Did you love the Panera Spicy Thai Salad that was discontinued? Well you can still enjoy that same delicious dish at home with this copycat version featuring the same fresh, crunchy veggies with an irresistible peanut dressing topped with juicy chicken and soft udon noodles that we all love.
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You can have Spicy Thai Salad at home too
I was recently visiting a friend in California and of course exploring the amazing food scene. She took me to Nick’s Manhattan Beach and it was PHENOMENAL. The atmosphere, the vibe, the food! All incredible.
Why am I telling you this? Well this night out is what inspired this Spicy Thai Salad recipe. It immediately reminded me of the Spicy Thai Salad at Panera that I loved, but has been discontinued. It features crunchy, fresh veggies paired and is topped with crunchy udon noodle grilled chicken.
And the dressing. It’s an irresistible homemade peanut dressing that I could honestly drink. The savory, stickiness glazed over this salad is the perfect contrast over all of the bright chopped vegetables.
I love using exceptional restaurant dishes for recipe inspiration. I often find some of my favorite flavor combos this way. Also check out my Guacamole Steak Salad, which is another restaurant remake from my Bourbon Street Grille in Dahlonega, Georgia.
Ingredients need for your Spicy Thai Salad
For the salad:
Chicken Breasts - A juicy protein to add to our Spicy Thai Salad that goes great with the spicy peanut dressing.
Dried Parsley - We will use this to season our chicken.
Udon Noodles - I used a package of Ka-me Stir Fry Noodles which are super easy to cook and have an amazing soft texture.
Soy Sauce - This will give some flavor to your Udon noodles.
Arugula - A super fresh green that can be slightly bitter, but pairs well with the spicy peanut dressing.
Fresh Basil - Herbs added to a recipe pack in BIG flavor. Basil really brings out Thai taste.
Red Bell Pepper - Adds some crunch and color. Mild, yet fresh in flavor.
Avocado - A ripe avocado will bring in some healthy fats and add creaminess to this salad.
Green Onion - A lot of Thai and Asian dishes are garnished with green onion. We will incorporate it right into this Spicy Thai Salad.
Cabbage - Gives the perfect crunch to the base of this salad. I used both green and purple to keep it colorful.
Limes - Freshly squeezed lime is the perfect hint of citrus that ties all of the flavors together.
For the dressing:
This may seem like a lot of ingredients for a dressing, but trust me its WORTH it.
Peanut Butter - For a peanut dressing, we are gonna want peanuts! I've made this using PB2 to make the dressing a little bit lighter, but regular will also work (nutrition facts included at the bottom of this recipe are using regular peanut butter).
Sriracha and Thai Chili Paste - These elements will make it a SPICY peanut dressing
Rice Vinegar - As opposed to regular vinegar which is tangy and sour, rice vinegar adds sweetness to the dressing.
Lime Juice - Adds a hint of citrus.
Ginger - I used pre-minced ginger from a jar. You could also use squeeze ginger or mince your own. You just want to be sure there are no larger chunks.
Soy Sauce - Adds saltiness and umami flavor to the dressing.
Water - To thin out the dressing.
Kitchen equipment & tools needed
To make this Copycat Panera Spicy Thai Salad, you will need a skillet, mixing bowl, cutting board, knife, juicer, whisk, tongs, measuring cups and spoons, and a strainer.
How to make Spicy Thai Salad with Udon Chicken
Make Spicy Peanut Dressing
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sriracha, Thai Chili Paste, rice vinegar, lime juice, minced ginger, soy sauce and water. It will combine easily and be slightly liquidy - that’s okay.
- Set aside until ready to be used.
Prep Salad
- Next, prepare the chicken. Heat a skillet to medium heat and grease with olive oil. Finely slice the chicken into thin strips.
- Add the chicken to your skillet and season with dried parsley. Flip the chicken strips 4-5 times while cooking to ensure they’re cooked (165°F internal temperature) and so that all sides get that caramelized texture.
- After the chicken is finished cooking, remove it from the pan and make the Udon Noodles according to the box instructions. I added 3 tablespoons of water plus 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and sautéed for 4-5 minutes until noodles were soft and cooked through.
- Next, prepare all of the vegetables. Wash and dry then finely dice basil, cut green onion into ¼” thickness, finely chop red pepper, and green and purple cabbage.
Assemble
- Toss the arugula, purple cabbage, and green cabbage together in a mixing bowl.
- Juice one lime over the greens and toss again (this is similar to massaging kale - we need to soften the arugula/cabbage prior to eating it for a more comprehensive taste).
- Next, add the red pepper and green onion. Toss together again.
- Add the Udon Noodles, grilled chicken, fresh basil, and sliced avocado. Juice the other lime over the salad and toss again.
- Pour the dressing over the salad, toss (so much tossing :P) and then serve. IT’S SO GOOD!
You can also watch the Spicy Thai Chicken Salad Web Story here!
Spicy Thai Salad Dietary considerations
Dairy Free: This salad is dairy free as is!
Gluten Free: Instead of udon noodles, try rice noodles. You’ll also need to replace the soy sauce in the dressing with a gluten free alternative like liquid aminos or tamari.
Nut Free: You can replace the peanut butter with tahini or sunflower seed butter. Either will work great in this savory thai dressing.
Vegetarian/Vegan: Use tofu instead of chicken! You can fry it in a skillet the same way the recipe instructs to do with the chicken.
Spicy Thai Salad FAQs
Since we are cooking the udon noodles and chicken, those elements will be warm and the veggies will be cold and I love the contrast of temperatures. However, if you prefer to have everything cold you can definitely chill the entire salad before serving. I don’t recommend serving the entire salad warm, as the arugula and fresh herbs will get quite wilted and you’ll lost the crunch factor of this salad.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The noodles will absorb the dressing; so you may need to add more. I love it because it almost has a pasta salad texture!
The cabbage is a hearty veggie that will hold up well for multiple days, so you don’t have to worry about your salad getting soggy.
Spend time to properly cut and prepare the vegetables. A chopped salad is much better when it’s CHOPPED and you get every flavor in each bite!
All of the spice is in the dressing. Add more or less heat by adjusting the amount of Thai Chili Paste and Sriracha.
If you love this spicy thai chicken salad, you may also love
Sweet Thai Chicken and Veggie Bowl
P.F. Chang’s Cocktail Meatballs
Spicy Thai Chicken Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- strainer
- Juicer
- Tongs
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- skillet
- Whisk
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 lbs chicken breasts
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 package udon noodles, Ka Me Stir Fry Noodles (200 g)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 cups arugula
- 8-10 basil leaves
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 avocado
- ¼ cup green onion, chopped
- 1 cup purple cabbage, chopped
- 1 cup green cabbage, chopped
- 2 limes
For the spicy peanut dressing
- 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 1 tsp sriracha
- ½ tbsp Thai chili paste
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp minced ginger, from a jar
- ½ tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp water
Instructions
Make Dressing
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sriracha, Thai Chili Paste, rice vinegar, lime juice, minced ginger, soy sauce and water. It will combine easily and be slightly liquidy - that’s okay.
- Set aside until ready to be used.
Prep Salad
- Next, prepare the chicken. Heat a skillet to medium heat and grease with olive oil. Finely slice the chicken into thin strips.
- Add the chicken to your skillet and season with dried parsley. Flip the chicken strips 4-5 times while cooking to ensure they’re cooked (165°F internal temperature) and so that all sides get that caramelized texture.
- After the chicken is finished cooking, remove it from the pan and make the Udon Noodles according to the box instructions. I added 3 tablespoons of water plus 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and sautéed for 4-5 minutes until noodles were soft and cooked through.
- Next, prepare all of the vegetables. Wash and dry then finely dice basil, cut green onion into ¼” thickness, finely chop red pepper, and green and purple cabbage.
Assemble
- Toss the arugula, purple cabbage, and green cabbage together in a mixing bowl.
- Juice one lime over the greens and toss again (this is similar to massaging kale - we need to soften the arugula/cabbage prior to eating it for a more comprehensive taste).
- Add the Udon Noodles, grilled chicken, fresh basil, and sliced avocado. Juice the other lime over the salad and toss again.
- Pour the dressing over the salad, toss (so much tossing :P) and then serve. IT’S SO GOOD!
Notes
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved, something that you think it might need, or just say hi!
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you're using MyFitnessPal, search 'A Paige Of Positivity' and find SPICY THAI SALAD calories and nutrition facts
1 serving: 30 grams Carbs | 18 gram Fat | 54 grams Protein
**Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
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This salad is really restaurant quality! I could eat it daily I love it so much.
omg!!! the Panera Thai salad was my FAV, but this is arguably way better
Holy cow, this is just amazing. I loved having it for dinner and then breakfast the next morning- yes it’s just that good!
This was such a fantastic salad to bring to our family get-together. This salad differs from the traditional salads you see at large gatherings, and it was a crowd-pleaser. The flavor and texture of this dish are just immaculate.
PROTEIN! It's hard to find a good-tasting salad with great macros, but this salad does just that! I really enjoyed the texture of the noodles combined with the flavor of the dressing.
This is so so good!!! Adding the noodles is so delicious 🙂 easy to make and very flavorful!
I've made this dressing a few times now and it's SO good. Now my go-to for any type of Thai dish or veggie bowl!!
Hi Courtney, this looks amazing and I'm looking forward to making it! Can you tell me what you are referring to when you say Thai Chili Paste? Can you tell me which brand you use? Thanks.
Hi Londa, sure thing! I used this brand: https://www.target.com/p/huy-fong-chili-paste-8oz/-/A-13478690
I found it in the near the Soy Sauce and Udon Noodles at the grocery store. Hope this helps 🙂
Thanks so much!