An easy crispy Thai chicken salad with fish sauce vinaigrette is simple to prep and loaded with big flavors!
If you’re looking for a unique, flavorful, spicy salad, this is recipe is going to be your new go-to The fish sauce vinaigrette is tangy and spicy and pairs perfectly with bright summer vegetables, like sliced radishes, Thai basil, and sweet summer tomatoes.
The crispy chicken is a perfect accompaniment to the summer vegetables and vinaigrette. If you’re worried about the heat in Thai chili peppers, be sure to start with just one and taste it before you add more! In my experience, I’ve found they can either be off the charts spice or a little milder!
The chicken with fish sauce is delicious, especially with the heat from the Thai chilis and the sweetness from sugar in the vinaigrette.
We used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs this the crispy Thai chicken salad, but you can use boneless skinless thighs or breasts and simply chop them up and pan-sear them until cooked through.
If you don’t have chicken thighs for this crispy Thai chicken salad, you can use ground chicken or even shredded chicken breasts! It’s an incredible recipe that tastes absolutely delicious!
Looking for more salad recipes? Check my archives!
If you made this recipe, please rate the recipe below and leave a comment to tell me how you liked it! If you take a picture of it, please tag me on Instagram so I can feature you in my feed!
Crispy Thai Chicken Salad with Fish Sauce Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- 1 English cucumber thinly sliced
- 2 red radishes trimmed and thinly sliced
- 2 scallions trimmed and minced
- 4 ounces baby greens
- 15 Thai basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small tomatoes quartered
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Thai chili pepper trimmed and minced (optional, for serving)
Fish Sauce Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup good quality fish sauce
- ¼ cup sugar
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup water
- 1 scallion trimmed and minced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 Thai chili peppers trimmed and minced
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Heat the neutral cooking oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat until very hot.
- Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Place the chicken, skin-side down, in the hot oil and cook for 5-6 minutes without moving until the skin is golden and crispy.
- Flip the chicken and transfer to the oven for 25-35 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 165ºF. Remove from the oven and keep warm.
Prepare the Fish Sauce Vinaigrette:
- In a small saucepan, combine the fish sauce, water, sugar, lime juice, Thai chili peppers, and scallions. Turn the heat to medium and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat.
- Pour the warm mixture into a bowl and add the extra virgin olive oil. Whisk until combined. Set aside.
Dress the Greens:
- Tear the basil leaves in half.
- In a large bowl, combine the basil leaves, sliced cucumber and radishes, minced scallions, and the baby greens. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix the greens and herbs.
To Serve:
- Divide the dressed greens between plates and arrange the chicken and quartered tomatoes on top. Garnish the chicken with minced Thai chili, if desired. Drizzle the fish sauce vinaigrette on each salad. Enjoy!
This sounds delicious. What is a good quality fish sauce you would recommend?