Fresh, colourful and packed with flavour, this Spicy Crunchy Peanut Chicken Salad combines tender shredded chicken, crisp red cabbage, cooling cucumber and fragrant herbs with a creamy, fiery peanut dressing.
Finished with crunchy roasted cashews, it’s a satisfying halal-friendly salad that works beautifully as a light lunch, easy dinner or colourful sharing dish. It’s also a great way to use leftover cooked chicken.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Resting time: 5 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4–6
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fresh, crunchy and full of texture
- Ready in approximately 25 minutes
- A delicious way to use leftover chicken
- Easy to adjust the level of spice
- Naturally dairy-free
- Perfect for lunch, dinner or meal preparation
Ingredients
For the Spicy Peanut Dressing
- 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons warm water, plus more if needed
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1–2 medium green chillies, such as serrano or jalapeño, finely grated
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Chicken Salad
- ½ medium red cabbage, roughly chopped or torn (approximately 5 cups)
- 3 cups cooked halal chicken, shredded
- 2 small cucumbers, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
- 1 cup mixed fresh coriander and mint, very roughly chopped
- 1–2 cups roasted salted cashews, roughly chopped
Method
1. Prepare the Peanut Dressing
Add the peanut butter and three tablespoons of warm water to a large serving bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Gradually pour in the lemon juice, olive oil and soy sauce, whisking continuously until the dressing is creamy and well combined.
Stir in the honey, grated green chillies and garlic. If the dressing is too thick, add more warm water, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a smooth, pourable consistency. Season carefully with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Dress the Cabbage and Chicken
Add the red cabbage to the bowl and toss thoroughly until evenly coated in the peanut dressing. Add the shredded chicken and toss again. Leave everything to rest for approximately five minutes so the chicken and cabbage can absorb the flavours.
3. Add the Fresh Ingredients
Add the sliced cucumbers, coriander and mint. Toss gently until everything is evenly combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon juice for freshness or extra green chilli for additional heat.
4. Finish and Serve
Scatter the chopped roasted cashews generously over the salad immediately before serving so they remain beautifully crunchy. Serve straight away and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- Adjust the spice: Use one chilli for gentle heat or two for a fiery kick. Remove the seeds for a milder salad.
- Save time: Use leftover roast chicken or a halal rotisserie chicken.
- Keep it crunchy: Add the cashews immediately before serving.
- Make it nut-free: Replace the peanut butter with tahini and use toasted seeds instead of cashews.
- Add more vegetables: Grated carrots, sliced peppers or spring onions work beautifully.
- Meal preparation: Store the cashews separately and add them just before eating.
Allergy Information
This recipe contains peanuts, cashew nuts, soya, wheat and gluten (from the soy sauce; use tamari for a gluten-free version). Always check ingredient labels when preparing the salad for someone with allergies or dietary requirements.
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