Thai Grilled Chicken Salad

Thai grilled chicken salad

 D.Schmidt/The Spruce

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 2 to 3 servings

Our Thai grilled chicken salad with lemongrass-coriander dressing will thrill your taste buds! It starts with strips of chicken breast marinated in a garlic-pepper sauce. The chicken is then either grilled on your barbecue or "oven barbecued" using the broiler in your oven. Place over a bed of summer greens tossed in a lemongrass-coriander-lime dressing, top with a sprinkling of fresh basil, and you have a complete meal that is so Thai-delicious, you'll want to make it your number one salad this season!

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless chicken breasts or 4 chicken thighs (cut into thick strips)
  • 1 pound salad greens
  • 1 tomato (chopped)
  • 1/2 to 1 cucumber (chopped)
  • chopped tomatoes and cucumbers)
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil and coriander (lightly chopped)
  • For the Chicken Marinade:
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 6 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or lime juice)
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • For the Salad Dressing:
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon lemongrass (finely minced)
  • 1 makrut lime leaf (cut into thin strips with scissors) or 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce (available in tall bottles at all Asian/Chinese food stores)
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons fresh coriander (finely chopped)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons Thai chili sauce (to taste), or 1 fresh red chili (minced)

Steps to Make It

  1. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a cup except for the pepper. Slather over chicken, ensuring all parts are equally covered with marinade. Then sprinkle ground pepper all over the chicken's surface.

  2. Allow chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 10 to 15 minutes (or up to 24 hours).

  3. If using the oven: Set oven to broil and place chicken on a broiling pan or a foil-lined baking sheet (turn out the sides of the foil to prevent juices from spilling into the oven).

  4. Place chicken on the second-to-highest rung of your oven, allowing it to cook 5 minutes each side, then turning.

  5. Continue broiling and turning until cooked (chicken will be lightly charred around the edges). Use the leftover marinade to baste chicken the first time you turn it.

  6. If using a grill: Place chicken over a hot grill and cook until well done. Use leftover marinade to baste chicken when you turn it the first time.

  7. To make the dressing: place water, lemongrass, and lime leaf strips in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute (this will soften the lemongrass and bring out the flavor of the lime leaf or zest). Remove from heat.

  8. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients and mix well.

  9. Taste the dressing. It should be tangy, or a balance of salty, sweet, spicy, and sour. Adjust it to your taste by adding more fish sauce if not flavorful or salty enough, more lime juice if too salty or sweet, more sugar if too sour, or more chili sauce if not spicy enough for your taste.

  10. Toss the salad with the dressing. Portion out the salad among individual plates, and top with the fresh herbs, then strips of the hot chicken.

  11. Serve immediately, while the chicken is still warm. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1040 Calories
48g Fat
55g Carbs
100g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories 1040
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 48g 62%
Saturated Fat 13g 66%
Cholesterol 279mg 93%
Sodium 3210mg 140%
Total Carbohydrate 55g 20%
Dietary Fiber 7g 25%
Protein 100g
Calcium 360mg 28%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)