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Thai Chicken Crunch Salad with Peanut Sauce

Good Monday. Still good Friday.

BAILEY SISSOM

March 15, 2026

Thursday night is chaos.

Three kids. Three schedules. Nobody eats at the same time.

This crunchy Thai chicken salad solved it.

I tossed rotisserie chicken, cabbage, romaine, carrots, and bell pepper into a huge bowl and portioned into six salads. Peanuts went on top.

Crunchy cabbage, cold shredded chicken, salty peanuts, and a creamy peanut sauce that hits sweet, salty, and limey all at once.

Full disclosure: my youngest two will absolutely not eat this.

I set aside some chicken and made them simple romaine salads with ranch. They added fruit and a cheese stick and were perfectly happy.

The extras became lunch for the next few days.
Joe took one to work.
I ate mine at 3pm instead of my usual chips and guacamole.

If you make this, I’d love to see it. Reply to this email or tag #simplysissom on Instagram.

My 15-year-old, Cooper, often gets home from school when nobody is here. Twenty minutes later he’s back out the door for soccer practice.

If something like this is waiting in the fridge, he grabs a container and takes it with him.

Cabbage is the secret weapon. It stays crisp in the fridge long after lettuce would give up.

Teenagers are not going to assemble a salad.

If food is already portioned into containers, my family eats it.

If there’s a pot in the fridge that requires scooping something out or putting it on a plate, they won’t touch it. I realize that’s a little ridiculous, but it’s true.

I’ve also lost a glass container or two sending food out the door this way, so these disposable containers might be a better option.

Three dinners that work the same way: Bang Bang Chicken with Crispy Rice, Jambalaya (skip the shrimp), and Twice Baked Mexican Sweet Potatoes.

Serves: 4–6
​Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Thai Peanut Sauce

• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Salad

• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 3–4 cups meat)
• 1 small head romaine lettuce, shredded
• 1/2 head purple cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• Ranch dressing, for serving (optional but highly recommended)
• 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
• Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

Make the peanut sauce. Add peanut butter, olive oil, water, honey, lime juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, blend in water 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency.

Prepare the salad base. In a large bowl combine romaine, cabbage, bell pepper, carrots, cilantro, and shredded chicken. Toss gently to combine. This mixture becomes the base of the salads and keeps well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Serve. Divide the salad base between bowls and top with chopped peanuts. Drizzle with peanut sauce and a little ranch dressing (optional but highly recommended), then finish with a squeeze of fresh lime.

Meal prep tip. For the best texture, store the salad base, peanut sauce, and ranch dressing separately. Assemble individual bowls when ready to eat so the vegetables stay crisp. The salad base keeps well for several days and makes an easy lunch throughout the week.

Use rotisserie chicken. Shredded rotisserie chicken keeps this salad fast and flavorful. Leftover grilled or baked chicken works too.

Slice the vegetables thin. Thin cabbage, bell pepper, and carrots give the salad the best texture and make it easier to eat.

Wait to add the dressing. If you're prepping ahead, keep the peanut sauce separate and add it right before eating so the vegetables stay crisp.

Add the peanuts when portioning. I sprinkle them on top of each container. They soften slightly in the fridge, but I still like the texture and it means the crunch is already there.

Ranch is delicious here. A small drizzle added at the same time as the peanut sauce makes the dressing extra creamy and balances the spice.

Nut-Free: Skip the peanuts and use sunflower seeds or crispy wonton strips instead.

Gluten-Free: Use tamari, liquid aminos or gluten-free soy sauce in the peanut sauce.

Meal Prep: This salad keeps well for several days in the refrigerator if the dressing is stored separately.