Low-Carb Thai Chicken Salad

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!

Please be sure to read through the blog post for the answers to frequently asked questions before you move on to the recipe card and making this recipe. You will also find step-by-step photos within the blog post (above the recipe card) that will help you to successfully make this chicken salad recipe.

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Easy keto Thai chicken salad recipe without peanuts

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 recipe does not contain peanuts (I am allergic). If you are wanting to make a Thai chicken salad without peanuts, this is the one for you!

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?

• Canned coconut milk
• Garlic cloves
• Fresh cilantro
• Fresh ginger
• Coconut aminos
• Fresh red chiles
• Lemongrass
• Ground turmeric
• Olive oil
• Chicken breasts
• Lime juice
• Classic monk fruit sweetener (optional)
• Fish sauce
• Salt
• Pepper
• Green onion
• Cucumber
• Arugula

Thai chicken salad recipe FAQs

Before you make this recipe, please read through answers to commonly asked questions about cooking this chicken salad.

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.

Where can I find monk fruit sweetener?

Monk fruit sweetener is often available for purchase in-store at most grocery stores, especially specialty grocery and health food stores, as well as Costco. I personally purchase mine online from Lakanto’s website and have it directly shipped to me.

If you want to order your monk fruit sweetener online, you can use discount code REALBALANCED for 20% OFF your order.

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.

How spicy is this salad?

The recipe calls for a small amount of fresh red chile pepper, which, for some people, can be too spicy. If you want to lessen the spiciness, you can decrease the amount of chile pepper you include or altogether omit it.

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.

What diets is this recipe compliant with?

• Keto and Low-Carb: One serving contains 5 grams of net carbs, making this a great keto-friendly salad option.
• Gluten-Free and Grain-Free: This recipe does not contain any gluten or grains.
• Nut-Free: If you have a peanut or tree nut allergy or intolerance, this salad will work for you. Note that coconuts are not a true tree nut. If, however, you need this recipe to be coconut-free, substitution options have been listed for you in the blog post and within recipe card.
• Coconut-Free: So long as you follow the suggested substitutions, this recipe can be made coconut-free.
• Egg-Free: Eggs are not used in this recipe.
• Paleo: This is a paleo-compliant recipe as it’s gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, soy-free, MSG-free, and legume-free.
• Whole30: If you omit the monk fruit sweetener (it’s an optional ingredient), this recipe is Whole30-compliant.
• Refined Sugar-Free: This recipe is made without refined sugar. If you’d like this recipe to be entirely sweetener-free, omit the monk fruit sweetener.

How many net carbs per serving?

Each serving contains 5 grams of net carbs. This recipe yields 4 servings in total.

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!

• Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Salad
• Low Carb Greek Salad Meal Prep Jars
• Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad
• Keto Loaded Cauliflower Salad