Sweet, spicy, crunchy salad alert! This salad is so super tasty, you can almost forget that it's a salad. Which is, quite frankly, the best way to eat a salad.
My Sweet Chili Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing is packed with so many flavors and textures that are ta-dieee for! I'm sure I've mentioned once or twice before that my favorite type of salad is one in which there is very little lettuce. That's why. although this recipe starts with a bed of mixed greens, it's the extra accoutrement that separate it from the rest!
Let's talk about the veggies quick. Lots of good ones, including cucumber, carrots, red bell pepper, scallions and sprouts. Big crunch factor, and each one will hold up well to our addicting-ly thick and creamy peanut dressing. This dressing is so simple to make and a little goes a long way. It's just creamy peanut butter mixed with soy sauce, lime juice, a pinch of red pepper flakes plus some water to thin it out. I give it a quick zap in the microwave to make sure it's totally combined and perfectly pourable.
This salad, however, is nothing without this sticky, spicy and sweet chicken. I used a very similar method to the chicken in this super popular ramen recipe. The key is to really caramelize the chicken, which marinates for just a few minutes in a sweet chili glaze. I start by searing it on the stove in a cast iron skillet for about 5 minutes on each side, then transfer it to the oven to cook through (and brown a bit more). Because we are really cooking the meat, chicken thighs are much preferred as they aren't as prone to drying out as chicken breasts.
You could also cook up the chicken out on your grill, which makes this an all-around summer recipe winner in my book. I hope you enjoy!
