Thai Mango Chicken Salad (Print View)

Juicy mango and tender chicken tossed with crisp greens and tangy lime-chili dressing for vibrant flavors.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 10.5 ounces)
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 (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 finely chopped Thai red chili, adjust to taste
19 - 1 clove garlic, minced

# Directions:

01 - Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden and fully cooked. Remove from skillet, rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
02 - Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, vegetable oil, chopped chili, and minced garlic in a small bowl until sugar dissolves and the dressing is well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, combine mixed salad greens, mango slices, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, carrot, cilantro, and mint.
04 - Add the sliced chicken to the salad bowl and gently toss with the lime-chili dressing until all components are evenly coated.
05 - Sprinkle roasted peanuts on top, if desired. Serve immediately for best freshness.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dressing is tangy and alive without feeling heavy, so you can eat a huge bowl and feel refreshed instead of weighed down.
  • Everything comes together in about thirty minutes, making it genuinely useful for a random Tuesday dinner when you didn't plan ahead.
  • The combination of warm chicken against cool mango and crisp vegetables creates this textural conversation that keeps every bite interesting.
02 -
  • Overcooking chicken by even two minutes turns it into something you'll regret; it's better to pull it off heat slightly underdone and let carryover cooking finish it, then let it rest before slicing.
  • The salad is best assembled and eaten immediately, but if you need to make it ahead, keep the dressing separate and toss it in just before serving.
03 -
  • If you're making this for a crowd, cook the chicken ahead and keep it in the fridge; you can toss it in warm when you assemble everything, and the warmth will still work against the cold salad.
  • The secret to this tasting authentic is not skipping the fish sauce—it's what transforms this from a nice salad into something that tastes like it was made by someone who knows Thai food.
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