Thai Chicken Mason Jar Salad with Peanut Dressing

This Thai Chicken Mason Jar Salad with a Spicy Peanut Dressing is the perfect make ahead lunch for the week. It’s a flavorful salad packed with cucumbers, carrots, edamame, shredded chicken and a delicious peanut dressing. Easy to make and epic to eat!

Looking for more salad recipes? Try out my Mason Jar Asian Chicken Salad or my Greek Chicken Mason Jar Salad.

Thai Chicken Mason Jar Salad Recipe

If I could have Thai food every day, I would. Although, it would be hard to balance Thai with my other food obsession …Tex-Mex.

Lucky for you I already have a Southwest Chicken Mason Jar salad, you’re welcome. So when it came time to think of delicious flavorful salad recipes for this week, making a Thai inspired recipe was a must! 

Thai Chicken Mason Jar Salad Ingredients

The best part about this easy salad recipe is that nothing has to be cooked! The only thing you are doing in this recipe is assembling the jars so that they’re ready to use for lunch throughout the week!

• Shredded Chicken – I use rotisserie chicken and shred the white meat. It is one of my favorite easy and healthy ways to get shredded chicken in a hurry!
• Romaine – You could use spinach as well, but I like the way romaine “keeps” in mason jars and stays crisp.
• Cucumber – Cucumbers are commonly used in fresh thai recipes, I like to cut mine in cubes and put them in the salad for added crunch.
• Carrot – Sliced carrots add a nice crunch, nutrients and flavor to this salad.
• Edamame – High in protein and pairs perfectly with the other thai flavors.
• Bell Pepper – A fiber rich vegetable that’s sweet, goes well with thai flavors and adds a crunch.
• Cashews – I love the nuttiness that raw cashews add to this salad.
• Green Onion – Sliced green onions give that subtle onion flavor without the bold onion taste of red or yellow onions.
• Spicy Peanut Dressing – Traders Spicy Peanut Dressing is a great option for dressing if you’re looking for an “easy button,” however if you’d like to make homemade dressings I recommend this Spicy Peanut Dressing Recipe.

How to Make a Mason Jar Salad

The best thing you can do to make this process smooth and efficient is prepare all of your ingredients ahead of time. I like to get everything chopped up so I’m ready to go. Doing these key things is how I’m able to make 4 of these salads in 15 minutes!

• Prep your ingredients: make sure the proteins are cooked and veggies are cut
• Make your dressing: whether your making dressing or using store bought, have it ready because the dressing is the first thing that will go in the bottom of this mason jar.
• Layer your ingredients: follow the tips below on how to layer your salad to keep everything fresh and prevent a soggy mess.

How Do I Layer a Mason Jar Salad?

Yes, it’s true. There is a philosophy or strategy to packing your mason jar so that your salads don’t get soggy or loose their crispness. Here’s what I’ve found is the best way to pack your jar from bottom to top.

1. Dressing – The first layer needs to be dressing so that it doesn’t get the rest of the ingredients soggy
2. Non-Absorbent (Hard) Vegetables – These ingredients WILL be in contact with the dressing, you want to add vegetables or fruit that will not get soggy. Think carrots, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, cauliflower or jicama.
3. Absorbent Vegetables – Items like corn, tomatoes, fruits, beets, peas or onion are best in this section.
4. Protein – This next layer is for your protein – canned tuna, cooked shrimp, chicken, ground beef, etc.
5. Greens – Fill the jar to the top with the greens of your choice. I like to use either romaine lettuce or baby spinach.
6. Nuts or Cheese – This last layer is typically your salad toppings, so crumbled cheese, nuts, seeds or croutons. 

How to Eat a Mason Jar Salad

Well, the dressing is at the bottom of the jar. So if you want to eat your salad with all the flavors in every bite you’re gonna need to do something. Right? I highly encourage you to unscrew the top and dump all of the contents of the mason jar out into a large bowl. Give it a good toss to make sure everything is covered in dressing and you’re good to go!

I am such a sucker for Thai flavors and more specifically a good spicy peanut sauce. I guarantee you’re going to love every texture and mouthwatering bite of this recipe. Everything about this Thai Chicken Salad screams light and fresh to me, it is loaded with veggies and packed with protein. 

But the best part is there is no cooking involved, it takes 15 minutes to pack and then you’re enjoying it for the next 4 days. You’re going to count down the hours until lunch time, I know I did! 🙂 

Bon Appetit friends!

More Healthy Salad Recipes:

• 30 Minute BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
• Summer Citrus Avocado Salad
• Detox Strawberry Chicken Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
• The Ultimate Grilled Peach Chicken Salad
• Blackberry Kiwi Balsamic Chicken Salad

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