Recipe: Crunchy Thai Chicken Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing (GF + DF)

This crunchy Thai salad hits so many levels of goodness. It’s loaded with good-for-you ingredients, it tastes so crunchy and fresh, and it’s gluten-free and dairy-free making it super versatile for an array of people.

Salad is my go-to lunch choice, so I knew this quinoa salad would hit the spot! We love making this Thai chopped salad for a potluck as well as prepping it for healthy lunches all week long. If you’re chopping and making each element yourself, this recipe can take some time. So throw on a podcast, or a favorite playlist and get chopping. But you can also easily use a few shortcuts that make this salad come together much faster (see below).

This crunchy Thai peanut quinoa salad can also easily be kept vegetarian. Just skip the chicken and you’re good to go! Quinoa packs some major protein, plus it’s filling so you really don’t need the chicken if you don’t want it.

Why We ADORE This Crunchy Thai Cashew Quinoa Salad

• Gluten-Free (be sure to use a GF brand of soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos)
• Dairy-Free
• Vegetarian/Vegan (omit the chicken)
• Protein-packed (thanks to the quinoa! And chicken if you include)
• Filling
• Fresh
• CRUNCHY

The Best Thai Peanut Dressing

this for later

This Thai peanut dressing is SO good, it’s nearly impossible not to lick the spoon. Just the right amount of heat, sweet and tang, plus that delicious peanut goodness.

This peanut dressing comes together super quickly in a food processor and can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Grilled Chicken Instructions

If you choose to include chicken, you can buy pre-cooked or cook your own. We love to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs which stay nice and juicy.

You can use your favorite recipe for simply cooked chicken thighs, but we love using this chicken thigh marinade. Simply marinate for 30 minutes up to 12 hours and then cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 160. We love using our nonstick grill pan and press which makes really delicious grill marks without ever having to fire up a grill.

Let rest for 10 minutes and then chop. Top directly onto your crunchy Thai salad or store in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Make Ahead Instructions

This crunchy Thai peanut salad is a GREAT recipe to make ahead/meal prep. We love to prep certain elements of this recipe on Sunday and then store them separately in the fridge to combine for lunches all week long.

• Cook quinoa in your Instant Pot or on the stove
• Shred cabbage, carrots, cilantro and toss together
• Cook chicken thigh and chop
• Make peanut dressing

Be sure to store each item separately to keep things fresh.

Shortcut Tips

If you’re short on time or just looking to make this recipe come together a bit faster, here are some great ways to do so:

• Buy shredded cabbage and shredded carrots pre-packaged
• Buy ready-to-eat microwave quinoa
• Buy pre-cooked chicken

If you’re making this recipe for a crowd, it’s more cost-efficient to make each element yourself rather than buying many bags of shredded cabbage and carrots. Using a food processor to shred cabbage, carrots and cilantro makes quick work of what would be a long time spent with a knife in hand.

Other Healthy Main Dish Salads

• Healthy Chicken Cobb Salad
• Teriyaki Salmon Salad (Easy 15-Minute Recipe!)
• Asian Salad with Pulled Pork