Grilled Thai Chicken Noodle Salad is one of those dishes that hits every craving at once, it’s light, fresh, tangy, savory, and just the right amount of spicy. Perfect for warm weather or whenever you want something vibrant and satisfying, this salad brings together bold Thai flavors with the heartiness of grilled chicken and rice noodles.
At the heart of the dish is tender grilled chicken, marinated in a flavorful blend of garlic, lime juice, soy sauce or fish sauce, and a touch of brown sugar for balance. After a quick char on the grill, the chicken develops that irresistible smoky-sweet coating that pairs beautifully with the cool noodles and crisp vegetables.
The noodles, usually thin rice noodles, soak up the tangy dressing made from lime juice, fish sauce, rice vinegar, chili, and a bit of honey. It’s zippy and bright, bringing everything together with a signature Thai kick.
Fresh veggies like shredded carrots, sliced cucumber, red cabbage, and bell pepper add color, crunch, and even more freshness. Toss everything together with the grilled chicken, then top with crushed peanuts, fresh cilantro, Thai basil, and mint for a dish that’s as fragrant as it is flavorful.
What’s great about this salad is how versatile it is. You can enjoy it warm, room temp, or cold from the fridge. It makes a great meal-prep option, too, just keep the dressing separate until ready to serve for maximum crunch.
Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner, a summer lunch, or something different for a potluck, Grilled Thai Chicken Noodle Salad is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. It’s light but filling, healthy but indulgent, and always bursting with flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup carrot shredded
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1/4 cup mint chopped
- 1/4 cup Thai basil chopped
- 1/4 cup peanuts chopped
- 2 Green onions sliced
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 red chili minced
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Grill chicken for 6-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into thin strips.
- Cook rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice noodles, shredded cabbage, shredded carrot, chopped cilantro, chopped mint, chopped Thai basil, chopped peanuts, and sliced green onions.
- In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, minced garlic, and minced red chili.
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Serve the salad topped with grilled chicken strips.
- Enjoy!
This salad is soooo good! I made it for my family, and they loved it. The flavors are just perfect.
I don’t know, I tried it and it wasn’t that great. Maybe it needs more seasoning or something? 🤔
So glad to hear that! This salad is a family favorite here too! The dressing really makes it pop.
Very fresh and light! I added some extra veggies I had. Yum!
That sounds delicious! I bet the extra veggies add a nice crunch. Can’t wait to try it! 😋
Too many herbs in my opinion. I like simple stuff. Next time, just chicken and noodles for me.
My kids loved it! Finally a salad they eat! Will make again for sure. 🥗
Fish sauce? Yuck! I swapped it for ketchup. Still turned out okay. 😂
I don’t know, it seems like too many ingredients. Can’t I just use dressing from a bottle? Maybe I’ll try it, but I’m skeptical.
Grilled chicken is the best. But fish sauce? Eww. Can I switch that for ranch dressing? 😂
This was so good! The flavors were amazing and the chicken was juicy. Definitely making it again.
I dunno, grilled chicken with noodles? Sounds kinda weird to me. But if you liked it, that’s cool I guess.
I’m so glad you liked it! This salad sounds super refreshing. I can’t wait to try it myself!
Tried it yesterday and the chicken was a bit dry. Maybe I overcooked it? Not bad overall, but needs tweaking.
Why do u use so many herbs? They all taste the same to me! It was okay I guess.
This was super delicious! The flavors were so bright and fresh. I could eat this every day!
Easy to follow! But I used leftover rotisserie chicken instead. Not sure if I messed it up.
Why you put fish sauce? Yuck! Who wants fish in their salad? Disgusting!
Grilled chicken was nice but noodles turned mushy! 😩 You gotta be careful with timing!
This was delicious! The flavors were so fresh and vibrant. Definitely a keeper! 😍
Sounds amazing! I love Thai flavors! 🌶️
So easy to make! I had all the ingredients ready. The lime juice added a lovely tang!
I don’t know, it was kinda bland for me. I expected more kick. Maybe I didn’t add enough chili?
Yum, this is delicious! I added some sriracha for extra spice and it was perfect. Thanks for sharing!
I tried this recipe too! It was really good, but I didn’t have fish sauce, so I used soy sauce instead. Still pretty tasty! 👍
What kind of noodles is rice noodles? Never heard of it. I used spaghetti instead and it tasted weird.
I thought Thai food was all spicy?? This was kinda bland. More chili next time.
Too complicated for me. I just wanna eat, not do all this cooking 🙄.
I get it! Cooking can be a hassle sometimes. Maybe try a simpler recipe, like a sandwich or a salad without grilling? 🤷♂️
Come on, it ain’t that hard! Just grill the chicken and mix everything. You can do it! 😊
I tried this recipe and ended up with a kitchen disaster. The chicken was dry and the noodles were sticky. Not making this again. 🤨
Can I use tofu instead of chicken? I’m vegetarian. Would the recipe still work? 🤔
Quick and delicious! I swapped the fish sauce for soy sauce since I don’t eat fish, and it turned out fine.
I made this for my family and they all loved it! So fresh and tasty. Will definitely make again! 😊
That sounds delicious! I’m glad your family enjoyed it. The mix of flavors must have been amazing! 😍
Too many herbs for me. It was like chewing on a garden! 😅
I think the herbs add a lot of flavor! But I get it. Some people don’t like that much. Maybe just reduce them next time? 😊
This sounds fancy for a salad. I like simple stuff. I’ll stick to my lettuce and ranch lol.
Not sure about the fish sauce… it was kinda stinky. Maybe I’ll leave it out next time? 🤔
I don’t know, the texture of the noodles was weird. Maybe I overcooked them? Not a fan.
Lol, made this for my boys and they didn’t know they were eating salad! Sneaky, sneaky. Will make it again!