This Crunchy Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing is full of delicious vegetables and mouthwatering juicy chicken. It's the perfect healthy dinner or lunch!
This delicious Crunchy Chicken Salad with peanut dressing is not only super easy to make, but it's healthy too! You can prep this ahead of time for weekly meal prep, or make it in less than 20 minutes for lunch or dinner!
This yummy salad is filled with my favorite things – red peppers, carrots, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, peanuts, and topped with a creamy delicious peanut dressing. The dressing is so tasty and adds such an outstanding flavor element to the salad. This peanut dressing is great on tons of different foods such as shredded chicken or even using it as a dip for chicken tenders!
Quick salads make the perfect meal! People rave about this Buffalo Chicken Salad as well as this Asian Salad. Making this salad is super easy! Here's how...
How to make Crunchy Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing:
**scroll down for full ingredients list and printable directions**
- First, prep and cook the chicken. The chicken can be grilled, sautéed in a pan, air fried, or baked. Add some teriyaki sauce to the chicken while cooking for an outstanding flavor!
- Next, make the peanut dressing: add rice vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, vegetable oil, and peanut butter to a salad dressing shaker or a small bowl. Shake or whisk until completely combined. Place in the refrigerator until using.
- Heat 2 cups of water in a small sauce pot and bring to a boil. Add the sugar snap peas and flash boil for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and run cold water over the top to stop the cooking process. Set them aside.
- Lastly, assemble the crunchy chicken salad: Add spinach and romaine to a large salad bowl. Top with peppers, onions, cucumbers, and carrots. Slice the grilled chicken and add over the top. Sprinkle sesame seeds and peanuts, then drizzle the peanut dressing over the top! Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked questions:
- Can I meal prep this salad ahead of time?
- Absolutely! Prep all the vegetables and store in an air tight container in the fridge. Make the dressing and store in a container in the fridge. Cook the chicken, slice, then store in the fridge. When ready to eat assemble the salad, heat the chicken, then top with the dressing!
- Can I add other vegetables to this Crunchy Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing?
- Yes! Add whatever vegetables you love to the salad!
- Can I use a different protein in this salad?
- How long will this salad stay fresh in the fridge?
- The salad will stay fresh in the fridge for 2 days if it hasn't been dressed or the warm chicken added. If you think you will not eat the whole salad, serve the portion desired and then store the remaining salad without the dressing or chicken (store separately).
If you like healthy recipes like this amazing salad, try some of these other suggestions:
- Air Fryer Salmon (cajun style)
- Skinny Bruschetta Chicken (easy healthy meal)
- Healthy Chicken & White Bean Chili
- KETO/LOW CARB Big Mac Lettuce Wraps
- Asian Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
This Crunchy Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing is full of delicious vegetables and mouthwatering juicy chicken. It's the perfect healthy dinner or lunch!
- 2 chicken breasts pounded slightly thin
- salt for seasoning
- pepper for seasoning
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1 romaine heart chopped
- 1 red pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 small cucumber cut into thin rounds
- ¾ cup sugar snap peas
- 1 large carrot peeled and then peeled into strips
- ½ small red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup peanuts chopped
- 1 TBS sesame seeds
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ginger chopped
- 2 TBS reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 TBS honey
- 3 TBS sesame oil
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 3 TBS creamy peanut butter
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Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. On a preheated grill, add your chicken and grill until cooked through, about 10 minutes**
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In a salad dressing shaker or bowl, add rice vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, vegetable oil, and peanut butter; Shake or whisk to thoroughly combine. Refrigerate until needed.
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Heat 2 cups of water in a small sauce pot, bring to a boil. Add the sugar snap peas and flash boil for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and run cold water over the top to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
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Assemble salad: Add spinach and romaine to a large salad bowl. Top with peppers, onions, cucumbers, and carrots. Slice the grilled chicken and add. Sprinkle sesame seeds and peanuts, add dressing and serve.
*The chicken is even more flavorful if you marinate in a teriyaki sauce before grilling, but that is optional.
Originally published in 2016. Recipe updated in 2022.
Liz
Sounds nice and I hope it is. Thank you.
April
that looks amazing. when are you bringing me lunch???
amberraeanderson
made this for dinner last night! This recipe yielded enough for 2 hearty dinners and 2 respectable lunches. simple & delicious! the dressing is A+
Allyson
I am so happy it turned out great for you! Thanks for sharing!
Kristen
The peanut butter sauce made this salad so much better, I was not expecting it to be so good but I had to go back for seconds.
Sheila G
We loved all of these textures together and the dressing is amazing!
April
Delish! Fresh and flavorful with a good crunch, I love it!
Beth
I'm really interested in this salad. I love peanut sauce, and the flavors in this salad are really calling to me.
Sam
Love the taste and texture of this salad!
Amanda
Beyond delicious! Everyone could not stop raving about it!
Sandra
This chicken salad is just bursting with so much flavors! Love it!
Erin | Dinners, Dishes and Dessert
Such a fabulous dinner! My family would love this!
Catalina
Love all these textures in a salad! I can't wait to make it for my family!