Thai Curry Chicken Salad – Bird Food

This Thai Chicken Curry Salad combines fresh pineapple, greens, Thai Chicken Curry, and a creamy dijon dressing. It’s fresh, hearty, and full of flavor! Without gluten.

This Thai Curry Chicken Salad is old fashioned, but so good it recently got a much needed photo update!

This salad combines curried chicken breasts with fresh pineapple, red onion, cucumbers, bell pepper, and a creamy dijon dressing. It’s fresh, bright, flavorful, and plentiful. Basically anything you want out of a meal size salad!

Why you will love this salad

• tasty: This salad packs a punch with the combination of spicy chicken curry, sweet pineapple, and a spicy Dijon dressing.
• Healthy: Packed with lean chicken protein and a mix of fresh vegetables, it’s as nutritious as it is delicious.
• easy to prepare: Despite the complex flavors, this salad is easy to make with easy-to-follow steps.
• customizable: Feel free to change the ingredients based on what you have on hand.
• Suitable for preparing meals.: Prepare chicken and dressing ahead of time for a quick and easy meal later.

Ingredients needed

• boneless skinless chicken breasts – we are coating the chicken with a mixture of curry spices and cooking. This lean protein is perfect for making a salad filling and satisfying.
• thai curry spice dressing – this spice mix is ​​used for the chicken. Combine curry powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and dried parsley.
• vegetables – feel free to use spring mix, romaine lettuce, baby spinach, or a combination of those options.
• Red pepper – adds a burst of sweet, juicy flavor with a hint of color.
• cucumber – provides a refreshing crunch to the salad.
• fresh pineapple – adds a sweet touch to the salad and helps take the heat out of the chicken.
• Red onion – adds a strong, aromatic kick that complements the other ingredients nicely.
• creamy dijon dressing – a super simple dressing made by mixing Greek yogurt, dijon mustard, lemon juice, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.

How to do

Make a spice dressing: Start by mixing the curry powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and parsley in a small dish to create your spice mix. Generously coat each chicken breast with the rub. If you have leftover seasonings, you can store them in a sealed container for future use.

Cook chicken: Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the seasoned chicken breasts to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature is 165°F. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for a few minutes before cutting it up for salads.

Make dressing: While the chicken is cooking, prepare the dressing. Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar and mix until well combined and smooth. Set the dressing aside.

Assemble salad: Arrange your choice of vegetables, bell pepper, cucumber, pineapple, and red onion, on four different plates. Top each salad with a portion of the sliced ​​chicken. Finish each salad with a drizzle of the creamy Dijon dressing. Enjoy!

Creamy Dijon Dressing

The creamy dijon dressing is the star of this salad, in my opinion! Combine the creaminess of Greek yogurt with the flavor of Dijon mustard, the tartness of lemon juice, and a hint of sweetness from maple syrup. Seasoned with salt and pepper, this dressing enhances every bite of the salad, perfectly balancing the spicy, sweet, and savory elements.

If you don’t have Greek yogurt on hand or aren’t a fan of it, you can easily swap it out for mayonnaise.

substitutions and notes

• Change the protein: The curry spice marinade would be delicious on both the shrimp and salmon, so you can easily swap out the chicken with either of those options. For a vegan or vegetarian option, feel free to use tofu, tempeh, or chickpeas.
• Vegetables: Feel free to use your favorite greens here. Mixed greens, spinach, kale, or arugula will work well in this salad.
• Vegetables: Almost any crunchy vegetable will work in this salad. Consider options like carrots, radishes, celery, cabbage, and green onions. Tomatoes would also be delicious and add a burst of sweetness.
• Pineapple: If you’re not a fan of pineapple, fresh mango, papaya, or peaches might provide a similar tropical sweetness. You can also omit the fruit and this salad will still taste amazing.
• Bandage: The dressing is what makes this salad, but if you want a different dressing option, here are some ideas: honey mustard dressing, lemon vinaigrette, garlic tahini dressing, or peanut dressing. Feel free to explore all of my salad dressing recipes if you want more options!
• Add fresh herbs: I love adding fresh herbs to my salads and fresh cilantro, mint or parsley would be great options in this salad!

How to prepare meals and store leftovers

This Thai Chicken Curry Salad is not only delicious but also great for meal prep! You can prepare the different components for quick and easy assembly throughout the week. Here’s how you can make this salad ahead of time:

1. Prepare the chicken: Cover and cook the chicken. Allow to cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
2. Prepare the vegetables and pineapple: Chop red bell pepper, cucumber, pineapple, and red onion and store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.
3. Make the dressing: You can also prepare this ahead of time. Once mixed, place in an airtight container and store in the fridge. I like to store my dressing in wide-mouth jars with plastic lids.

When you’re ready to eat, heat the chicken (or serve cold) and prepare your salad as directed.

More Meal-Sized Salads to Try

Be sure to check out my full collection of meal-sized salads, as well as the full collection of salad recipes on EBF!