Thai Mango Chicken Salad (Printable version)

A refreshing Thai dish with mango, chicken, crisp vegetables, and zesty lime-chili dressing.

# 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 - 1-2 teaspoons Thai red chili, finely chopped (adjust to taste)
19 - 1 clove garlic, minced

# Directions:

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

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Ready in 30 minutes but tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
  • The combination of juicy mango and tender chicken creates an unexpectedly perfect pairing that feels both light and satisfying.
  • Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, so you can serve it without worrying or explaining.
02 -
  • Fish sauce smells intense when you first open the bottle, but don't let that scare you away—it dissolves into the dressing and creates a savory depth that makes people say the salad tastes complex and restaurant-quality.
  • Don't dress the salad more than 15 minutes before serving, or the greens will begin to wilt and lose their snap.
03 -
  • Slice all your vegetables before you start cooking the chicken so you're not frantically chopping while something's getting cold.
  • The dressing tastes better when its components have a few minutes to meld together, so make it first and let it sit while you cook and prepare everything else.
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