Thai Mango Chicken Salad (Print View)

A vibrant salad with mango, tender chicken, crisp vegetables, and fresh herbs in a tangy lime-chili dressing.

# Components:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (10.6 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 ounces mixed salad greens (e.g., 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)
16 - 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
17 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
18 - 1-2 teaspoons Thai red chili, finely chopped (to taste)
19 - 1 clove garlic, minced

# Directions:

01 - Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate, let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
02 - Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, vegetable oil, chopped chili, and garlic in a small bowl until sugar dissolves and dressing is well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, combine mixed salad greens, mango slices, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, carrot, cilantro, and mint.
04 - Add sliced chicken to the salad bowl and toss gently with lime-chili dressing until evenly coated.
05 - Top salad with roasted peanuts if desired and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 30 minutes flat, which means dinner doesn't feel like a chore on busy weeknights.
  • The sweet-salty-spicy-sour balance feels indulgent and restaurant-quality, but you're really just whisking five ingredients.
  • Mango and chicken is an unexpectedly perfect match that somehow tastes even better than you'd expect.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, so you're never leaving anyone out at the table.
02 -
  • Overcooked chicken is the quickest way to ruin this dish, so use a meat thermometer and pull it at 165°F—it'll coast to perfection while it rests.
  • The mango has to be truly ripe or the whole thing falls flat; a hard, mealy mango will make you question why you even tried.
  • Dress the salad right before serving or the greens will become sad and wilted within minutes.
03 -
  • Toast your peanuts yourself in a dry skillet if you have time; they taste infinitely fresher and nuttier than pre-roasted ones.
  • Make the dressing in the bottom of your salad bowl before you add the vegetables, so the flavors meld while you're still chopping.
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