Thai-Style Chicken and Quinoa Salad
This Thai-style chicken and quinoa salad is a quinoa game changer. It’s deliciously phenomenal and really, really easy to throw together.
My family is halfway on the quinoa train.
My kids far prefer the quinoa patties or little ham and cheese bites to quinoa salads. Brian on the other hand would much rather have a quinoa salad but the only one he really, really loves with his soul is this mango version.
Which is fine, but I like to branch out and get away from the quinoa-and-black-bean-theme once in a while.
All that quinoa history is to let you know that this Thai-style quinoa salad is a quinoa game changer.
It is hands down the best quinoa salad I’ve ever had and Brian literally stopped mid-shovel to tell me how incredibly awesome it is.
Then he grabbed the leftovers the next day (he has never taken quinoa leftovers in the history of ever until now) and above all that, he’s asking when I’ll make it again.
It’s deliciously phenomenal and really, really easy to throw together.
The sauce is so good as to be drinkable – sweet with hints of spice and lime but it gets even better when poured over the quinoa, crunchy veggies and tender chicken. Oh, and the edamame? Don’t even think about leaving it out.
Besides the sauce, it was my favorite part (I was stabbing the little green nuggets off everyone’s plates).
I’d probably have a heart attack if I found fresh edamame where I live so I bought frozen, thawed the little babies and then just popped them out of their shells and into the salad.
My just-took-all-five-kids-swimming-by-myself hungry tummy could definitely use a bowlful of this goodness right now.
What to Serve With This
- Soft Wrap Bread or Flatbread
- A simple green salad or something like this Asian Chicken Salad
- Fresh Fruit
One Year Ago: Peanut Blossom Cookies
Two Years Ago: Buttery Cornmeal Crescent Rolls
Three Years Ago: Schoolyard Cupcakes
Thai-Style Chicken and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 ½ cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed well
- 2 cups cooked chicken
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- ½ cup shelled edamame
- ½ cup chopped red pepper
- 4 green onions, chopped
- ½ cup chopped roasted peanuts
- ½ cup freshly chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons canned coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 lime juiced, about 2 tablespoons
- Pinch of ground ginger
Instructions
- Prepare quinoa according to package directions. I usually cook quinoa in low-sodium chicken broth: 1 cup quinoa to 1 1/2 cups liquid.
- While quinoa is cooking, combine all of the sauce ingredients together in a liquid measure and whisk to combine (or pulse in a blender). When the quinoa finishes cooking, scoop it into a large bowl. Stir in the sauce and mix well. Stir in the chicken, carrots, edamame, red pepper, green onions, peanuts and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from How Sweet Eats
We had this last night and loved it! Even my husband, who sometimes turns his nose up at quinoa, went back for seconds. I was so looking forward to eating the leftovers for lunch today, but, alas, someone beat me to it! I’ll be making this again soon.
This was delicious!! The whole family loved it. Even the 5 yr old was licking her plate asking for more. Leftovers this morning for breakfast are just as tasty. 😉 Thank you!!
This was delicious! My only change would be 3T of the sweet chili sauce. We found it a tad too sweet. This would be great for a potluck. This may be my favorite dish every with quinoa, which I usually tolerate, but don’t love. I made the quinoa in the pressure quicker, which made it all so fast!
What do you recommend serving this dish with? Can’t wait to make it. A friend made it at a potluck, so I already know it’s really tasty!
It’s great with fresh fruit or breadsticks!
I can’t eat quinoa. Would you substitute rice?
You could try that!
Wow, this was delicious. I expected it to be good because all your recipes are good. 🙂 But this was extra good and a great way to use up some of our leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Thanks for another wonderful recipe.
Has anyone tried this without the chili sauce at all? I have too many “no spice” eaters to feed. 😉