A fresh and flavoursome chicken salad made from shredded chicken and fresh veggies coated in a homemade Asian-style 'bang bang' dressing. A filling, yet light, dinner option.
In the summertime, I crave fresh food that will also fill me up. Bonus points if it's easy to prepare! This Bang Bang Chicken Salad fills the brief perfectly.
Fresh, crunchy vegetables mixed with shredded chicken breast, peanuts and sesame seeds then coated in a homemade 'bang bang' dressing. The dressing is made from simple pantry staples including peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sweet chilli sauce, lemon and garlic.
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Ingredient notes:
- Chicken: I used 350g of rotisserie chicken to make this recipe. You could also use leftover roast chicken. Or, cook some chicken breast either in a frying pan or by poaching it. I have an easy-to-follow recipe for poached chicken breast on my Thai Style Chicken Slaw website post.
- Sauces: If you're wanting to make this recipe gluten free, make sure your soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce are gluten free options.
- Mung beans: I know, I know, mung beans go off so quickly in the fridge! But why not make my Pad Thai or Pan Fried Fish with Thai Green Curry with the remainder of the packet?
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Add all of the dressing ingredients to a jug. Mix well to combine, then set aside while you make the salad.
Shred the chicken (optional: use a rolling pin to tenderise). Prepare the vegetables and place them in a large bowl along with the shredded chicken.
Drizzle the dressing and chilli oil (if using) over the salad. Toss everything together to coat.
Transfer the salad to a serving platter and top with the chopped peanuts, sesame seeds and fresh herbs.
Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Recipe FAQs:
The dressing contains soy sauce which has gluten in it. However, if you replaced that with a gluten free soy sauce (and checked the labels on your other sauces to ensure they meet your dietary requirements!), then the salad can be made gluten free. It is also naturally dairy free.
Yes it can, however I wouldn't dress the salad until just before you serve it. If you are travelling with the salad, keep the dressing in a jar and pour it onto the salad once you arrive.
Storage:
To get ahead, you can make the dressing and chop all the components up. Store them in airtight containers in the fridge until you're ready to assemble and serve.
Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. The vegetables will start to deteriorate over time therefore it's better eaten sooner rather than later.
Top tips:
If you don't wand to shred your chicken by hand, you can always tenderise it with a rolling pin. This involves whacking the cooked chicken with force until it starts to break up!
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Bang Bang Chicken Salad
A fresh and flavoursome salad made from shredded chicken and fresh veggies coated in a homemade Asian-style dressing.
Ingredients
Bang Bang Dressing
- 2 Tbsp peanut butter
- 3 Tbsp low-salt soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp water
Salad
- 350g rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1 carrot, finely sliced
- ½ cucumber, finely sliced
- ½ iceberg lettuce, sliced
- 100g bean sprouts
- 1 spring onions, finely sliced
- 3 Tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp chilli oil (optional)
- Fresh coriander or mint, to garnish
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Instructions
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a jug. Mix well to combine, then set aside while you make the salad.
- Shred the chicken (optional: use a rolling pin to tenderise). Prepare the vegetables and place them in a large bowl along with the shredded chicken.
- Drizzle the dressing and chilli oil (if using) over the salad. Toss everything together to coat.
- Transfer the salad to a serving platter and top with the chopped peanuts, sesame seeds and fresh herbs. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- If you want to cook your own chicken you can poach it as per the recipe for my Thai Style Chicen Slaw recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 374Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 821mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 3gSugar: 9gProtein: 29g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
OG says
I added noodles. Delicious.
Tracey Arthur says
Could you use cabbage instead of lettuce? Thanks
VJ cooks says
Absolutely
David Dempsey says
How do we replace the sugar and possibly sweet chili sauce but maintain balance still - for those on a low carb diet?
VJ cooks says
There aren't many low carb natural sweeteners. I'm not used to cooking with Stevia but you could try that? Or a different recipe.