This Thai Salad with chicken is a perfect copycat of the (now discontinued) Panera salad! Featuring juicy chicken, fresh greens, and an amazing Thai peanut dressing, you can even make this low carb!

Panera Thai Chicken Salad

When I used to go to Panera, I never even had to look at the menu. I knew exactly what I wanted–The spicy Thai salad with grilled chicken! The amazing crunchy peppers, tender edamame, the blend of both romaine and red cabbage… All topped with a delicious peanut sauce?! *chef’s kiss*

I had to figure out how to make it at home, and I’m so glad I did now that it’s been discontinued! Now you can make this salad, the delicious grilled chicken, and the Thai Peanut Dressing yourself (even low carb)!

If you are someone who really likes a kick with their food you might enjoy adding more chili garlic sauce or a bit of siracha to your dressing. As is, it’s the perfect balance of sweet-yet-spicy, but you can easily adjust for your own preferences!

Ingredients in Panera Spicy Thai Salad

As always, here is a quick overview of the ingredients used in our Thai Salad. For the complete recipe, just scroll to the bottom of the page.

• Chicken breast- cooked with this Thai Peanut Chicken Marinade
• Romaine, red pepper and cilantro- chopped
• Red cabbage and carrot- shredded
• Edamame- cooked
• Thai peanut dressing

How to make Panera Spicy Thai Salad with Chicken

The peanut sauce is the star of this show! This dressing really pulls the salad together with a sweet and spicy combo. To make the sauce you’ll stir together peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, lime (or lemon) juice, chili garlic sauce, minced garlic, fresh ginger, and water to thin it out. Stir it all together until well combined.

For the rest of the salad, I like nice and crunchy romaine lettuce as my base. Top that with some shredded purple cabbage, carrots, chopped red pepper, cilantro (try parsley if you don’t like cilantro), and roasted edamame. This flavor combo is unbeatable!

Panera also adds wonton strips and almonds on their salad but I left both of those out and topped mine with chopped peanuts. This complements the dressing perfectly and is something you likely already have at home!

Can I make Thai Peanut Sauce low carb?

You bet you can! You do need a sweetener to get that classic sweet-and-spicy taste, but you can easily use a no-sugar sweetener! Instead of honey, use golden monkfruit, brown sugar Swerve, or Lakanto’s sugar-free maple syrup. This lowers the net carbs from over 8 with honey to under 3 with a sugar-free substitute.

Be sure to check your peanut butter, too… Pick one without a ton of sugar to help lower those carbs further! Edamame is not exactly low-carb, but we don’t use a ton in the salad. If you leave that off, it would lower the carbs as well.

If you LOVE this flavor but need a keto-friendly version, try this Easy Chopped Thai Chicken Salad. It’s amazing in lettuce cups and has just 3.1 net carbs per serving!

Salad Meal Prep Tips

This Thai chicken salad is perfect for meal prepping! It’s filling, super flavorful, and cheaper than going out to eat. You can store this salad in a 32oz mason jar for freshness and ease.

The secret to storing salads in mason jars is in the layering. At the bottom of the mason jar, you’ll pour some dressing, then add your chicken and peanuts on top of that. Next, you’ll drop in your vegetable toppings (cabbage, carrots, edamame, and bell pepper).

Then at the top of the jar will be your romaine lettuce. Your chicken will soak up some dressing for extra flavor and protect your lettuce from getting wet. When you dump your salad into a bowl, everything will be in the perfect order and nothing will be soggy!

What should I serve with this Panera salad?

I love this salad for a delicious and filling lunch. But what about the sides? Try this Garlic Butter Cauliflower, Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts or Green Beans Almondine for some more veggies! For dessert, I love these Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls, Air Fryer Brownie or Turtle Brownies!

How to store this Spicy Thai Salad

To store, place in a glass or plastic container with an airtight lid and keep in the fridge. This salad will keep fresh for four days. I personally like to store my chicken and veggies separately, so the lettuce doesn’t get too soggy. I do recommend storing without the dressing on top, so that way everything stays crisp.

Other Easy Chicken Recipes

If you are like me you are likely always on the hunt for easy and delicious chicken recipes. This Keto Chicken and Vegetable Soup is one of my favorites. It is the perfect low carb comfort food! Some of my other family favorites include:

• One-Pan Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Pasta
• White Bean Chicken Chili Verde
• Greek Chicken Skewers
• Keto Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wrap

More Easy Recipes to try

• Apple Bacon Cheddar Panini
• Mocha Chia Pudding
• Banana Tahini Smoothie
• Peanut Butter Cup Chia Pudding
• 30+ Gluten Free Lunch Recipes