Grab My FREE 7-Day Meal Plan
Ambitious Kitchen
Jump to Recipe
thai chicken quinoa salad in a mason jar
LunchMeal Prep
May 14, 2018

Thai-Inspired Chicken Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing

Incredible Thai-inspired Chicken Quinoa Salad paired with a sweet & savory peanut dressing! This flavorful salad is packed with fresh mango, carrots, red bell pepper, green onions, crunchy cashews, and curry marinated chicken for a delicious meal prep lunch.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you. Please read my policy page.

Thai chicken quinoa salad in a jar with ingredients listed on the side

We’re finally to the very last recipe of the #AKSaladChallenge… and it’s my most favorite recipe of all them all.

Before we get into the salad, I hope that you’ve enjoyed these easy, protein-packed meal prep friendly salads full of veggies, fiber and protein. They’re great to keep and come back to again and again.

Thai Chicken Quinoa Salad jar

This Thai-Inspired Chicken Quinoa Salad is packed with quinoa, chicken, fruit and veggies to ensure that you hit almost every food group. It’s sweet, savory and comes with an addicting peanut dressing.

Romaine, cashews, chicken, shredded carrots, mango and red bell pepper in a glass container on a marble board

THINGS TO NOTE:

+If you’re vegetarian, no worries! Simply swap chicken for 1 can of chickpeas or add tofu.

+I’ve also included instructions on how to bake your chicken instead of grill it in the notes section below.

Romaine, chicken, shredded carrots, green onion, cilantro, mango, red bell pepper, quinoa and cashew laid out on a marble board

I hope you love this simple, easy thai chicken quinoa salad. Layer the salad up in large mason jars or throw it in meal prep containers for an on the go lunch or dinner. ENJOY! xo.

**Please note, we’re aware of a current recall of romaine lettuce in the U.S. Please feel free to use spinach in place of romaine in this recipe, and read more about the recall here. 

Want more salads like this one? Try these:

Balsamic Chicken Berry Quinoa Salad

Southwest Chicken Salad with Chipotle Greek Yogurt Dressing

Greek Chickpea Chicken Salad

Thai-Inspired Chicken Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing

5 from 5 votes
Leave A Review Print Recipe
thai chicken quinoa salad in a mason jar
Course Gluten Free, Lunch, Meal Prep, Salad
Keyword thai chicken quinoa salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Serves 4

Incredible Thai-Inspired Chicken Quinoa Salad paired with a sweet & savory peanut dressing! This flavorful salad is packed with fresh mango, carrots, red bell pepper, green onions, crunchy cashews, and curry marinated chicken for a delicious meal prep lunch.

Ingredients

  • For the marinade:
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • For the dressing:
  • ¼ cup natural creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (or 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger)
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2-4 tablespoons warm water, to thin dressing
  • For the salad:
  • 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper
  • ¼ cup diced green onion
  • 2 medium carrots, shredded
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • ¾ cup diced mango
  • 2 cups romaine lettuce
  • ¼ cup roasted cashews or honey roasted peanuts

Instructions

  1. Add chicken and marinade ingredients to a large ziploc bag. Marinate chicken for 20 minutes to 1 hour.
  2. While you are marinating your chicken, make your quinoa: Add 3/4 cup water to a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Then, stir in quinoa. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for exactly 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and let stand covered for another 5-10 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Quinoa will pop upon cooking and expand. To help separate the grains, use a fork and fluff the quinoa. Set aside.
  3. While the quinoa is cooking, chop all your ingredients for your salad.
  4. Next, make your Thai peanut dressing. Add all ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl and mix until well-combined. Set aside.
  5. Once ready to cook chicken, preheat grill to medium high heat. Lightly oil the grate. Grill chicken breasts for 6-8 minutes per side, or until juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink. Once chicken has cooked, transfer to a cutting board and dice into bite sized pieces.
  6. Make the mason jar salads by dividing ingredients evenly between 4 (32-ounce) large mason jars in the following order: dressing, bell pepper, green onion, shredded carrots, cooked quinoa, cilantro, mango, chicken breast, romaine, cashews.
  7. When ready to serve, pour contents from the mason jar onto a plate or into a bowl and enjoy! Makes 4 large mason jars.

Recipe Notes

To make vegetarian: sub 1 cup chickpeas or 1 package of extra firm tofu, cubed

To bake the chicken instead of grill: Bake chicken breasts on a greased baking sheet at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Nutrition
Servings: 4 mason jar salads
Serving size: 1 salad with dressing
Calories: 406kcal
Fat: 18.4g
Saturated fat: 2.5g
Carbohydrates: 29.7g
Fiber: 4.6g
Sugar: 11.7g
Protein: 25.5g

Download My FREE 7-Day Meal Plan

Download My FREE 7-Day Meal Plan

Join the AK email list and get my brand new, FREE Simple & Nourishing 7-day Meal Plan delivered to your inbox.

    Leave a comment & rating

    Your email address will not be published.

    Rating:




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    38 comments

    Show Comments

    You might also like

    Be who
    you are!

    Not who
    they want
    you to be!
    blonde woman smiling in front of a tan background
    Having ambition is about being brave. It's about having the confidence to do what we were made to do.
    By fueling your body and honoring your journey you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to. In this space, we are committed to the pursuit of wellness and determined to stay balanced and real. We welcome you to our Ambitious Kitchen.
    Explore The Blog

    Stay inspired everyday