Go Back
–+ servings
Print Recipe
thai chicken quinoa salad in a mason jar

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.

Course Gluten Free, Lunch, Meal Prep, Salad
Keyword thai chicken quinoa salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 mason jar salads
Calories 406 kcal
Author Monique of AmbitiousKitchen.com

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 Facts
Thai-Inspired Chicken Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing
Amount Per Serving (1 salad with dressing)
Calories 406 Calories from Fat 166
% Daily Value*
Fat 18.4g28%
Saturated Fat 2.5g16%
Carbohydrates 29.7g10%
Fiber 4.6g19%
Sugar 11.7g13%
Protein 25.5g51%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.