Inspired by an absolutely incredible salad at one of our favorite Thai spot’s – Thai Pearl in Asheville, NC – this version hits all the same notes, but is made simpler and faster for the home cook. I think you’ll love this Khao Yum Gai Zap-inspired Thai Crispy Chicken Salad as much as I do. That said, feel free to jump ahead to the recipe or read on for a few tips and swap suggestions.

Table of Contents

What is Khao Yum Gai Zap?

I first tasted this Thai style fried chicken salad at one of my favorite Thai spots in Asheville, NC, a place we visit frequently. I was so taken with the salad (my whole family was), that I knew I needed to give it a go at home.

Built on a solid foundation of fresh green herbs and a very simple lime and fish sauce dressing, this salad is simple yet so very stunning. Classically, chicken is marinated and freshly fried for this (we’re skipping that step to make this as weeknight-friendly as possible). Also, toasted and ground glutinous rice is often added to the mix, adding flavor and texture to the salad. I’m adding in one more quick-fix swap here, opting for crushed fried onions instead of the toasted rice.

The overall recipe here is an homage to the classic Thai version which is one of the best salads I’ve ever had, and yet another way to enjoy fried chicken.

Speaking of fried chicken, I’ve got a few other spins on it here on MKL. There’s my Firecracker Chicken, Fried Chicken Noodle Soup, Sticky Chili Garlic Fried Chicken, and my Hot Honey-Dripped Oven Fried Chicken Sandwiches. This Monterey Ranch Un-fried Chicken deserves a mention as well.

What you’ll need to make this Thai Crispy Chicken Salad

I’ll fully admit that this salad has a somewhat lengthy list of ingredients. But to really capture the gorgeous Thai flavors that make it so incredible, all of these things need to be there. If you prepare Asian – especially Southeast Asian – dishes regularly, you’ll likely have many of these things on hand. It’s mostly a bevy of fresh green herbs here, and a punchy, funky, limey dressing that sing the loudest here. But that rich, crispy fried chicken adds the perfect balance. It makes it make sense.

Homemade-ish

The Homemade-ish element of this recipe comes by way of store-bought fried chicken. Rather than frying it up ourselves, as the traditional version of this dish would have us do, we’re going to take a wee bit of creative license and just buy some that has already been fried.

P.s. Do not ever, no never ever, skip the fish sauce.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cilantro leaves, loosely packed

1 cup basil leaves, roughly torn or chopped

½ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

3 scallions, chopped, both white and green parts

Sliced red onion, to taste

⅔ cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped

1 red or green chili, seeded and sliced (optional)

½ English cucumber, sliced

¼ cup vegetable oil or liquid coconut oil

1 tablespoon fish sauce

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon sugar

One to 1.5 pounds fried popcorn chicken or chicken tenders, warmed if not already (from your grocer’s deli)

1 cup fried onion straws, chopped

How to make this Thai Crispy Chicken Salad (Khao Yum Gai Zap inspired)

Toss hella herbs, veggies, and some store-bought crispy chicken in a tasty dressing. Add a shower of crushed fried onions (also store-bought) and serve with white rice and soy sauce. That’s it. It’s mostly some quick chopped and a one-minute dressing. So, don’t let the longer ingredients list deter you from what might be the greatest salad EVER.

DIRECTIONS

If your chicken isn’t warm, place it on a baking sheet in a warm oven (170 degrees F) while you whip up the dressing and herbs mixture.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cilantro, basil, mint, scallions, red onion, peanuts, chili (if using), and cucumber. Add ½ of the dressing and toss to coat really well. YOu can go ahead and just add the warm chicken and remaining dressing and toss it all together if you like. Or, you can toss the chicken and remaining dressing separately and pile that on top of the herb salad – totally up to you.

Serve while the chicken is still warm, with white rice and soy sauce for extra salt and umami if you like.