Thai-style Chicken Salad

Oh, physician hello there readers! I have been swept away by an adorable baby and I’m determined to spend every last second of my maternity leave cuddling and playing with my little girl. So that means cooking has become less of a priority and I’ve neglected my poor blog. But a girl’s gotta eat and food should always be delicious. For me, this now means having something ready to go in the fridge. Like this Thai-style chicken salad. Good Lord, this stuff is good!

First, you marinate the chicken in a little lemongrass, then throw onto your grill (or grill pan if you live in a condo like we do). Let cool, then mix with shallots, cucumbers, shredded cabbage, mayo, fish sauce, sriracha (rooster sauce) and cilantro. It’s got a subtle char flavor from the grill, crunch from the veggies and that spicy mayo combination that just makes it perfect for a warm and crusty roll.

I recommend making it next time you’ve got leftover grilled chicken – you can skip the lemongrass marinade if you can’t find it or if you’ve got leftovers. I seriously can’t wait to make another big batch of it soon since the first batch disappeared in one day. What can I say? We like to eat around here…

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Thai-style Chicken Salad

1 1/5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken (I used breast and thighs)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 stalk lemongrass
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 small cucumber, diced
1 cup chopped cabbage (coleslaw mix works here too)
1 small shallot, finely diced
3 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. sriracha (rooster sauce)
1 tbsp. fish sauce
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Butterfly your chicken breasts and set aside. Remove the tough outer layers of the lemongrass and finely slice the inner stalk. Place in a bowl with chicken, vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes (or all day if you prefer).

Grill your chicken for about 5 minutes on each side over medium-high heat. Once it’s cooked through and has nice grill lines, remove to a plate and let cool.

When the chicken is cool, dice into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well-combined.

Makes 4 servings. [/print_this]