There’s a Thai festival every year in the neighborhood where I grew up that has the most AMAZING food, drinks, a parade, a feast of the monks, yeah, you read that right. My best friends and I have been going every year for the past…5 years now? The first year, I’m pretty sure we were the only non-Thai people there. So yeah, we’re talking super authentic. Basically, all the families who own all the local Thai restaurants in the area come and set up food tents, and it’s like a street food festival that also happens to have a parade + feast of the months to celebrate the coming of the Thai new year.
No joke, people will come and order 6 of each thing so they don’t have to cook for a week. Mostly they are hoarding sticky rice. Because it’s the best you will ever have. Fact. Unless, maybe if you go to Thailand…but I’ve never been so I can’t speak to that.
Anyway. People wait in line for HOURS for this stuff. My friends and I included. Thai sausage, larb gai (thai lettuce wraps), kanom krok (these delicious little coconut pancake things that I WISH I could make at home), tom kha gai (coconut soup with lemongrass and chicken), papaya salad, thai iced tea, the freshest and the most delicious tasting coconut water ever…I could go on forever. But I’m currently salivating so I should probably stop. Especially because I coudln’t go this year since it was the exact same day and time as my weightlifting meet, which was about an hour away. Still bitter about it, it’s fiiiine.
At least my favorite champagne (aka atatufo) mangoes are in season now. So I can make this Thai Mango & Chicken Salad and not cry myself to sleep because there is currently no sticky rice in my life. Or those coconut pancakes that I can only ever find ONCE A YEAR at the thai festival. Again, bitter.
I totally meant to throw some bacon and a fried egg on top of this salad when I was taking the photos to make it a thai-style cobb salad, but obviously I’m emotionally distraught about this sticky rice + kanom krok situation in my life so can you blame me for forgetting? But I have made it before, and the flavors are SPOT on. So I’d highly recommend doing that if you’re in the mood for some drippy egg goodness.
- 1 lb chicken breast or thighs
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp garlic
- 1 Tbsp sriracha
- 2-3 handfuls greens for each salad
- 1 champagne (yellow) mango, sliced into cubes
- 1 medium cucumber, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and sliced
- ¼ red onion, diced
- 1 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Your favorite thai style dressing (I love the one from Yai’s thai!)
- Optional: fried egg
- Optional: bacon bits!
- First, cook the chicken. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat while you prepare the chicken, pat dry, then slice into bite-sized pieces. Add 1 tsp coconut oil to the pan, then once hot, add the ginger and garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken, cook on all sides until browned (about 5-7 minutes), then stir in the sriracha.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the salads. Throw everything else in there (try and steal more mango, because it’s delicious), then once the chicken is done, top the salads off with chicken and some of your favorite thai style ‘peanut’ dressing!
- If you’re using the bacon and egg, cook the bacon in the pan before the chicken. Then fry and egg in there to top off the salad!
You’ll love these Thai inspired recipes too!
Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Coconut Red Curry Soup with Shrimp
Mango Coconut Cauliflower Rice
Thai Coconut Soup with Salmon & Kale
