Delicious Chopped Thai Chicken Salad with Skinny Peanut Dressing for Quick & Healthy Meal Prep

As the weather warms up, many of us start thinking about lighter, healthier meals that are easy to prepare and perfect for enjoying outdoors or on the go. Whether you’re in sunny Texas where summer feels just around the corner, or in a cooler climate dreaming of brighter days, the shift towards fresh, vibrant food is universal. This is exactly where our Chopped Thai Chicken Salad with Skinny Peanut Dressing comes into play. It’s not just a meal; it’s a game-changer for anyone looking to eat clean, stay energized, and savor every bite without feeling weighed down.

Let’s be honest, maintaining a healthy diet can be a challenge. We all know the drill: more fruits, more vegetables, and lean protein. But sometimes, despite our best intentions, healthy eating can start to feel monotonous. Four months of mostly clean eating can take its toll, making you dream of indulgent treats and causing “diet fatigue.” It’s during these moments that a truly delicious, satisfying, and healthy recipe becomes a lifesaver. This Chopped Thai Chicken Salad is that miracle worker. It’s so flavorful and exciting that it makes lunchtime something to look forward to again, proving that healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring or restrictive. This salad offers a refreshing escape from the mundane, bringing bold Thai-inspired flavors right to your plate.

The journey with lean protein, especially chicken, can be a roller coaster of emotions. One day you love it, the next you’re convinced you might start clucking if you eat another bite. I’ve been there – feeling a major aversion to chicken, only to have it creep back into my diet when other options like beans or fish just aren’t cutting it. The key to making chicken enjoyable, even when you’re feeling chicken-fatigue, is pairing it with an explosive dressing or sauce that masks the “chickeny-ness” and elevates the entire meal. And trust me, this skinny peanut lime dressing delivers beyond expectation.

What makes this dressing so special and truly “skinny” isn’t just about calorie reduction; it’s about maximizing flavor and coverage. By blending all the ingredients together in a food processor, you create a thinner, more emulsified dressing that stretches further and coats every single piece of salad with robust flavor. This trick of the mind makes you feel like you’re indulging in a rich, decadent meal, when in reality, it’s light and healthy. The dressing itself is a masterful fusion, reminiscent of a savory satay sauce, a tangy spring roll dipping sauce, and all the best elements of a classic peanut dressing. It strikes a perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy, thanks to ingredients like lime juice, chili, garlic, ginger, and a hint of fish sauce. The very first bite is a symphony of crunchy veggies, sweet mangoes, and tender chicken, all coated in this irresistible dressing. It’s impossible to be anything but delighted!

While chicken might not always be my top protein pick, in this Thai chicken salad, it finds its perfect match. The vibrant medley of flavors ensures that the chicken is a delightful component, not the dominant taste. If you’re a devout veggie-lover or prefer a plant-based option, this salad is incredibly versatile. You can easily omit the chicken altogether and still enjoy a wealth of nutrition and flavor from the carrots, bell peppers, kale, cabbage, sweet mangoes, and fresh herbs. For those seeking another protein boost, pan-fried tofu or even shrimp would be fantastic additions to this colorful mix. Don’t forget the handful of chopped peanuts added at the end – that extra crunch truly completes the experience and makes the world go round!

Meal prepping is a fundamental strategy for consistent healthy eating, and this salad is designed with that in mind. A key tip for efficiency is to batch cook chicken breasts on the weekend. Whether you poach a large quantity, shred it, and freeze portions for later use in tacos, pasta, or salads, having pre-cooked chicken significantly cuts down on weekday prep time. This way, you’re only minutes away from a satisfying lunch or dinner, bridging the gap between normal hunger and “hangry” desperation. This summer, I plan to take it a step further by marinating chicken batches and freezing them, ensuring easy, flavorful meals even when the scorching 112ºF Texas temperatures make cooking indoors seem like an impossible task. Having these components ready to go means less time in a hot kitchen and more time enjoying delicious, healthful food.

While this particular chopped Thai chicken salad might not be a completely novel concept (I’ve shared a noodle version in the past), this rendition focuses on packing in even more vibrant fruits and vegetables, while also lightening up the dressing for a fresher, healthier profile. The addition of sweet, juicy mangoes provides a delightful tropical twist, enhancing both the flavor and visual appeal. It’s truly a feast for the eyes, which, for people like me who eat with their eyes first, is just as important as the taste.

For those interested in optimizing their meal prep, I highly recommend these (affiliate link) meal prep containers. They are a personal favorite and make organizing lunches a breeze. And for keeping your salad from getting soggy, these cute little condiment containers (affiliate link) are absolutely essential for storing the dressing separately until you’re ready to serve. Nobody likes a soggy salad, right?

For the love of all things flavorful and covered in delicious peanut sauce, you absolutely have to give this Chopped Thai Chicken Salad a try! It’s the perfect blend of healthy, easy, and incredibly tasty, making it an ideal choice for meal prepping and enjoying all week long.

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Yield: 5-6 servings

Chopped Thai Chicken Salad with Skinny Peanut Dressing (meal prep)

Prep Time
20 minutes

Total Time
20 minutes

Learn how to make an easy chopped Thai chicken salad with skinny peanut dressing that’s perfect for meal prepping and enjoying all week long for lunches!

Ingredients

Skinny Peanut Dressing:

¼ cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons EACH: low sodium soy sauce and honey
2-3 tablespoons lime juice (see notes)
1 birdseye chili, chopped (see notes)
2 teaspoons EACH: minced garlic, minced ginger, and fish sauce
1 tablespoon oil (colorless, flavorless)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Salad:

2 cups cooked shredded chicken
2 carrots, chopped or shredded
½ cup chopped peanuts and chopped herbs (basil and/or cilantro)
1 cup chopped kale
1 bunch scallions, chopped (greens)
1 red bell pepper, chopped or shredded
1 large mango, chopped or sliced
1 medium-ish head of cabbage, chopped or shredded

Instructions

Dressing: Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a food processor along with 3 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust with additional water, I used a total of 4 tablespoons because I prefer thinner dressing here so it coats everything a little better!
Salad: Combine all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl. If meal prepping, divide the salad into containers (affiliate link) and the dressing into condiment containers (affiliate link) and refrigerate. If serving immediately, dress the salad and serve.

Notes

Personally, I prefer to use 3 tablespoons of lime juice because it balances a little better with the sweet mangoes. Feel free to use less if you’d like though!
The birdseye chili can be replaced with ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to preference).
Feel free to make this with a rotisserie chicken if you’d like! You can also swap the peanuts for almonds or cashews!
To make the prep for this salad faster, I usually use pre-shredded carrots and pre-shredded cabbage from the store. You’ll need about ¾ – 1 full bag of shredded cabbage.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I’d love to see what you made!