Take a look at our Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam) if you are looking for a true authentic recipe. When hot weather arrives all I want to eat is fresh, seasonal ingredients! Just give me some grilled chicken or steak and a pile of vegetables and I am happy! This grilled chicken salad is exactly the type of food that makes us pine for summer days all year round. Fresh, vibrant flavours, cooked on a grill and enjoyed outside. What could be better?!
Grilled Chicken Breasts
Let me be completely honest with you. I am not the biggest fan of chicken breasts. I enjoy thighs much more and yes, I do grill them! However my kids love chicken breasts and I have to admit they work much better in a salad. That being said, they do benefit from extra seasoning, which brings us to the subject of sauces and marinades. Those two are perfect for amping up the taste and flavour of mild chicken breasts!
Thai Chicken Marinade
I absolutely adore Thai flavours. This recipe for easy Thai Red Curry with Prawns and Snow Peas is my favourite in any season. Sweet, sour, spicy and salty! The cornerstones of the Thai cuisine. I think these flavours work perfectly in the summer and they are easy to achieve with a little kitchen hack. Store bought curry paste is what I use for a quick marinade. Just smother the chicken breasts with Thai red or green curry paste and let them marinade overnight or for 2-3 hours.
How to Grill Chicken Breast
No one likes a dry chicken, which can happen very quickly on a hot grill, so let me tell you exactly what to do to avoid this travesty.
Spicy Peanut Sauce
The second part of the flavour building is the sauce. Spicy peanut sauce is delicious and so easy to make at home. If you are allergic to peanuts, substitute with almond butter. Just a quick mix of the crunchy peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, lime juice and spicy Sriracha will give you the most gorgeous concoction! I prefer using crunchy peanut butter for the texture it adds but a smooth kind will also work. Just imagine pouring that sauce all over your slightly charred, fresh off the grill tender chicken breasts. Flavour explosion.
Noodle Salad
Since this grilled chicken salad is meant to be eaten as a main meal and not just a little side, I added rice noodles to the mix to make it a bit more substantial. If you are not a fan of rice noodles, feel free to use either ramen noodles or medium egg noodles from an Asian aisle of your supermarket. Even spaghetti can work in this delicious salad! And if you want to increase your fibre intake, swap for wholewheat noodles! Now let’s talk about the vegetables. I wanted my salad to have a lot of texture, so I chose red cabbage, carrots and cucumbers to achieve that crunch. I also cut them all into long thin strips to mimic the shape of the noodles in the salad. A julienne peeler works really well to create that look or use a vegetable grater to keep things simple. You can also use a regular vegetables peeler to shave thin cucumber slices. I also added a bunch of green/spring onions and fresh cilantro for a punchy flavour. Finally, roasted peanuts are sprinkled all over the grilled chicken salad right before serving.
Serving suggestions
I made this grilled chicken salad to stand all on its own as a complete – and incredibly satisfying – meal. With the egg noodles and hearty protein, it’s a salad that is going to tick a lot of boxes. If you feel like switching things up, you can replace the chicken in this recipe with fish like salmon. My Asian Salmon will be a great addition to the noodle salad.
Storage and leftovers
I’m a fan of making this salad in advance. Make it early and have it ready to go when you feel the urge. You can keep the salad for 4-5 if refrigerated in an airtight container.
More Favourite Summer Salad Recipes to Try
Burger in a Bowl Cobb Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing Italian Salad with Tuna, Corn and Mozzarella Coronation Chicken Salad
Or explore our large Salad Recipe Collection for inspiration.
