Indonesian-Style Chicken Salad

By Martha Rose Shulman

Updated August 31, 2022

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(974)
Comments
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Poached chicken breasts, which are at the center of this salad, are a low-fat, high-protein staple with endless possibilities. In this recipe, inspiration comes from the Southeast Asian country of Indonesia. Mint leaves and cilantro add a fresh bite and mung bean sprouts or sunflower sprouts help to fill out the dish. This spicy, refreshing salad makes a great summer meal.

Featured in: Chicken Dishes, With Less Chicken

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

FOR THE SALAD

  • 1 whole chicken breast or 2 boneless skinless breasts, poached and shredded about 4 cups shredded chicken

  • Salt

  • freshly ground pepper (optional)

  • 1 bunch scallions, white part and green, thinly sliced

  • ¼ cup slivered fresh mint leaves

  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro

  • 1 small red bell pepper, cut in thin strips

  • 1 serrano pepper, finely chopped seeded if desired

  • 2 cups mung bean sprouts or sunflower sprouts

  • 1 romaine lettuce heart, leaves separated, washed and dried

  • ¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts

FOR THE DRESSING

  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 tablespoon Southeast Asian fish sauce

  • Pinch of cayenne

  • 2 tablespoons crunchy or smooth natural peanut butter (more to taste)

  • ⅓ cup buttermilk

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

10 grams carbs; 34 milligrams cholesterol; 161 calories; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 7 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 461 milligrams sodium; 16 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. FOR THE SALAD

    1. Step 1

      Place the chicken in a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Add the white part of the scallions, the mint, cilantro, red pepper, minced chile pepper and sprouts. Toss together.

    2. Step 2

      Combine the lime juice, ginger, garlic, fish sauce and cayenne. Stir together. Add the peanut butter, and combine well. Whisk in the buttermilk. Taste and adjust seasonings.

    3. Step 3

      Line a platter with the lettuce leaves. Toss the chicken mixture with the dressing, and arrange over the lettuce. Sprinkle the peanuts and the scallion greens over the top, and serve.

Tip

  • Advance preparation: The poached chicken breasts will keep for three days in the refrigerator. The dressing can be made several hours ahead.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
974 user ratings
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Comments

KB

You can add lemon juice to regular milk to make a substitute for buttermilk.

Meg

I substituted 1/4 cup Greek yogurt for the buttermilk & didn't have sprouts on hand. Still delicious!!

Rachel S

I had no lettuce, jalapeno, or sprouts, so i ditched them and added grated carrot, chopped purple cabbage, and crushed red pepper. DELICIOUS!!!

june

Delicious. Went the route of coconut milk instead of buttermilk. I used full fat coconut milk (from a can) - curious if anyone has used lite coconut milk and if so did it turn out ok? Other subs and thoughts : red cabbage instead of sprouts, the mint in it is delicious, this is a perfect fresh meal, I may add shredded carrots next time, and I think it will be delicious wrapped in a rice wrapper!

Susan A

I've made lots of Asian style/peanut-y chickens salads, and this was the cream of the crop! It likely helped that I used leftover grilled chicken from this recipe: https://insight-report.report/recipes/1017490-sweet-and-spicy-grilled-chicken-breasts%3C/a%3E which means you have to plan ahead a bit, but the extra flavor is so worth it! I didn't have buttermilk so used heavy cream, and I doubled the dressing. Spectacular!

Perfect for these blazing hot days.

We love this dish and have made it as is and as template to clean out the fridge (leftover chicken, rotisserie, ground turkey, misc. crisp fresh veggies and herbs, leftover shredded slaw and carrots, etc.). After the first batch, I doubled it on the second go around to test out leftovers and I am sad to say it doesn’t hold up overnight in the fridge (veggies and herbs lose their crispness and the whole thing ends up a bit watery). I will be prepping the components separately and portioning for mix-when-ready-to-eat weekday work lunches.

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