This is me doing a salad faceplant.

chicken avocado salad with peanut dressing I howsweeteats.com

I know! I’m aware. Salad and faceplant are probably not two words that you associate – especially together – when you visit this blog. But it’s happening.

chicken avocado salad with peanut dressing I howsweeteats.com

Max’s current obsession is peanut butter toast. I’ve always given it to him as a snack or part of a meal, but it hasn’t been until recently that he decided that he LOVES it and asks for it multiple times a day. EVERY day.

It means we are going through a ton of peanut butter and I usually make myself a slice of peanut butter banana toast while I’m at it, sprinkled with hemp hearts, because it is THEEE ultimate snack. That has been one of my favorite post-workout snacks since I was in high-school. I just find it so satisfying!

chicken avocado salad with peanut dressing I howsweeteats.com

So we obviously aren’t eating peanut butter toast today, but all that gibberish above has reignited my passion for peanut butter in a savory way. Thai food ranks high up there on my list of favorites, and the chopped peanuts on salads and noodle dishes are always something I really look forward to. But it wasn’t until recently that I made my own peanut dressing that I’ve been keeping in the fridge for weekday lunches.

I’ve made a thai dressing before WITH peanut butter, but it’s never been the star of the show. It’s just had a hint of peanut butter, mixed with lots of other flavors like sweet chili and garlic and what not. This dressing? It’s peanut butter BASED. It’s loaded with peanutty flavor.

chicken avocado salad with peanut dressing I howsweeteats.com

I wanted to keep the salad simple. Definitely chicken, because chicken and peanut sauce is a thing. A thing I just really enjoy. One of the only ways I really enjoy chicken! I used our favorite method of broiling boneless, skinless chicken thighs and brushing them with a mixture of honey, peanut butter and apple cider vinegar until somewhat caramely.

WHOA. Chicken this way is freaking fantastic.

chicken avocado salad with peanut dressing I howsweeteats.com

Tons of avocado because I have no idea how to make a salad without it. The base is full of napa cabbage and slaw mix, which we almost always have in our fridge because it’s our favorite taco topping and we use it every week. Especially right now, on fish tacos!

Some cucumbers for crunch, some lime juice and some crunchy peanuts. Because TEXTURE. It’s the highlight of my food life.

chicken avocado salad with peanut dressing I howsweeteats.com

There are a few shredded carrots in the slaw mix, which is the only way I can do them. But if you want whole carrot sticks or chunks in here, go for it! And even though this isn’t technically a chopped salad, with the use of the slaw, I end up chopping it all up as I go to eat it. That way I get a bite of everything, which is my favorite way to salad.

Let’s make it a verb.

chicken avocado salad with peanut dressing I howsweeteats.com

Also! Look at how GREEN this is! It’s perfect for the omg-it’s-April-and-almost-beach-season anxiety. Am I right?

chicken avocado salad with peanut dressing I howsweeteats.com

The one last thing that tastes delicious with this is… some crushed pita chips. Use ’em as a topping or to scoop up the salad like salad nachos. SALAD NACHOs. Can we make that thing?

chicken avocado salad with peanut dressing I howsweeteats.com

Chicken Avocado Salad with Peanut Dressing

4.91 from 10 votes
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Ingredients

peanut dressing

Instructions 

  • Heat the broiler on your oven to high and place an oven rack 6 inches below. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  • Season the chicken on both sides with the salt, pepper and paprika. Place it on the baking sheet and broil for 7 minutes, the flip and broil for 7 minutes more. While the chicken is broiling, whisk together the honey, vinegar and peanut butter. Brush it on the chicken and broil for 2 more minutes. Flip the chicken one more time, brush with the honey mixture and broil 2 minutes more. Remove the chicken and let it cool slightly. Slice into pieces
  • Combine the cabbage and slaw mix in a large bowl and toss it with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the chicken on top along with the avocado, cucumber and chopped peanuts. Drizzle on the dressing, toss and serve!

peanut dressing

  • Whisk the ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth. This can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for a few days!
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chicken avocado salad with peanut dressing I howsweeteats.com

I already feel better about my cadbury egg mishap this weekend.