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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 and textures of spring rolls. With soft noodles, crisp veggies, and fresh herbs, what’s not to love? With that in mind, I created this recipe inspired by those flavors and ingredients. 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.
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 and served over rice noodles, lettuce, cucumber, carrots, and tons of herbs and then drizzled with the peanut dressing. It is SO satisfying and 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!
Ingredients
- Avocado Oil
- Coconut Aminos
- Rice Vinegar
- Fish Sauce
- Coconut Sugar
- Garlic Cloves
- Red Curry Paste
- Coconut Milk
- Lime Zest
- Creamy Peanut Butter
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
- Kosher Salt
- Romaine Lettuce
- Persian Cucumbers
- Carrots
- Green Onions
- Fresh Mint
- Fresh Cilantro
- Fresh Thai Basil Leaves
- Vermicelli Rice Noodles
- Chopped Peanuts
- Jalapeño Peppers
- Lime Wedges
If you love this recipe, try these other flavorful CHICKEN DISHES!
Vietnamese-Inspired Chicken and Noodle Bowls
Spring Roll-Inspired Grilled Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the Marinade + Dressing:
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- ⅓ cup unsweetened full fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
For the Chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon 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, plus more for serving
- ¾ cup loosely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
- ¾ cup loosely chopped Thai basil leaves, plus more for serving
- 6 ounces vermicelli rice noodles
- ½ cup roughly chopped peanuts
- Thinly sliced jalapeño peppers (optional, for serving)
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
Make the Marinade + Dressing:
- 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 tablespoon at a time, until you reached your desired consistency. Set aside.
Marinate the Chicken:
- In the bowl with remaining marinade, add the 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 the noodles according to the package directions. Drain, then place in a bowl of ice water to chill while you grill the chicken.
Grill the Chicken:
- Heat the grill over medium-high heat (350℉ to 400℉) and oil the grill grates. 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 sliced chicken. Drizzle each with the dressing then top with peanuts and additional herbs. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
This was super yummy. I added some Sriracha to give it a little bit more of a kick because my curry paste was bland. I wish I would have marinated the chicken longer, so I will do that next time. Shrimp would also be great here! Will definitely be making again.