Sweet Chili Peanut Chicken Tender salad

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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.

top view of the Sweet Chili Peanut Chicken Tenders Salad in a wide rim salad bowl

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Sweet, Spicy, and Delicious!
Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Cooking tip
Frequently Asked Questions
30 Minute Meal Recipes
Salad Recipes
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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:

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.

ingredients labeled for the Sweet Chili Peanut Chicken Tenders Salad in containers on a large round pizza pan

mixed baby greens in a rectangle glass deep container

shredded cabbage and carrots making up the slaw in a deep round glass container

Instructions

Follow the instructions and cooking tips below using the step-by-step picture guide.

Wide wooden bowl with dressing being whisked with a silicone whisk

If you plan to serve all the salad, mix the dressing ingredients in the salad bowl to prevent washing too many dishes.

a gloved hand gently mixing the vegetables and greens in the wooden bowl.

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.

chopped chicken tenders on a cutting board for cooked meats next to a knife

Let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes, at least 3 minutes before chopping up.

chopped chicken tenders being gently tossed into the salad by a gloved hand in a wooden bowl for the Sweet Chili Peanut Chicken Tenders Salad

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.

Sweet Chili Peanut Chicken Tenders Salad in a wide round bowl side view

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.

Sweet Chili Peanut Chicken Tenders Salad side view

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

What is the Difference Between Sriracha and Sambal Oelek?

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.

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