Bang Bang Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Ciara Ryan
- Jun 30
- 2 min read
This isn't the limp lettuce and a few slices of cucumber salad. Shredded chicken, crunchy cabbage, edamame, a peanut dressing with sweet chilli and lime running through it. The kind of bowl that keeps you going until dinner.
Most salads fall short on protein, and that's usually why they don't fill you up. This one doesn't have that problem. Between the chicken and the edamame, there's enough here to count as a proper meal, not a side dish.
Make a double batch of the dressing. It keeps in the fridge for a few days and works on almost anything else you're eating that week.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes (using pre-cooked chicken)
Total time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients
For the salad
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded or chopped
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
2 spring onions, sliced
1/2 cup edamame, cooked
Optional additions
Fresh coriander, chopped
Sesame seeds or chopped peanuts, to serve
For the dressing
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
1 clove garlic, crushed
Sesame oil, optional
Method
1. Combine the cabbage, carrot, cucumber, red pepper, spring onions and edamame in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the dressing ingredients together until smooth, adding a few drops of sesame oil if using. Add a splash of water if it's too thick to drizzle.
3. Add the chicken to the bowl, pour over the dressing, and toss until everything is coated.
4. Top with coriander, sesame seeds or peanuts if using.
Notes
Leftover roast chicken works well here, so this is a good one for using up Sunday's dinner.
The dressing keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container.
Why is this salad more filling than a regular chicken salad?
The edamame. Most chicken salads lean on the chicken alone for protein, but adding a portion of edamame on top of two chicken breasts pushes this well past what a typical lunch salad offers, which is usually the part that's missing.
Can I make this without peanut butter?
Tahini works as a straight swap if you need to avoid peanuts, and gives a similar creamy texture. The flavour shifts slightly toward sesame, but the dressing still holds together the same way.
Can I make this ahead, or will the cabbage go soggy?
You can, as long as the dressing stays separate until you're ready to eat. The chopped vegetables and chicken hold in the fridge for 2 to 3 days on their own. It's the dressing sitting on raw cabbage overnight that causes the sogginess, not the prep itself.
What can I use instead of chicken?
Cooked prawns work as a swap, or firm tofu if you'd rather keep it plant-based. Pat the tofu dry and pan-fry it first so it holds its shape once the dressing goes on.
Other recipes to try
Oriental Chicken Salad — another Asian-style chicken salad, slightly different dressing, same weeknight format
Healthy Hormones Quinoa Salad — plant-based, protein-rich alternative
Create the Perfect Salad — the framework to making a tasty and satisfying salad
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