Thai Chicken Salad
Published June 10, 2024 • Updated March 9, 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
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.
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.
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.
Made this twice and love it, but the cabbage gets watery by day two once it's dressed. Better to keep the dressing separate, or does the cauliflower rice absorb enough that it holds up?
Keep the dressing separate. I store mine undressed and it holds up fine for 3-4 days. Once dressed the cabbage goes soggy pretty fast, cauliflower rice or not.
I used to make a version of this salad years ago before keto with crispy wontons on top, and I'd order it at this Thai place near my old office at least once a week. Hadn't had anything like it in two years. Made this tonight with the peanut dressing and honestly teared up a little at the first bite. The crunch from the cabbage, the lime in the dressing... it's exactly what I needed. Thank you for bringing this back into my life.
The wonton crunch is genuinely the thing I missed most going keto. Cabbage isn't the same but at some point you stop noticing. Glad the peanut dressing hit right.