Thai Mango Chicken Salad (Printer-Friendly)

Juicy mango, tender chicken, fresh herbs, and crisp vegetables with a tangy lime-chili dressing combine to delight.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 10.5 oz)
02 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Salad

05 - 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and sliced
06 - 3.5 oz mixed salad greens (romaine, arugula, spinach)
07 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
08 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
09 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
10 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
11 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
12 - 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
13 - 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (optional)

→ Lime-Chili Dressing

14 - 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
15 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce for vegetarian option)
16 - 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
17 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
18 - 1 to 2 teaspoons Thai red chili, finely chopped, adjusted to taste
19 - 1 clove garlic, minced

# Method:

01 - Season chicken breasts with salt and black pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden and fully cooked. Remove from heat, let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
02 - Combine lime juice, fish sauce (or soy sauce), brown sugar, vegetable oil, chopped chili, and minced garlic in a small bowl. Whisk until sugar dissolves and dressing is emulsified.
03 - In a large bowl, mix salad greens, mango slices, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, carrot, cilantro, and mint leaves.
04 - Place sliced chicken into the salad bowl and gently toss all ingredients with the prepared lime-chili dressing until evenly coated.
05 - Sprinkle roasted peanuts on top if desired. Serve immediately for optimal freshness.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, perfect for nights when you want something fresh but don't have much time.
  • The combination of sweet mango, spicy chili, and aromatic herbs hits all your cravings at once—it's balanced without feeling complicated.
  • You can prep everything ahead and just toss it together when you're ready to eat, which is how I learned to make weeknight cooking actually enjoyable.
02 -
  • Resting the chicken for five minutes after cooking keeps the juices inside instead of on your cutting board—this was a game-changer for me and it only costs you five minutes of patience.
  • The dressing is powerful; use less than you think you need at first and add more if you want it, because it's harder to fix if you oversaturate everything.
03 -
  • If you don't have a fish sauce, soy sauce works fine, but fish sauce is worth seeking out—it's the ingredient that makes this taste authentically Thai and not just like a regular salad with mango.
  • The secret to keeping your chicken tender is not to skip the resting period and not to overthink the cooking time; you're looking for cooked through, not dry.
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