Thai Curry Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is the universally loved lunch and always a safe choice for any occasion. My go-to summer menu when friends come for lunch is my Sonoma Chicken Salad with some fabulous fruit on the side. Last week I took a soft left and made Thai curry chicken salad ~ it brings an element of excitement to the party with bold tropical flavors and crunchy textures.

You’ll need a rotisserie chicken, a head of Napa cabbage (or your favorite greens for the base,) some roasted peanuts, golden raisins, spring onions, bell pepper, and, of course, Thai basil. The Thai curry dressing, below, brings a host of classic Thai flavors to the dish.

Thai curry chicken salad dressing

The dressing is mayo based ~ trust me on this. It blends the East and West in a deliciously approachable way.

• Thai curry paste ~ comes in different color versions, and I use red curry paste in this salad.
  • Red curry paste ~ medium-hot, made with dried red chilies.
  • Green curry paste ~ spiciest, made with fresh green chilies.
  • Yellow curry paste ~ mildest, flavored with turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon.
• fresh lime juice
• sweet chili sauce
• fresh ginger
• toasted sesame oil
• Thai basil ~ it has a bold, peppery flavor with hints of licorice, while regular sweet basil is milder and more floral. 
  • Find Thai basil at Asian grocery stores, farmers markets, or in the herb section of well-stocked supermarkets ~ look for purple stems and narrow leaves.
  • If you can’t find Thai basil regular basil will work fine.

A rotisserie chicken salad is nothing new, but refreshing Thai flavors wake it up and make it special-occasion worthy. I treat this Thai curry chicken salad like a main course dinner salad that hits the spot on hot nights when I can’t face the kitchen.

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Thai Curry Chicken Salad

5 from 1 vote

Rotisserie chicken meets a gingery curry-lime dressing in this bold, breezy summer Thai Curry Chicken Salad.

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Prep Time:20 minutes minutes

Total Time:20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

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Ingredients

 

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for the dressing

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1.5 tsp Thai red curry paste (or more to taste)
• 2 tsp Thai sweet chili sauce
• 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• salt if needed, to taste
• 2-3 Tbsp loosely packed shredded thai basil

for the salad

• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 1 medium rotisserie chicken)
• 5 spring onions, sliced thin
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1 small head Napa cabbage, shredded

garnish, optional

• sliced mango
• lime wedges

Instructions

• Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust any of the ingredients if necessary. Add more curry paste for a bolder spicier flavor, more lime for acidity, extra ginger for a pungent bite, or toasted sesame oil for more depth of flavor. When it's perfect, set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded chicken, spring onions, bell pepper, peanuts, and golden raisins. Toss with the dressing.
• Serve on shredded Napa cabbage, lime wedges, and sliced mango. Garnish with additional peanuts and shredded basil, if desired.
• Leftover Thai curry chicken salad will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

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Course: Salad

Cuisine: Thai/American

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: chicken, curry, lime, lunch, peanuts, salad, summer, Thai

Nutrition

Calories: 339 kcal · Carbohydrates: 14 g · Protein: 26 g · Fat: 21 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 10 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g · Trans Fat: 0.05 g · Cholesterol: 72 mg · Sodium: 294 mg · Potassium: 900 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 8 g · Vitamin A: 1473 IU · Vitamin C: 70 mg · Calcium: 143 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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menu suggestions for Thai curry chicken salad

All this chicken salad needs is a bed of greens and a little fruit to go alongside. Mango or pineapple slices are perfect. You could also use papaya or avocado. I skip the extra carbs, it’s perfectly satisfying as is.

I also love to wrap this salad in Thai rice paper wrappers or bánh tráng for a super refreshing meal or snack. (See my Chicken Salad Summer Rolls for inspiration.)

Serve with lemonade or iced tea ~ Thai iced tea would be fun!

Easy Thai Iced Tea

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons Thai tea mix (like Pantai or Number One brand)
• 2–3 teaspoons sugar (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
• A splash of evaporated milk or half-and-half
• Ice

Instructions:

1. Bring the water to a boil and steep the tea mix for 5 minutes.
2. Strain out the tea leaves and stir in sugar while hot. Let cool.
3. Fill a glass with ice, pour in the tea, then stir in the sweetened condensed milk.
4. Top with a splash of evaporated milk for that classic swirl.