Thai mango salad with optional chicken is a light, summer inspired weeknight meal. Sweet, savory and nutritious.
Table of contents
Why Make This Thai Mango Salad
This salad is so bright and colorful. It's the perfect spring or summer salad to get you feeling good and full of nutritious ingredients. The mango is sweet, tart and goes wonderfully with the savory umami dressing. This salad does have a thai heat to it, but you can take the heat down a notch easily and make this recipe kid friendly. This salad can be adapted to make it vegetarian, it's just as good without the chicken. I prefer the chicken to add more protein and make it a more hearty meal.
Ingredients Needed
Chicken Breasts. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Choose your favorite high quality brand.
Olive Oil. Neutral in flavor, this is to cook the chicken in. If you are making this vegetarian just skip this!
Seasonings. Cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.
Mango Salad Ingredients
Fresh Unripe Mangos. We want them hard do that they are firm and hold up well in the salad. You can find mangos in the produce section at most grocery stores.
Bean Sprouts. These are also known as mung beans. They can be found in the product aisle. They add a great crunch and are traditionally found in authentic thai dishes.
Red Bell Pepper. One red bell pepper for extra color and crunch.
Red Thai Chile's. Also known as a fresno pepper. These are pretty spicy, so feel free to omit or cut down on it if you need a more mild flavor.
Cashews. Peanuts will also work. They add a nice little crunch to the salad. I use unsalted cashews.
Avocado. This is optional but it adds color and a little creaminess to the salad.
Coconut Flakes. This is also optional, it adds a little sweetness to balance out the spice.
Basil & Cilantro. Both add a brightness to this dish you will love!
Red Onion. Optional for color!
Dressing Ingredients
Soy Sauce. I opt for a low sodium soy sauce. This is the base of the dressing.
Thai Chili Sauce. This is found in the international aisle at the grocery store. It's sweet and spicy. This is the one I use.
Lime. Fresh line juice gives a perfect citrus balance to the sauce.
Maple Syrup. This adds sweetness and a nutty depth to the sauce.
Garlic Clove. I mince the garlic clove to add to the sauce, it's insanely good.
Recipe Variations
Red Bell pepper. You can use any color of bell pepper desired.
Chicken. You can make this recipe vegan and not use meat or use Rotisserie chicken instead to cut down on cooking time and effort.
Soy Sauce. Use coconut aminos or tamari in place of soy sauce.
Maple Syrup. Use honey or brown sugar in place of maple syrup if needed.
Mung Beans/ Bean Sprouts. Use shredded zucchini in place of mung beans if needed.
Fresh Herbs. You can use one or the other if you don't have both fresh basil and fresh cilantro. Parsley will also work.
Steps To Make This Recipe
Step One. Heat a skillet on medium/ high heat. whisk together the chicken seasonings and coat the chicken in the seasoning. Add oil to the skillet and sauté chicken for about 7 minutes each side, or until the internal temperature is 165º. Chicken breast sizes vary so be sure to check! Let the chicken rest.
Step Two. Using a pairing knife or peeler, peel the skin of the mango. Then use a cheese grater to grate/shred the mango. This is why the mango can't be too soft, a more firm mango will give perfect shreds with less runny juice.
Step Three. Mix up the sauce Ingredients and whisk together. Next, finely chop the herbs, slice the bell pepper, fresno pepper, red onion if using. Chop the cashews roughly if using and dice up chicken breasts.
Step Four. Add all the Thai Mango salad ingredients and the dressing to a large bowl and toss together well. Add in chopped chicken and enjoy right away.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, thai mango salad has a little heat (spice) to it but nothing too overbearing. If you are wanting a more mild flavor, skip or cut back on the fresno (red chilie) peppers.
You can use soft (ripe) mangos for thai mango salad, however I would recommend slicing it with a knife instead of grating, this will be less messy and easier to enjoy,
Make Ahead & Storage Tips
This recipe can be made ahead of time, it is good for up to 3 days in the fridge, just be sure to toss together before serving any leftovers as the dressing can settle to the bottom. I do not recommend freezing this meal!
Tips To Make This Healthier
To make this recipe less caloric, you can skip the mango and cashews and save yourself 175 calories. You should use a low sodium soy sauce to cut down on salt as well.
Other Salad Recipes To Enjoy
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Thai Mango Salad
Equipment
- cheese grater
- large skillet
Ingredients
For The Chicken
- .75 - 1 lb chicken breasts boneless, skinless sliced in half
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ Tbsp olive oil
Thai Mango Salad
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 firm, unripe green mangos
- 2½ cups bean sprouts *see notes
- 1 red chilie, thinly sliced *see notes
- ¼ cup cashews, unsalted
- 3 Tbsp basil, chopped
- 3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 3 Tbsp coconut flakes *optional
- 1 avocado, sliced *optional
For The Dressing
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime *about 1 - 1½ lime
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup *see notes
- 2 Tbsp thai chili sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
- Heat a skillet on medium/ high heat. Whisk together the chicken seasonings, slice breasts in half if they are large and coat the chicken in the seasoning. Add oil to the skillet and sauté chicken for about 7 minutes each side, or until the internal temperature is 165º. Chicken breast sizes vary so be sure to check! Let the chicken rest.
- Using a pairing knife or peeler, peel the skin of the mango. Then use a cheese grater to grate/shred the mango. This is why the mango can't be too soft, a more firm mango will give perfect shreds with less runny juice.
- Mix up the dressing Ingredients and whisk together. Next, finely chop the herbs, slice the bell pepper, fresno pepper, red onion if using. Chop the cashews roughly if using and dice up chicken breasts.
- Add all the Thai Mango salad ingredients and the dressing to a large bowl and toss together well. Add in chopped chicken and enjoy right away.
Joe
So fresh and so clean! keeps me eating clean without losing flavor! Would recommend this to anyone.