Thai Chicken Salad Wonton Cups

Fresh, crisp and loaded with zippy flavor, these Thai chicken salad wonton cups are a colorful little appetizer fit for a cozy gathering. Prepared with wonton skins which are baked until golden and crispy, then filled with a refreshing Thai chicken salad mixture dressed with spicy peanut dressing, this Thai chicken salad wonton cups recipe offers mouthwatering flavor in every bite!

Wonton Cups Filled with Thai Chicken Salad

I love a unique and fun appetizer, one that can be eaten in a couple of bites, with lots of crispy texture and zesty flavor.

Thai peanut chicken salad is one of my favorite salads to order at our favorite Thai place when I'm craving a lighter, fresher meal. I thought it would make for the perfect filling when served in tiny, crispy, baked wonton cups—so delicate and delicious, yet loaded with irresistible flavor!

I love these Thai chicken salad wonton cups because they're terrific to serve at a gathering as part of the appetizer table, easy to make ahead and assemble just before serving.

They’re a light and refreshing option that's perfect when we crave vibrant food such as cool, colorful and healthy salads.

Made with finely shredded purple and Napa cabbage, shredded chicken, bok choy, carrots, green onions, cilantro and crushed peanuts, all tossed together with my mouthwatering spicy Thai peanut dressing, these Thai chicken salad wonton cups are always a favorite, and always disappear like magic!

My Recipe for Thai Chicken Salad Wonton Cups

When it comes to this yummy appetizer, it's a fantastic one to make ahead, then put together just before you'd like to serve it for best texture and flavor.

I typically will bake off the wonton cups ahead of time to have ready and on hand to fill with the scrumptious Thai chicken salad filling, and I make those in a really simple way...

Using a mini muffin tin (one with 24 wells, or two with 12 wells each), I simply line each muffin well with a wonton skin, spray lightly with cooking spray, and bake for a few minutes until the skins become golden-brown and deliciously crispy.

My Thai chicken salad is a breeze to whip up as well, and I love to use rotisserie chicken for this as a quick shortcut, or even some pre-cooked or leftover chicken I have in the fridge.

I combine the chicken with some fresh purple cabbage and some Napa cabbage for crunch, add in some shaved bok choy and shredded carrots, along with green onions and cilantro for earthy, vibrant flavor.

Tossed together with my mildly spicy Thai peanut dressing, plus some crushed peanuts, this salad is truly irresistible and offers fresh flavor in each crispy bite.

Here's a glance at my Thai chicken salad wonton cups recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I bake off my wonton skins in mini muffins tins until crispy and golden, and set them aside to cool. (These cups can even be done a day ahead, if desired.)
2. Next, I prep my spicy peanut dressing.
3. Once the dressing is prepped, I toss together the ingredients for my Thai chicken salad.
4. When ready to serve in the wonton cups, I then dress the salad with the dressing.
5. To assemble these tasty little wonton cups, I spoon enough Thai chicken salad into each wonton cup so that it's nice and full and whimsical, top with an extra sprinkle of crushed peanuts, and serve immediately.

Recipe

Thai Chicken Salad Wonton Cups

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These delicate Thai chicken salad wonton cups are filled with fresh, zesty, peanuty flavor, and offer delicious crunch in every bite!

Category: Appetizer
Cuisine: Thai

Yield: 24 Thai chicken salad wonton cups

Nutrition Info: 93 calories (per Thai chicken salad wonton cup)

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Total time: 52 minutes

Thai Chicken Salad Wonton Cups Ingredients:

• 24 wonton squares
• Cooking spray
• 1 ¼ cups shredded, cooked chicken breast (rotisserie is great for this)
• ¼ cup shredded purple cabbage
• ¼ cup shredded Napa cabbage
• ¼ cup finely sliced baby bok choy (about 1 small)
• 1 small carrot, grated (or you can use bagged, shredded carrot, about ¼ cup)
• 1 tablespoon green onions
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup crushed peanuts

Spicy Peanut Dressing Ingredients:

• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 small cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce (more or less depending on spice level desired)
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon water

Preparation:

1. To get started, gather and prep all of your Thai chicken salad wonton cup ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat your oven to 350°, and generously spray a mini muffin tin with 24 wells (or two tins with 12 wells each) with cooking spray.
3. Take each wonton square, dust off any excess corn starch, and carefully press into the mini-muffin wells. Spray the wonton squares with cooking spray, place into the oven and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden-brown and crispy.
4. Allow to cool slightly, then remove the wontons from the muffin tins to cool completely before filling.
5. Next, gather and prep all of your spicy peanut dressing ingredients according to the ingredient list to have ready and organized for use.
6. To make the dressing, place all the ingredients into a bowl, and whisk together until completely smooth and combined. Set aside for a moment if using immediately, or keep in a covered container in fridge until ready to use.
7. Next, prepare the Thai chicken salad by adding the chicken, plus the remainder of the ingredients up to and including the chopped cilantro, to a bowl. If serving immediately, add in about 2 tablespoons of the spicy peanut dressing, plus about half of the crushed peanuts (about 2 tablespoons worth), and gently toss to coat.
8. To assemble, fill each crispy wonton cup with equal amounts of the Thai chicken salad, then drizzle each with a little extra dressing on top, and sprinkle over a little of the remaining crushed peanuts over each as garnish.
9. Serve immediately, while fresh and crisp.

Tips & Tidbits for my Thai chicken salad wonton cups recipe:

• Wonton squares for crispy vessels: You can find fresh wonton squares in an Asian market, or in the cold, Asian food section of a traditional market where the tofu and fresh noodles are sold. They're the perfect crispy vessel for this salad filling, and easily become crispy when spritzed with a touch of cooking spray and baked off in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Rotisserie chicken for convenience: This Thai chicken salad recipe calls for shredded, cooked chicken breast. So if you happen to have some leftover chicken stashed in the fridge, that's perfect. You can also use rotisserie chicken here, which is a quick and easy shortcut as well!
• Make the peanut dressing as spicy or mild as you'd like: To keep things enjoyable for all folks here, I keep the spicy level to a mild for this dressing. However, I typically like things more spicy (especially a Thai peanut dressing), so I typically add more sriracha to the dressing when cooking for me. You can add more as well, or even eliminate the sriracha altogether if you prefer no level of spiciness.
• Make these Thai chicken salad wonton cups ahead: This recipe can easily be made ahead, but all components need to be kept separate to maintain crunch and freshness. You can bake off the wonton cups a day ahead and keep them on a tray, very loosely covered. You can also prep the salad and dressing, keeping those separate until ready to serve, at which point you'll toss them together, then fill the wonton cups and serve immediately.

Craving more deliciously cozy appetizers? Check out my recipe for Cranberry Brie Puff Pastry Bites, Spicy Orange Chicken Wings, Vietnamese Fried Chicken, Sausage Pinwheels, Potato Chip Chicken Strips, Shrimp Tostada Bites, or my recipe for Chicken Egg Rolls with Spinach!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2015, and has been updated with even more love!