Copycat Panera Spicy Thai Salad with Chicken

Love this Copycat Panera Spicy Thai Chicken Salad – there’s so many different crunchy items packed into this salad. Then top the salad with this spicy dressing and peanut sauce – it’s a favorite in our house!

There are a lot of ingredients in this dish but, let me tell you, it’s definitely worth it! I love the pop of the edamame with the crunch of the wonton strips – then topped with that spicy vinaigrette. This salad is my favorite because of the taste – it’s a little sweet, a little salty and a whole lot of delicious.

Panera Spicy Thai Salad Ingredients

Peanut Sauce

• 1 tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp mirin – you can sub with rice vinegar or dry white wine
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Thai Chili Vinaigrette Dressing

• 2 tbsp soy sauce – no salt needed here!
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp olive oil – if you want a bit of smokiness, you could use sesame oil instead – it’s strong but so good!
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 lime juiced
• 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp fresh ginger grated

Salad

• 2 cups romaine lettuce chopped
• 1-2 chicken breasts cooked, sliced
  • I marinated chicken in a lemon herb vinaigrette overnight and cooked for 12 minutes in the air fryer
• 2 tbsp sliced almonds
• 1/2 red bell pepper sliced (you can also use jarred roasted red peppers)
• 15 pods edamame – soybeans removed from the pods
  • If using frozen edamame, heat pods in microwave for a couple of minutes (per package directions) and let cool before removing from pods
• 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
• 1 small carrot julienned
• 1/4 cup wonton strips

How do you make Spicy Thai Vinaigrette?

Salad dressings are very simple – and you can always double the recipe! I make it in a mason jar – then just shake it up whenever I’m ready for salad. 

This one has quite a few ingredients – but you likely have all of them already. Whisk together soy sauce, water, honey, mirin (rice wine vinegar), olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, sweet chili sauce, garlic and ginger.

How do you make Panera’s Spicy Thai Salad?

Once you have the dressing together, it’s just a matter of putting everything together. I love using big pasta bowls for salad. 

• In a small bowl, whisk together your peanut sauce and in a second bowl, whisk together the Spicy Thai dressing ingredients and refrigerate until ready. It’s great to do the day before if possible – but not necessary. 
  • If doing the day before, you can also marinate chicken breasts overnight 
• Next, grab a large bowl and make a big bed of romaine lettuce. 
• If you’re using raw chicken, air fry the chicken at 350 for 12 minutes. Prepare your veggies while the chicken cooks. 
• Once the chicken has cooked and rested for a couple of minutes, slice the chicken for your salad
  • If you have a large chicken breast – you can probably split it between two people. 
• Top with sliced almonds, red peppers, edamame, carrot, cilantro and wontons.
  • With edamame – I keep a bag of the pods in my freezer and pull out a handful for salads. I heat them in the microwave and then after they cool – they’re ready for the salad!
• Lastly, drizzle with your dressing and the peanut sauce. The peanut sauce is a little thick – but just sprinkle it around – you’ll mix it all together anyway.

Did Panera discontinue the Spicy Thai Salad?

It isn’t currently on the menu but they often times remove menu items and then bring them back later. It’s why my copycat recipes are great – then you can have them whenever you want!

What are the healthiest salads & sandwiches at Panera?

If we’re looking at “healthy” strictly in terms of calories – here are the lowest calorie items (as currently shown on Panera website). Keep in mind – they don’t always have their full menu online. 

• Salads – the Caesar salad is 330 calories but that’s without any protein — their Asian Sesame Salad with Chicken is only 410 calories. 
• Bowls – the Mediterranean Bowl is the lowest with 620 calories without chicken and 680 with!
• Soups – the Homestyle Chicken Noodle and their 10 Vegetable Soup have just 100 calories each! 
• Sandwiches – the Turkey Sandwich has 510 calories, Mediterranean Veggie has 540 and the Napa Almond Chicken Salad has 550 calories (all for whole sandwich)
• Pizza – the Margherita Flatbread Pizza has 770 calories

Other Copycat Panera Salads & Bowls

Panera has so many great salads – I’ve made a few of them – here are some of my favorites:

• Panera Greek Salad
• Panera 10-Vegetable Soup
• Panera Mediterranean Warm Grain Bowl

Asian-Inspired Recipes

• Teriyaki Salmon Noodles
• Teriyaki Chicken & Broccoli Bowl
• PF Chang’s Fried Rice