Chicken and mango salad is a gloriously vibrant, sweet and savoury recipe featuring a chilli and lime dressing and crispy croutons.
This hearty salad is best served warm and can go from your fridge to your table in right around 30 minutes!
Warm Fruity & Spicy Chicken Salad
Salad was never really part of food when I was growing up, but I am now really rather fond of a main course salad.
They are not a pious affair to me; in fact, quite the opposite. I have dishes like roasted fig salad, a duck and orange salad, sausage salad, peach and feta cheese salad and a smoked mackerel and apple salad!
I even have a gammon salad built on the same ideas behind gammon, egg and chips!
This easy spicy mango and chicken salad picks up on some of the ideas that I use in my spicy mango side salad. It combines them with a simply spiced and pan-fried chicken breast.
I butterfly and flatten the chicken to really speed up the cooking time and add some crispy croutons.
The whole salad is finished off with a zingy and easy lime and chilli dressing. And it all comes together in around 30 minutes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes, of course! Cook them in the same way as here; you may need to cook them a little longer.
Ensure that they reach 73°C or 165°F before serving.
Do I have to griddle the mango and lettuce?
No, you can just cut them up and serve them. I like to drop them on the griddle pan because it gives them a slightly bittersweet edge that I love.
How do you prepare a mango?
I just so happen to have the perfect video for you, see below!
What sort of chilli should I use?
The answer to this really should be informed by your liking and tolerance of chilli! Add something that you are comfortable eating; it is not meant to be a challenge to eat your dinner.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, with the exception of the corutons, this will be fine in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
It also makes a superb lunch box dish!
Serving Suggestions
This chicken and mango salad is a simple one-bowl dish, and I tend not to add anything on the side. Not unless a nice cold glass of white wine counts as a side dish anyway!
However, I am fond of adding a little more heat and a little more acidity.
For me, that means pickled chillies. Thanks to my time in Hungary, I have grown to love them, and they are great with this salad.
You could also pile this into a baguette and turn it into a cracking sandwich, or even stick it into a wrap in a similar fashion to my chicken Waldorf salad wraps.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I believe they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 28cm or 11" frying pan, not nonstick if possible.
- Griddle pan.
- Mixing bowls.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales and measuring spoons.
- A jar for mixing the dressing.
- Quick-read meat thermometer (Optional).
Warm Chicken and Mango Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Chicken Breast 250g Skinless
- ½ teaspoon Onion Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Granules
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 1 Small-Medium Red Onion 100g
- 50 g Bread 2 Slices
- 1 Romaine Lettuce
- 1 Mango
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Handful Fresh Coriander
For the Dressing:
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
- 1 Red Chilli Pepper
- Pinch Sugar
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Butterfly the chicken breast and then flatten it with a meat mallet to an even thickness of around 1-1½cm (½").
- Mix together the onion salt, garlic granules, and smoked paprika with the cooking oil, then coat the chicken well and set it aside.
- Cut the red onion in half, then peel it and slice it into very thin half-moon shapes.
- De-seed the chilli for the dressing and dice it as finely as you can, then place it into a jar with the remaining dressing ingredients, mix and set aside.
- Cut the bread into 1cm (½") cubes (I cut the crusts off and eat them as I cook because I'm greedy).
- Roughly chop the coriander.
- Cut the cheeks off the mango, slice the flesh into long strips, taking care not to cut through the skin. Finally, use a spoon to pop out the mango strips.
- Heat a frying pan (not nonstick) over a high heat, and when it is hot, add the chicken breast and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, then remove and allow to rest. Ensure that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 73°C or 165°F!
- Add the olive oil to the pan that the chicken was cooked in and toast off the diced bread to form some crispy croutons.
- Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and sear the mango on both sides to get some nice griddle marks, then remove and place in a bowl with the chopped coriander and toss to coat.
- Cut the Romaine lettuce in half lengthways and add them cut side down to the griddle pan to get some nice griddle marks, then remove and roughly chop and add to the bowl with the mango.
- Slice the chicken into strips around 5mm (¼") thick and add them to the lettuce and mango mix.
- Throw in the red onion, season with the dressing and toss to coat.
- Serve in bowls adding the croutons to finish the dish.
Deanna
Sunday 3rd of February 2019
Oh! I love the mango with this! I agree I am tired of winter foods, I so want to grill again! I do have an indoor grill, Mmm I know what I want to make for dinner!
Alyssa
Sunday 3rd of February 2019
I've never thought about grilling mango, though it's a sturdy fruit just like pineapple so I'm sure it holds up well and is delicious. I might add a grilled avocado to this salad!
Dannii
Sunday 3rd of February 2019
I love chicken and mango salad and it’s such a nice way to bring some sunshine to a cold grey day.
Lizzie
Sunday 3rd of February 2019
This salad is so colourful! We love mango here. I agree that salads shouldn't just be about dieting and low calories, I love a good pile of protein in my salad, and the peanuts must add a nice crunch!
Deanna
Friday 9th of February 2018
Oh! I love the mango with this! I agree I am tired of winter foods, I so want to grill again! I do have an indoor grill, Mmm I know what I want to make for dinner!
Brian Jones
Saturday 10th of February 2018
My kitchen is tiny so no indoor grill for me, but just a few months before grilling season kicks off for me and it cannot come quickly enough.