A fresh salad of mixed greens, bell pepper, cucumbers, cabbage, and carrots with crispy warm chicken tenders tossed in sweet chili peanut dressings with hints of fresh mint, dried cranberries, and fried onions for a great chicken tender salad.
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Sweet, Spicy, and Delicious!
The Sweet Chili Peanut Chicken Tender Salad is a great way to change your meal prep with a delicious and nutritious twist. This easy recipe offers a perfect combination of crispy chicken tenders coated in a sweet and spicy chili peanut glaze, served with fresh greens.
It's great for those looking to add excitement to their healthy recipes repertoire. The fusion of flavors, from the savory chicken to the zesty dressing, makes it a delightful and satisfying meal you can effortlessly prepare.
Whether you're a busy professional or simply seeking an easy and flavorful meal, this Sweet Chili Peanut Chicken Tender Salad is the ideal solution for a tasty and wholesome dining experience.
Here are some more quick meals to try:
- Fresh Hoisin Mushrooms Noodle Bowl with Spicy Peanut Sauce
- Healthy Poached Egg Avocado Rainbow Tuna Salad
- Spicy Chicken Pitas with Arugula Feta Pomegranate Salad
- Spicy Peanut Chicken Wings with Mushrooms Jollof Fonio Pilaf
Ingredients
First, cook the chicken tenders as instructed on the package. Then, in a large bowl, combine the lime juice and zest, garlic paste, ginger paste, Sriracha sauce, natural crunchy peanut butter, Thai sweet chili sauce, and low-sodium soy sauce for the salad dressing.
Add the mixed baby greens, English cucumber, red bell peppers, fresh mint leaves, mixed baby greens, slaw mix, dried cranberries, and half of the fried onions to the bowl and combine well. Finally, add the chopped chicken pieces, toss them all together, and garnish on a plate with the rest of the fried onions.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the instructions and cooking tips below using the step-by-step picture guide.
If you plan to serve all the salad, mix the dressing ingredients in the salad bowl to prevent washing too many dishes.
Gently coat the salad and vegetables before adding the warm chicken. Ensure the salad is rinsed and dried before adding the dressing; use a salad spinner. Learn other ways to use salad spinners.
Let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes, at least 3 minutes before chopping up.
Add the warm chicken to the salad and serve immediately.
Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab. In addition, some related detailed steps can be found there. Learn about salad spinners.
Substitutions
- Crispy Chicken Tenders - For a gluten-free option, use boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into strips or sliced after cooking or chicken tenderloins. Try pan searing, air frying, or grilling for juicy chicken. For convenience, use store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken.
- English Cucumbers - I have made this recipe with Persian cucumbers as well.
- Mixed Baby Greens - Use chopped romaine lettuce for extra crunch. You can even try this recipe with napa cabbage.
- Slaw Mix - There are many varieties of slaw mixes now; you can use the traditional coleslaw prep mix or broccoli and kale slaw. If you can't find it, you can just use red cabbage or green cabbage combined or on their own as a replacement.
- Dried Cranberries - Try tart-dried cherries or blueberries. I've used both, and works great.
- Garlic Paste - Use garlic pressed or minced garlic.
- Ginger Paste - Try grating a fresh ginger.
- Sriracha Sauce - Use sambal oelek, an Indonesian chili pepper paste.
- Natural Chunky Peanut Butter - Use smooth peanut butter and/or chopped peanuts in the recipe. I used what I have, which is what I love: crunchy peanut butter.
- Low-Sodium Soy Sauce - For a gluten-free option, try Tamari sauce.
- Peanut Butter Chili Lime Dressing - For convenience, try using Thai peanut sauce or Indonesian peanut sauce with sweet Thai chili sauce added instead of the recipe's homemade spicy peanut dressing.
- Lime Juice - In an emergency and if you don't have limes, the following might change the recipe slightly but will still work: use rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Change Heat Level - Modify the recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.
Variations
- Fried Shrimp - Try this recipe with breaded regular or coconut shrimp to replace the chicken tenders.
- Extra Garnises - Add sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and wonton strips.
- More Umami - Add a splash of fish sauce to the dressing to bring out a more rounded flavor. I suggest adding little by little until you get the desired taste.
- More Nutty Flavor - Use toasted sesame oil.
- More Crunchy Vegetables - add more to the salad ingredients using snow peas and red onion.
- Lettuce Wraps - Turn this salad into something on the go. Keep the chicken tenders whole, and place them in a large tortilla wrap with the mixed salad. For lunch later. Keep the dressing separate, wrap the rest, and use the dressing as a dipping sauce.
Equipment
- Air Fryer or Oven - Used for cooking the chicken tenders. I cooked mine in the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Electric Grill with Air Fryer to develop this recipe.
- Large Salad Bowl - To mix all the ingredients conveniently.
- Whisk - To combine the ingredients for the dressing.
Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.
Storage
- Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, you can place the chicken tenders in a shallow 2-inch container to cool down quickly. Then, store it along with the salad and dressing in separate containers. As a result, the meal will last up to 2-3 days.
- Freezer - I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Air Tight Food Containers - I use Glass Food Storage Containers with a plastic clipping lid to store food. For example, I always suggest glass storage containers since you can microwave them and hold food without staining the container, and the glass keeps them at a more stable temperature, which keeps the food fresher longer.
Cooking tip
How to Taste Dressing? - It's always a good idea to taste the dressing with a piece of the salad greens you will mix it with instead of just alone. This will give you the true taste of the dressing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sriracha and sambal oelek are both popular Asian chili sauces, but they differ in key aspects. Sriracha is a Thai hot sauce that typically combines red chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and salt, resulting in a slightly sweet and tangy flavor with moderate heat.
On the other hand, sambal oelek, originating from Indonesia, is a simpler chili paste made with crushed red chili peppers, salt, and sometimes vinegar, offering a more intense and pure chili heat without the sweetness of sriracha.
30 Minute Meal Recipes
Looking for other 30-Minute Meal recipes like this? Try these:
- 4 Must-Try Tacos Recipes to Inspire Your Next Craving
- Jerk Fajita Trio: 3 Must-Try Recipes for a Spicy Weeknight Cook-Up
- Easy Sheet Pan Jerk Chicken Fajitas | Oven-Roasted Yum
- Air Fryer Jerk Shrimp Fajitas | Easy Caribbean in 20 Minutes
Salad Recipes
Looking for other salad recipes like this? Try these:
- Quick Parsley Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad
- Caesar Salad with Egg Tomatoes and Chili-Infused Croutons
- Best Air Fryer Honey Dijon Mustard Chicken Rice Bowl
- Healthy Poached Egg Avocado Rainbow Tuna Salad
📖 Recipe
Sweet Chili Peanut Chicken Tender salad
Ingredients
Salad Base
- 12 ounces crispy chicken tenders
- ½ small English cucumber
- 1 red bell pepper
- 12 fresh mint leaves
- 5- ounce bag of mixed baby greens
- 8- ounce bag of slaw mix
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup fried onions
Peanut Butter Chili Lime Dressing
- 1 lime juiced and zested
- 2 teaspoons garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
- ¼ cup natural crunchy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
Equipment
- Air Fryer or Oven
Instructions
- Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
- Cook Chicken Tender: Cook chicken tenders as instructed in the package in the air fryer or oven. Allow to cool for 2 minutes, chop into 1-inch pieces, and set aside. While the chicken cooks, move to the next step to prepare the dressing and vegetables.
- Make the Dressing: In a large salad bowl, whisk together the lime juice, garlic, ginger paste, Sriracha sauce, natural crunchy peanut butter, Thai sweet chili sauce, and low-sodium soy sauce, and set aside.
- Prepare the Vegetables: Thinly slice the fresh mint, and cut the cucumber and red bell pepper into matchsticks. Then, add them straight into the bowl with the dressing.
- Make the Salad: To the bowl of vegetables, add the baby mixed greens, slaw mix, dried cranberries, and half of the fried onions. Then combine well by messaging the dressing into the ingredients.
- Finish the Salad: Add the chicken pieces and lightly toss them into the salad.
- Serve: Plate the salad onto a plate and garnish wtih the remaining fried onions.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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