Heart Healthy Orange Thai Chicken Salad

(5.0)
By Judy Capodanno
Published 2/7/2022
Dietitian Reviewed: Jane Schwartz, RDN, CLT
Approved for These Diets:
Heart Healthy | Gluten Free
Heart Healthy Orange Thai Chicken Salad

Enjoy an Asian-inspired  healthy Orange Thai Chicken Salad studded with Mandarin oranges,  carrots, scallions and chopped nuts. A creamy dressing made from peanut butter, soy sauce, honey and lime juice gives this orange Thai chicken salad a wonderfully balanced bite that will keep you coming back for more.

Total Time
30 minutes
Servings
4
Calories
298
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Why You’ll Love This Orange Thai Chicken Salad

In need of a simple chicken recipe for lunch or dinner? This healthy Thai chicken salad combines sweet and juicy mandarin oranges, crisp carrots and chopped peanuts and tops it with an Asian-inspired dressing for a fresh and flavorful dish. It won’t feel like just an ordinary salad, thanks to the unique flavors in this dish, but you’ll be able to throw it all together in under 30 minutes. You’ll also love the nutrition stats. Even with the dressing, this mandarin chicken salad is under 300 calories a serving. The heart healthy salad dressing has very little oil in it and contains no saturated fat and under 400mg sodium. Plus with 18g of protein and 4g of fiber, this salad will fill you up.

The ingredients of many salads start out healthy but then the toppings and dressings can wreak havoc on the nutritional profile. But this salad is loaded with salad greens and topped with lean chicken breasts, vitamin C-rich mandarin oranges, veggies and a sprinkling of nuts, which contain heart-healthy fat. The dressing contains only a teaspoon of oil and gets its creaminess from peanut butter mixed with fresh lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar and honey. That makes it low calorie, low in saturated fat and relatively low sodium. To reduce sodium more, use low-sodium soy sauce or tamari. This is also a gluten free chicken recipe, as long as those condiments are labeled as gluten–free.

Heart healthy salads like this one filled with chicken, fruit and veggies can stand on their own. But if you want to serve something alongside it or are looking for a healthy, sweet treat to end your meal, give one of these a try:

Chicken is a great addition to any salad and is a great way to use up leftover chicken. Try one of these leftover chicken recipes the next time you’re looking for a fresh way to use up that extra chicken:

Ingredients

Recipe yields 4 servings

Salad

Dressing

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Helpful How-To Video

How to Make Orange Thai Chicken Salad

Salad

Dressing

  1. Step 1

    Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients except the chicken.

  2. Step 2

    Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk until blended.

  3. Step 3

    Slice or shred chicken and arrange it over the salad greens. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size:
1 cup

298
Calories
16
g
Fat
32
mg
Cholesterol
367
mg
Sodium
19
g
Carbs
0
g
Sat. Fat
4
g
Fiber
18
g
Protein
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More Recipes Like Orange Thai Chicken Salad

Whether you’re looking for quick and easy salad recipes or need a chicken recipe for dinner, you’ll find plenty of classic favorites made healthier throughout our site. Check out some of the recipes below for inspiration to eat healthier.

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