Thai Chicken Salad
Published June 10, 2024 • Updated June 10, 2026
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I throw this keto Thai chicken salad together in about 15 minutes. Two types of cabbage, edamame, cucumber, and shredded chicken tossed in a tangy peanut dressing that coats every bite.
I make this salad at least once a week, and it takes me about 15 minutes from fridge to fork. If you’ve tried my Sesame Chicken Salad or my Asian Cucumber Salad, you know I build my salads around crunch and real flavor. This one is no different.
What sets this apart is the cauliflower rice base. I cook it in a dry skillet until every bit of moisture is gone, and that step completely removes the cauliflower smell and taste. Took me a few batches to figure that out, but now it just tastes like a neutral, slightly nutty grain that adds fiber and keeps you full without the carbs.
I use both green and purple cabbage because the color contrast makes the bowl look like something you’d order out. The purple has a slightly peppery bite that balances the sweetness from the shredded carrots. Add crisp cucumber slices, edamame for protein, and shredded chicken and you’ve got a low carb meal that actually fills you up.
The peanut dressing ties everything together. I whisk creamy peanut butter with lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, a little ginger, and garlic powder. It coats every piece without being heavy. If you like Asian-inspired dinners, this sits right next to my Chicken Stir Fry and Low Carb Cashew Beef as a weeknight regular.
One of my readers, Rachel, told me she used to order a version of this from a Thai place near her office every week before going keto. She made this recipe and said the crunch from the cabbage and the lime in the dressing brought it all back. That’s exactly what I’m going for.
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Thai Salad Ingredients
1 cup frozen cauliflower rice -
1/4 head of green cabbage
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1/4 head of purple cabbage
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1/4 English cucumber or 1/2 regular cucumber
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1/4 cup matchstick cut or shredded carrots
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1/2 cup shelled edamame
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2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
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2 green onions, sliced
Thai Peanut Salad Dressing Ingredients
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1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
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2 tablespoons lime juice
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2 tablespoons soy sauce, tamari or liquid aminos
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1 tablespoon sesame oil
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1 teaspoon sugar-free sweetener
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1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
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1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Prepare cauliflower rice
Add frozen cauliflower rice to a small non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all of the moisture is cooked from the cauliflower. Remove from heat and add to a large bowl to cool.
- 1 cup frozen cauliflower rice
Get to shredding
Thinly shred both cabbage wedges using a mandoline slicer or knife.
- 1/4 head of green cabbage
- 1/4 head of purple cabbage
Combine the veggies
Slice cucumber into quarter moon slices. Add both cooked cauliflower rice, both cabbage types, carrots, cucumber and edamame to a large bowl.
- 1/4 English cucumber or 1/2 regular cucumber
- 1/4 cup matchstick cut or shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup shelled edamame
Chop the chicken
Cut chicken into smaller chunks with a knife. Add to the bowl along with the green onion.
- 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
- 2 green onions, sliced
Make the peanut dressing
To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl or mason jar. Add a few tablespoons of water or avocado oil to thin it out if necessary.
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar-free sweetener
- 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Toss the salad
Add dressing to the salad and toss to combine.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Is edamame keto-friendly?
I use edamame in this recipe because it's one of the lowest-carb legumes I've found. A half cup of shelled edamame has about 4g net carbs, which fits easily into my daily keto macros. It also adds protein and a nice texture that you don't get from most vegetables. I've never had it knock me out of ketosis.
Can I meal prep this for the whole week?
I meal prep this almost every week. I chop all the vegetables and cook the cauliflower rice on Sunday, store them in a big container, and make the dressing in a separate mason jar. The undressed salad base holds up for 3-4 days, so I usually prep enough for Monday through Thursday. It rotates well with my Broccoli Chicken Salad, which I prep the same way.
What can I use instead of peanut butter if I have a nut allergy?
I've made this with sunflower seed butter and it works well. The flavor is a little earthier than peanut butter, but once you add the lime juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil, you barely notice the difference. Use the same amount as you would peanut butter. Tahini is another option I've tried, though it makes the dressing slightly thinner.
Is this similar to Panera's Thai chicken salad?
I've had Panera's version and this hits a lot of the same notes, especially the peanut dressing and the crunchy cabbage base. The big differences are that mine uses cauliflower rice instead of wonton strips and skips the sugar in the dressing. I actually think the two-cabbage mix gives better crunch than Panera's, and it keeps things keto without the 40+ carbs from their version.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
That's what I use most of the time. I grab a rotisserie chicken, shred the breast and thigh meat, and toss it in. Pre-shredded chicken from the deli counter works the same way. I've also used leftover grilled chicken. Any cooked chicken you have on hand will work here.
Does the cauliflower rice actually taste like cauliflower?
Not if you cook it right. I cook the frozen cauliflower rice in a dry skillet over medium heat until all the moisture is completely gone. That's the step that removes the cauliflower smell and flavor. I figured this out after a few batches where I was rushing it and still getting that sulfur taste. Take the extra 2-3 minutes and cook it all the way down.
Wondered if the cabbage would go limp by Wednesday. Made a batch Sunday, portioned it into four containers, and it held four days without going soft. One thing I'll fix next time: let the cauliflower rice cool completely before mixing. Added it warm on batch one and it pulled moisture into the whole bowl by day two. Cool it first and the crunch holds.
The warm cauliflower rice thing catches everyone at least once. Cool it completely, and if you're in a hurry I spread it on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. That moisture has to go somewhere and the cabbage ends up paying for it.
Two tablespoons of lime felt like not enough. Kept second-guessing it, but it's exactly right. I've oversized lime in sauces enough times to know I should've just trusted it. First time using peanut butter in a savory dressing, and it coats the cabbage so evenly I kept looking for what I did wrong.
Peanut butter grabs onto everything instead of slipping to the bottom like a vinaigrette would. Two tablespoons looked light to me too when I was testing this, but the soy sauce and sesame oil cover a lot of ground.
The two-cabbage base is what finally got me to make this at home instead of just ordering it. Green for crunch, purple for the color once it's dressed. Cauliflower rice was a surprise, it actually absorbs the dressing instead of just sitting there. Would've gone heavier on the lime, but easy enough to fix.
That purple cabbage detail is real. Once the peanut dressing coats it, everything picks up this faint pink and it looks way more put-together than something you threw together in 15 minutes. I squeeze a third lime in pretty much every time. Two tablespoons is the baseline but right before serving is when you push it if you want it brighter. The takeout version always has to stay neutral because it has to work for everyone. At home you don't have to do that.
Fourth time making this and I finally nailed the dressing situation. Made it the night before and it thickens in the fridge, so instead of pooling at the bottom it actually coats the cabbage when you toss it. I also started using a rotisserie chicken, which brings the whole thing down to about 8 minutes of actual work. My go-to for summer lunches when turning on the stove isn't happening.
Thickened dressing coats where thin just sits at the bottom. I've been making it the night before for the same reason. Eight minutes is about what I get with a rotisserie bird too.
Ran out of peanut butter mid-prep and used almond butter instead, expecting it to be a downgrade. It was not. The lime and sesame flavors actually come through more cleanly, and the dressing feels lighter overall without losing any of the richness. I've been making Asian-inspired salads for years and this is the dressing formula I'm using from now on.
Almond butter doesn't overpower the way peanut butter can, so the lime and sesame actually get to do something. I've swapped in sunflower seed butter before for nut-free questions and noticed the same thing. That dressing formula works with a lot of bases.
Made this four times now and started doubling the peanut dressing each time, because once it coats the cabbage and edamame there is never enough left at the bottom of the bowl.
Double cabbage plus cauliflower rice will absorb every drop. I started keeping a separate jar of dressing in the fridge just for this reason.
Made this on a weeknight and my husband, who treats salads like punishment, cleaned his bowl and asked for more peanut dressing. First time that's happened. Would add a splash more lime next time, but otherwise solid.
Peanut dressing gets the holdouts every time. More lime is a good call on this one.
My son won't eat anything that looks this 'mixed together' but he picked out the edamame, then went back for the cabbage, then finished the whole bowl. I just watched it happen.
Edamame gets them first every time. Something about the pop. Once that peanut dressing coats everything, there's no going back.
Added an extra squeeze of lime to the peanut dressing because I had half a lime going bad. Everything tasted so much fresher. Making this every week now.
Acid does that every time. And once it hits the weekly rotation it just stays there.
My daughter picks vegetables out of everything, but she ate this without touching a single one. Peanut dressing ties the cabbage together in a way that actually works. Four stars, more lime next time.
Picky kid victory. The dressing glues everything together so there's no clean piece to pull out.
Wasn't sold on cauliflower rice in a cold salad, but it absorbs the peanut dressing and adds this almost nutty texture I wasn't expecting. Made it for lunch twice this week.
That nutty thing is the toasting. I go until there's zero steam coming off it, and it basically stops tasting like cauliflower. Different ingredient at that point.
Fifth time making this and I finally cracked it: toast the cauliflower rice until it's properly dry before mixing in, and it holds up so much better against the peanut dressing for hours. Still four stars because I think the dressing needs more lime than it calls for, but the base salad is genuinely addictive.
The lime thing is real. I usually go up to 2 tablespoons and taste from there. Five times in and you're basically my recipe tester at this point.
This is probably my eighth batch since I first made it, and I keep fiddling with the peanut dressing thinking I can improve it. A little more sesame, a splash of fish sauce, extra lime. Nothing beats the base. The lime cuts through the peanut butter in a way that coats every strand of cabbage and I finally gave up messing with it. I toast the cauliflower rice a couple extra minutes until it picks up some color, gets this nuttier texture you don't really notice but the salad feels different without it. Made a big batch Sunday and the leftovers Monday were even more concentrated, the cabbage softens just enough. 35g of protein in a cold salad that takes 15 minutes. I make it every week.
Fish sauce is tempting and I've gone down that road too. Always land back on the base. The lime-peanut balance doesn't need much help.
I've made this six times now, and the biggest thing I figured out: chunk the chicken, don't shred it. First few batches I went thin, almost stringy, and the texture just got lost in all that cabbage. Chunkier pieces and the bowl has actual substance. I also started squeezing lime onto the cabbage before tossing, which helps the peanut dressing coat evenly instead of pooling at the bottom. The cauliflower rice took a few rounds to win me over, but it does make the 35g of protein feel like a real meal. Still tweaking it for my taste, but it's made my spring lunch rotation.
Chunked holds up to the dressing better too, not just texture. Shredded gets waterlogged once the lime and sesame hit it. The pre-lime on cabbage before tossing is smart, I'm trying that on my next batch.
I'll be straight, I've tried three other keto Thai salads and they all had that sad underdressed thing going where you're basically eating plain shredded cabbage with a vague peanut suggestion pooled at the bottom. Went into this expecting the same. The dressing completely changed my mind (actually scraped the bowl after tossing). The lime cuts through the peanut butter in a way none of the others got right, and the edamame adds a density that makes 421 calories feel like you actually ate a real meal instead of a side dish pretending to be lunch. Purple cabbage still had crunch when I pulled leftovers out the next day, first time that's happened with any Thai-style salad I've made. Four stars because I'm holding off on five until I try it with shredded Costco rotisserie instead of my usual poached chicken, but this is going in the rotation either way.
Rotisserie is what I use most weeks anyway. Mix the breast and thigh together if you can, the thigh fat plays really well against the lime in that dressing.