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Here is a salad that you’re going to want to make all summer long! Inspired by ingredients and flavors commonly found in a spring roll, this Spring Roll-Inspired Grilled Chicken Salad is a complete showstopper.
I absolutely love the flavors + textures of spring rolls — soft noodles, crisp veggies, fresh herbs, what could you not love? With that in mind, I created this recipe inspired by all the flavors and ingredients I love. And what you are left with is a filling, satisfying salad that is impressive enough for summer entertaining, but also simple enough for an easy weeknight recipe either on your grill or a grill pan indoors.
For this recipe, you will start off by making a delicious peanut dressing for the salad, which will also double as the marinade for your chicken. The chicken is then grilled off and served over rice noodles, lettuce, cucumber, carrots, and tons of herbs and then drizzled with the peanut dressing. It is SO satisfying and so so addicting.
I plan on making this Spring Roll-Inspired Grilled Chicken Salad become one of my go-to summer entertaining dishes because it’s simple to make yet impressive and exciting to serve! Enjoy!
Spring Roll-Inspired Grilled Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the Marinade + Dressing:
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp red curry paste
- â…“ cup unsweetened full fat coconut milk
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
For the Chicken:
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
For the Salad:
- 2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
- 2 Persian or mini cucumbers halved and thinly sliced
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 3 green onions thinly sliced on the diagonal
- ¾ cup loosely chopped mint more for serving
- ¾ cup loosely chopped cilantro more for serving
- ¾ cup loosely chopped Thai basil leaves more for serving
- 6 oz vermicelli rice noodles
- ½ cup roughly chopped peanuts
- Thinly sliced jalapeño optional for serving
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Make the Marinade + Dressing
- Starting with the marinade, in a large bowl, add the avocado oil, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, fish sauce, coconut sugar, garlic, red curry paste, coconut milk and lime zest and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- Next, make the dressing. In a separate small bowl, add the peanut butter and ½ cup of the marinade mixture, whisk until smooth. If it is too thick, add additional marinade 1 tbsp at a time. Set aside.
Marinate the Chicken
- To the large bowl with remaining marinade, add your chicken and salt and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the salad.
Prepare the Salad
- In a large bowl, add the lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, green onion, mint, cilantro and Thai basil, gently toss to combine and set aside.
- Next, cook your noodles according to the package directions. Once cooked, drain then place in a bowl of ice water to chill while you grill your chicken.
Grill the Chicken
- Heat grill over medium-high heat (350- 400 degrees F) and oil the grill grates (to do this, dip a wadded paper towel in a little oil and, using tongs, wipe the oil evenly over the grate. Be careful not to use too much oil, because that's a sure fire way to start a good flare-up—a little goes a long way here.)
- Cook the chicken over the heat for 4-5 minutes per side, until grill marks appear and the chicken is cooked through. The lid should be closed throughout the cooking process.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5-8 minutes before slicing and serving.
Assemble the Salads
- Drain the rice noodles and divide amongst 4 bowls. Next, divide the lettuce mixture amongst each bowl, then top each with the slice chicken. Drizzle each with the dressing then top with the peanuts and additional herbs. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
Can I marinate the chicken overnight? Or would that be too long?
It would be okay to do that!
I think this is my favorite recipe of yours – which is saying a lot!! I absolutely love this salad. It’s so fresh and delish, while being super easy to put together. It’s been on repeat the past two summers!
Such a kind review! Thank you so much for commenting, glad this continues to be a hit for you.
my son is allergic to avocado, what is another oil you suggest to use? i know avocado oil is used most as it’s mild and has a high smoke point, but would love another substitute.
Olive oil would be fine!
I love this recipe and have made it many many times! One note in case it’s helpful for anyone else. I didn’t have coconut aminos and thought I could use low sodium soy sauce instead…and it was WAY too salty : (. I ended up adding the whole can of coconut milk and probably a cup of water and just barely saved it.
Excellent recipe! Clean plate (bowl?) club at our household tonight. The marinade was so good on the chicken. Going to try it on shrimp next time!
This recipe was a hit with my husband, parents, and 3 year old. We’ll be making it again for sure. Thank you!
Very impressed by your 3-year-olds palate! Glad it was a hit
Is it possible to make the rice noodles ahead of time? I cannot wait to make this!
This looks so yummy! I am trying to make ahead for girls card game. How far in advance can you cook noodles? Any other suggestions for make-ahead? I will make dressing ahead and refrigerate. Thank you!
Yes, rice noodles can be stored, they just might stick together! Rinse them off after you make them, and you may need to run them under some hot water right before storing. Rice noodles will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days but the fresher they are, the nicer the noodles will be.