By Elysia Cartlidge | Published: | Updated: | 4 Comments | Jump to Recipe
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This fresh and vibrant Thai chicken mango salad is one delicious, filling and nutrient-rich recipe. Made with fresh veggies, shredded chicken, sweet mango and a delicious peanut dressing, this salad takes minutes to make and is perfect for quick meals and weekly meal prep! {Gluten-free & dairy-free}
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Mango Chicken Salad Recipe – So Easy & Delicious!
Thai is one of my favourite cuisines, and this delicious Thai chicken mango salad is bursting with so many mouthwatering flavours and textures.
Loaded with crunchy veggies, mango and shredded chicken, this salad is so light and refreshing, making it the ultimate summer salad.
The sweetness of the mango offers a tropical flair, while the shredded chicken provides a boost of protein for an extra satisfying lunch or light dinner. It’s perfect for a dinner party or weekly meal prep too!
And let’s not forget about the Asian peanut dressing! It has just the right balance of sweet and salty, with flavours of peanut in every bite.
This is one delicious way to eat the rainbow!
For more tasty salads and sides, be sure to try my Cranberry Walnut Chicken Saladand Grilled Chicken Strawberry Saladtoo!
Why Make this Thai Chicken Mango Salad
- Easy: Simply chop the vegetables, shake up the dressing, assemble and you’re good to go!
- Make ahead: This salad is great for weekly meal prep. You can even dress it ahead of time, so all you need to do is grab it from the fridge.
- Healthy: Loaded with lots of fresh veggies and chicken, this protein and fibre rich salad contains a wealth of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
- Filling: This is no wimpy salad! It’s super filling and can easily be served as a weeknight meal.
Ingredient Notes
For the Salad
- Vegetables: This Thai mango salad consists of cabbage, carrots, red onion, and red pepper. You can use pre-shredded cabbage to simplify this salad even further; sub in green onion for the red; or use different coloured peppers if desired.
- Mango: Fresh mango brings a wonderful sweetness to this salad and is a popular ingredient in Thai cuisine. Make sure your mango is ripe but firm for the best flavour.
- Cilantro: Chopped cilantro adds a great fresh and herby flavour. If you don’t like cilantro, you can use fresh parley instead or leave it out altogether.
- Cashews: Cashews add such a great texture to this salad as well as healthy fats. Use raw or roasted cashews. You could also use roasted peanuts or macadamia nuts as well.
- Chicken: Shredded chicken offers protein to make this salad a full meal. You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs and prepare your own shredded chicken or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken. You could also grill chicken, cut it into bite-size pieces and add it to the salad as well.
Peanut Dressing Ingredients
- Rice vinegar:This adds a subtle tanginess to the salad. Use the unseasoned variety to limit added sugar and sodium. You can also sub it for apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Tamari sauce:I use Tamari sauce in the dressing, but you can also use reduced sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos if desired.
- Honey:Use a raw honey if you can. It tends to be less processed, tastes better and also has more antioxidants. Brown sugar could also be used.
- Peanut butter:I used a natural peanut butter for this dressing, but you can use regular if that’s what you have.
- Sesame and olive oil:I like to add sesame oil to the dressing for a nice nutty flavour, but you can use all olive oil if preferred.
How to Make Thai Mango Salad with Cashews – Step-by-Step
- Add all of the ingredients for the salad to a large salad bowl.
- In a small bowl or mason jar, combine the ingredients for the dressing. Shake or stir until well combined.
- Pour desired amount of dressing over the salad (I only used half).
- Toss until evenly distributed. For best results, allow the salad to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable Thai salad recipe!
Recipe Tips:
- Use your preferred method when making the shredded chicken. You can cook boneless skinless chicken breast in the crockpot, instant pot, boil it in water or use a rotisserie chicken.
- You can use shred your own cabbage in a food processor or thinly slice it on a cutting board, or purchase pre-shredded cabbage to save time when making this recipe.
- I find it’s best to use a mango that’s ripe but still slightly firm as it’s much easier to cut. If it’s overripe, it will be mushy and difficult to cut into thin slices.
- Allow the salad to sit in the dressing for at least half an hour to absorb the flavours. It tastes better the longer that it sits.
- Use desired amount of dressing. I only used half the dressing for this salad. You can reserve the rest of the dressing for another salad or it also tastes great used as a stir fry sauce!
Recipe FAQ
Can this salad be made ahead of time?
Definitely! In fact, it tastes better after sitting for a while since it allows the flavour from the dressing to infuse into the veggies and chicken. Prepare it up to a day in advance of serving.
Can I use frozen mango?
Unfortunately, frozen mango isn’t the best option for this salad as it may get a bit mushy once thawed. It’s best to use a ripe, yet still slightly firm fresh mango so that it holds its shape better in the salad.
Is this chicken and mango salad healthy?
Yes, this rainbow Thai salad is packed with so many different coloured fruits and vegetables, and every colour provides different phytochemicals, which are naturally occurring compounds found in plant-based foods that can help protect against diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Let’s break those colours down:
- Red:Provides anthocyanins and lycopene, which are especially beneficial for a healthy heart and memory.
- Orange & Yellow: Source of carotenoids and bioflavonoids, which can help to promote a healthy immune system, enhanced vision and a healthy heart. They are also commonly a source of vitamin C which can assist in wound healing and resistance against infection.
- Green:Source of lutein and insoles, which are phytochemicals that can help decrease risk of cancer, assist with bone health and promote healthy vision. They’re also a source of vitamins, E, K and folic acid.
- Purple: Contains thephytochemicalanthocyanins and phenolics, which can help improve memory function, promote healthy aging and urinary tract health.
Beyond all of those vitamins and minerals, the other benefit of the fruits and vegetables found in this salad is that they provide fibre, which equates to staying full for longer for not a whole lot of calories.
Pair this fibre with some lean protein from the shredded chicken and healthy fats from the cashews and you’re golden!
How to store
This mango chicken salad recipe is perfect for meal prep. You can make it all up ahead of time, with the dressing and then keep it covered in a bowl or airtight container in the fridge. It will keep well for up to four days.
Recipe Variations
This Thai chicken mango salad is super delicious as is, but you can easily make some modifications to suit your personal preferences and dietary needs.
- Add more salad veggies: Try English cucumber or use different coloured bell peppers.
- For a zesty spin: Add a bit of lime juice to the dressing.
- For extra creaminess and texture: Add some diced creamy avocado.
- Make it a smaller side salad: Omit the shredded chicken and serve with your favourite mains.
- For a vegan option: Swap the chicken for chickpeas or marinated tofu or seitan and use maple syrup instead of honey.
- Add more of a kick: You can also make it spicier by adding some chili powder, chili flakes or a fresh chopped red chili to the salad dressing.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Panera Chinese Citrus Cashew Salad
- Honey Garlic Sesame Chicken
- Healthy Chicken Stir Fry
- Healthy Orange Chicken
- Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken
- Quinoa Edamame Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Course lunch, Main Course
Thai Chicken Mango Salad
By: Elysia
Servings 4 – 6 servings
This fresh and vibrant Thai mango salad is one delicious, filling and healthy recipe. Made with fresh veggies and tossed in an Asian dressing, this shredded chicken salad takes minutes to make and is perfect for quick meals and meal prep.
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Ingredients
For the mango chicken salad
- 5 cups shredded cabbage (can use regular cabbage or Napa cabbage)
- 1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots (can also grate the carrots)
- 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper julienned
- 1 ripe mango thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped cashews
- 2 cups shredded chicken
For the Asian Dressing
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 4 tablespoons tamari sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Combine all of the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl.
In a small bowl or mason jar, combine the ingredients for the dressing. Shake or stir until well combined.
Pour desired amount of dressing over the salad (I only used half). Toss until evenly distributed. For best results, allow the salad to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- Use your preferred method when making the shredded chicken. You can cook boneless skinless chicken breast in the crockpot, instant pot, boil it in water or use a rotisserie chicken.
- You can use shred your own cabbage in a food processor or thinly slice it on a cutting board, or purchase pre-shredded cabbage to save time when making this recipe.
- I find it’s best to use a mango that’s ripe but still slightly firm as it’s much easier to cut. If it’s overripe, it will be mushy and difficult to cut into thin slices.
- Allow the salad to sit in the dressing for at least half an hour to absorb the flavours. It tastes better the longer that it sits.
- Use desired amount of dressing. I only used half the dressing for this salad. You can reserve the rest of the dressing for another salad or it also tastes great used as a stir fry sauce!
Nutrition
Calories: 468kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 26gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 1150mgPotassium: 823mgFiber: 6gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 9895IUVitamin C: 94mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 3mg
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