The idea here is simply that you are using up what’s in your fridge and making a tasty meal with it.

Vertical overhead image of thai chicken salad in a large serving bowl with all the ingredients separated out - cabbage, cucumber, cashews, red bell pepper, cilantro, mango, carrots, chicken and a peanut sauce.

Some other Asian inspired recipes

Time to give this easy Thai chicken salad a try!

If you’ve got some leftover chicken in the fridge, go ahead and use it up by making this easy Thai chicken salad recipe! You’ll love the “peanut” sauce and crunchy chopped salad. Leave a comment and rating below to let us know how it goes. Also, take a pic to share on Instagram, and tag us @realsimplegood so we can check it out! We love to see what you’re cooking!


Vertical overhead image of thai chicken salad in a large serving bowl with all the ingredients separated out - cabbage, cucumber, cashews, red bell pepper, cilantro, mango, carrots, chicken and a "peanut" sauce. Text overlay at top.

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Vertical split image with text overlay in the middle. Top image of Thai chicken salad in a bowl. Bottom image of pouring "peanut" sauce over the salad in a bowl.

Vertical overhead image of thai chicken salad in a large serving bowl with all the ingredients separated out - cabbage, cucumber, cashews, red bell pepper, cilantro, mango, carrots, chicken and a peanut sauce.
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Easy Thai Chicken Salad

When people say eat the rainbow, they mean eat this Paleo + Whole30 Thai chicken salad! You need leftover chicken, produce and the best "peanut" sauce!

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
  • 6 cups shredded cabbage
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 cup cashews, chopped
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cucumber, diced, (one small or half of a larger one)
  • 1 mango, cubed
  • 1 lime, juice
  • 1/4 tsp Sea salt

For the sauce:

  • 1/4 cup creamy cashew butter
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, (or rice vinegar)
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated on a microplane
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • water, to thin, (add 1 tbsp at a time until it reaches your desired consistency – we used about 2 tbsp)
  • Sea salt, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Prep all of the salad ingredients as noted, and place in a large bowl and toss.
  • Prep ginger and garlic as noted and make sauce. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk.
  • Pour the sauce over the salad and toss again. Serve and enjoy!

Last Step:

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Easy Thai-Inspired Chicken SaladEasy Thai-Inspired Chicken Salad