Thai Mango Chicken Salad (Print Version)

Juicy mango and tender chicken combine with fresh herbs and crisp veggies in a vibrant, tangy lime-chili dressing.

# Components:

→ Chicken

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

# Directions:

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. Transfer to a plate, allow to rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, light brown sugar, vegetable oil, chopped chili, and minced garlic until the sugar dissolves and the dressing is well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, mix salad greens, mango slices, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, carrot, cilantro, and mint leaves.
04 - Add the sliced chicken to the salad bowl and gently toss all ingredients with the lime-chili dressing until evenly coated.
05 - Sprinkle roasted peanuts over the salad if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dressing comes together in under a minute, but tastes like it's been perfected over years.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, so you can serve it to almost anyone without explanation.
  • Mango and chili together hit that sweet-hot-sour-fresh balance that makes your taste buds sit up and pay attention.
02 -
  • The chicken needs to actually rest after cooking, or it'll be dry no matter how perfect your timing was—I learned this the hard way more than once.
  • Mango variety matters; Ataulfo or Nam Doc Mai mangoes tend to have more complex flavor than the common red ones, though any ripe mango works fine.
03 -
  • If your chicken is thicker than three-quarters of an inch, gently pound it to even thickness so it cooks evenly and stays tender throughout.
  • The quality of your lime juice matters more than you'd think; fresh limes squeezed right before mixing will make the dressing taste noticeably brighter than bottled juice.
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