This Low-Carb Thai Chicken Salad is a delicious paleo and keto-friendly main dish that is full of flavor and nutrients and is made without peanuts or peanut butter. If you are looking for a power-packed salad that is dairy-free and easy to make, you will love this one!
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This chicken salad is made with homemade marinade that is free from preservatives or unnecessary additives. It includes fresh ingredients that you can find in your grocery store and may even be ingredients that are new to you!
You may notice that most Thai chicken salads contain peanuts and/or peanut dressing, typically made with peanut butter.
This salad does have a slight “kick” to it, but this can be lessened if you’re someone who doesn’t like spicy foods. If you want to decrease the spiciness, simply decrease the amount of chile pepper in the recipe.
What ingredients are required?
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh cilantro
- Fresh ginger
- Fresh red chiles
- Lemongrass
- Olive oil
- Chicken breasts
- Lime juice
- Classic monk fruit sweetener (optional)
- Green onion
- Cucumber
- Arugula
Are there any ingredient substitution options?
- Canned Coconut Milk: If you want to make this recipe coconut-free or if you don’t have canned coconut milk on-hand, you can substitute in heavy cream at a 1:1 ratio. Note that this will change the final nutrition information of the recipe and the recipe will no longer be dairy-free, paleo, or Whole30-compliant.
- Fresh Ginger: You can use ground ginger here, but it will likely change the flavor of the resulting dish just slightly. Use 1/4 tsp ground ginger in place of the fresh ginger this recipe calls for.
- Coconut Aminos: Again, if you need to make this recipe coconut-free or if you don’t have coconut aminos in your pantry, gluten-free soy sauce will work here. Sub in soy sauce for coconut aminos at a 1:1 ratio. Note that this will make the recipe no longer be paleo or Whole30-compliant. Other options for substituting coconut aminos would be salted beef broth or fish sauce.
- Fresh Red Chile Peppers: These can be found in the produce section of your grocery store. If, however, you cannot find these peppers, fresh jalapeños or fresh serrano peppers will work.
- Fresh Lemongrass: Lemon zest will work here, but it will change the flavor of the dish slightly, but it will still work and taste good!
- Chicken Breasts: Chicken thighs would work really well here; if you go this route, you can either purchase boneless and skinless thighs, or, if you buy bone-in and skin-on, just note that you’ll need to remove the bones and skin prior to cooking.
- Monk Fruit Sweetener: You can sub in erythritol or Swerve subbed in at a 1:1 ratio. Powdered stevia or liquid stevia should also work, but I cannot advise on what the exact substitution ratio should be as every brand of stevia is very different. If you want to use stevia, you will need to look up a conversion chart for that brand’s product.
- Fish Sauce: Like the substitution suggestion for coconut aminos, gluten-free soy sauce can be used in place of fish sauce. Again, though, using soy sauce will lead to this dish no longer being paleo-friendly or Whole30-compliant.
Can I make this recipe coconut-free?
Yes, refer to the section above about the ingredient substitutions that can be made for canned coconut milk and coconut aminos.
Where do I find a julienne peeler or spiralizer?
I chose to slice the cucumber into thin ribbons using a julienne peeler because I like prefer the texture when cut that way, but you could easily make noodles using a spiralizer or simply chopping the cucumber into small chunks.
This is the julienne peeler I used. The spiralizer is also a great option.
How to store this salad?
Once the chicken has cooled, store salad in an airtight contain in the refrigerator for 1 day. The short time frame for leftovers for this recipe is because the cucumber noodles will start to wilt. If you want to make this recipe for weekly meal prep, prepare everything except the cucumber noodles in advance and then, when ready to eat, prepare the cucumber noodles.
How to make this keto Thai chicken salad
Chicken: In a mixing bowl, mix together coconut milk, garlic, cilantro, ginger, coconut aminos, chile pepper, lemongrass, and turmeric until well-combined.
Using a sharp knife, cut chicken breasts into strips about ½-inch thick to form mini-fillets.
Transfer cut chicken to bowl of marinade and toss until chicken is fully coated in sauce. Cover the bowl with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate to marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
Remove marinated chicken from the refrigerator.
In a large pan or griddle over medium heat, heat olive oil. Using tongs, place chicken in an even layer in pan. Cook chicken until internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached, about 3-4 minutes per side. Alternatively, cook chicken in a preheated oven at 375 degrees until cooked throughout, about 20-30 minutes. Set aside.
Dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Set aside.
Salad: Using a julienne peeler or spiralizer, carefully cut cucumbers into cucumber noodles. (If using a julienne peeler, discard the center of the cucumbers.)
Final Steps: In a large mixing bowl, using spoons or tongs, toss together arugula, cucumber noodles, green onions, and dressing until thoroughly incorporated. Serve dressed greens mixture in individual bowls and top with chicken, chopped cilantro, and finely sliced fresh chile pepper.
Want to try more easy keto salads?
If you’d like to try more easy salad recipes, check these out!
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Low-Carb Thai Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Chicken:
- ⅓ cup 80mL canned coconut milk
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 tsp 10mL coconut aminos
- 1 ½ tsp ~2.5g finely chopped fresh red chile pepper
- 1 tsp ~2g finely chopped fresh lemongrass
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp 30mL olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breasts, about 3-4 medium-sized chicken breasts
Dressing:
- 15 g lime juice, juice yielding from one good squeeze
- 2 tbsp 30mL olive oil
- 1 tsp 5mL coconut aminos
- ½ tsp 2g classic monk fruit sweetener (optional)
- ¼ tsp ~1.5g fish sauce
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
Salad:
- 1 finely chopped green onion, ~22g
- 180 g cucumber
- 100 g arugula
Optional Garnishes:
- 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
- ½ red chile pepper, sliced (~0.2g)
Instructions
- Chicken Preparation: In a mixing bowl, mix together coconut milk, garlic, cilantro, ginger, coconut aminos, chile pepper, lemongrass, and turmeric until well-combined.
- Using a sharp knife, cut chicken breasts into strips about ½-inch thick to form mini-fillets. Transfer cut chicken to bowl of marinade and toss until chicken is fully coated in sauce. Cover bowl with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate to marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
- Remove marinated chicken from refrigerator. In a large pan or griddle over medium heat, heat olive oil. Using tongs, place chicken in an even layer in pan. Cook chicken until internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached, about 3-4 minutes per side. Alternatively, cook chicken in preheated oven at 375 degrees until cooked throughout, about 20-30 minutes. Set aside.
- Dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Set aside.
- Salad: Using a julienne peeler or spiralizer, carefully cut cucumbers into cucumber noodles. (If using a julienne peeler, discard the center of the cucumbers.)
- Final Steps: In a large mixing bowl, using spoons or tongs, toss together arugula, cucumber noodles, green onions, and dressing until thoroughly incorporated. Serve dressed greens mixture in individual bowls and top with chicken, chopped cilantro, and finely sliced fresh chile pepper.
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