This Thai Mango Quinoa Salad with Chicken is a whole summer vibe. It’s crunchy, spicy, sweet, and full of texture and flavor. Once you try this salad, I bet you’d stop believing that salads are boring!
I think you’d already know by the number of mango recipes on the blog, come summer, mango is all I eat in and with everything! So this Thai Quinoa Mango Salad recipe should come as no surprise 😜
This is one of those summer salad recipes that even converts non-salad lovers into ardent fans. It’s obviously healthy, but this quinoa salad with mango and chicken is so insanely delicious that anyone who tries it simply can’t stop eating it. It’s nutty, crunchy, sweet, savory, fresh, and a little spicy – making it a total flavor and texture bomb.
Hearty and filling, but still light and refreshing enough for hot summer days, you’d wanna eat this Thai-inspired quinoa mango salad with chicken on repeat.
Jump to section: Thai Peanut Mango Quinoa Salad
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- A super refreshing and delicious summer salad that will prove that healthy food can also be yummy!
- A great way to include fresh summer ingredients into your family’s diet
- Super nutritional. Loaded with herbs, veggies, protein, and quinoa, this salad is low in carbs and a rich source of fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients
- Customisable. You can add or remove any veggies based on what you have available
- Perfect potlucks or when you want to make something for a large crowd
- Can be made ahead as it tastes a lot better after a few hours
Mango Quinoa Salad Ingredients
Quinoa: Rinsed thoroughly and cooked well. Can be replaced with white or brown rice, but I prefer quinoa for it’s nutritional properties
Chicken: I have Thai pieces, but breast pieces work really well too
Veggies: julienned carrots, red bell pepper and cucumber. Along with shredded red cabbage, roughly torn iceberg lettuce, and thinly sliced onions
Mango: I have used Alphonso mangoes for their sweet flavor, rich, pulpy flesh. You can use any fiberless variety like Himsagar or Langara
Sauces: light soy sauce, fish sauce, red chilli sauce, and Thai red sauce (which can be replaced by red Thai curry paste in a pinch)
Herbs: roughly torn basil and mint leaves for a dash of freshness in every bite
Peanuts: roasted for a nutty flavor and added crunch and texture
Oil: for the dressing and to cook the chicken. Any neutral-flavored oil like sunflower, vegetable, canola, peanut, etc. will work
Garlic: grated, and add to the chicken marinade for flavor and aroma
Salt: for seasoning
Honey: for a hint of sweetness and to balance out the flavors
Lemon juice: for a dash of tang and freshness
Peanut Butter: too give some body to the dressing and to add a nutty flavor authentic to Thai cuisine
How to Wash Quinoa
- Rinse really well: Place the amount of quinoa you need in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under running water for 30–60 seconds. Rub the grains gently with your fingers. This gets rid of any bitterness. Plus, quinoa has a natural coating called saponin that can taste bitter if not washed off.
- Drain thoroughly. Shake off any excess water and it’s ready to cook.
How to Cook Quinoa
- Use the right ratio: Water to quinoa ratio is really important to attain the perfect texture. I recommend using 3 cups of water for 1 cup of quinoa.
- Bring to a boil: Add in the quinoa to the water and allow it to cook uncovered until it comes to boil
- Simmer: Lower the heat, and allow the quinoa to cook for about 15-20 minutes or until it’s soft and cooked through.
- Drain and rest: Drain any excess water and allow the cooked quinoa to rest for 5 minutes.
- Fluff and serve: Use a fork to fluff it up so it’s light and not clumpy.
And voila! Quinoa is ready to be added to the most amazing chicken and mango salad!
Frequently Asked Questions
Replace chicken with paneer or tofu and fish sauce with dark soy sauce for a quick and easy vegetarian version.
Yes, why not! If you want to make this when it’s not mango season, you can add fruits like apples, strawberries or even peaches for a refreshing flavor!
Dark soy sauce with a splash of lime juice is the easiest way to recreate the same salty, umami flavors of fish sauce.
Richa’s Top Tips
- Wash the quinoa thoroughly for at least a few times before cooking it in order to prevent it from turning bitter.
- Add or remove any veggies based on availability and personal preference. Some other veggies that would taste good in this salad are red and yellow bellpeppers, cucumber, zucchini, and broccoli.
- I would highly recommend using firm, but fully ripe mangoes for this recipe for the best texture and flavor. If you want to learn how to cut mangoes in a mess-free way, check out this article.
- When mangoes are not in season, I love making this salad with orange, kiwi, and apples for a slightly different, but delicious nonetheless, flavor profile
Storage Tips
- Fridge: You can assemble and store this salad in the fridge (along with the dressing) for up to 5 hours. It actually allows the flavor to develop and deepen. If you like your salad super crunchy, then store the dressing and the rest of the salad separately.
- Freezer: I would not recommend freezing the salad as a lot of the elements tend to lose their structure and texture on thawing
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The salad will turn slightly soggy, but still taste absolutely divine.
- Dressing: You can make the salad dressing in advance and store it in the fridge in a clean and dry airtight jar for up to 3 days.
Customisation Ideas
- Rice instead of quinoa: If you don’t have quinoa, feel free to replace it with white or brown rice. The flavor will be slightly different, but still absolutely delicious
- Make it vegetarian: Replace chicken with tofu or paneer for a veg version and swap out fish sauce for dark soy sauce
- Vegan: For a vegan version, replace chicken with tofu and honey with maple syrup and fish sauce with dark soy sauce
Quick, easy, meal prep-friendly, customisable, and DELICIOUS, this quinoa mango salad with chicken is the kind of food that feels light yet hearty and filling. It’s absolutely delicious and a total must-try this mango season.
If you make this quinoa chicken salad with mango at home, then don’t forget me to tag me in your stories or DM me pictures over on my IG @my_foodstory ❤️
Watch Thai Mango Quinoa Salad with Chicken Recipe Video
Thai Mango Quinoa Salad with Chicken
Ingredients
For salad dressing
- 1 ½ teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons red chilli sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons groundnut or any neutral flavoured oil
- ¾ lemon juice
For chicken
- 1 chicken breast approx.140 grams
- ½ teaspoon grated garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red thai sauce or curry paste
- 1 ½ tablespoons groundnut or any neutral flavoured oil
For salad
- 1 cup quinoa cooked (refer note 1)
- ¼ cup julienned carrots
- 2 tablespoons julienned red bell pepper
- ¼ cup shredded red cabbage
- ¼ cup thinly sliced onions
- ½ cup julienned cucumber
- 2 mangoes large (cubed)
- 2-3 iceberg lettuce leaves torn roughly
- ¼ cup basil leaves torn roughly
- ¼ cup mint leaves torn roughly
- ¼ cup peanuts roasted
Instructions
-
Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside. Alternatively you can add the ingredients to a jar and shake until combined.1 ½ teaspoons light soy sauce, 1 ½ teaspoons fish sauce, 1 ½ teaspoons honey, 1 ½ teaspoons red chilli sauce, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons peanut butter, 3 tablespoons groundnut or any neutral flavoured oil, ¾ lemon juice
-
Take chicken breast in a bowl, add garlic, 2 tablespoons of the salad dressing, ¼ teaspoon of salt, red thai curry sauce, mix well and set aside to marinate for 10-15 minutes.1 chicken breast, ½ teaspoon grated garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon red thai sauce or curry paste
-
Heat oil in a pan, add marinated chicken and fry on either side for 4-5 minutes on medium heat till it’s roasted well. Set aside and once it cools, cut into strips.1 ½ tablespoons groundnut or any neutral flavoured oil
-
Place all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl, pour over 2-3 tablespoons of salad dressing and mix to combine.1 cup quinoa, ¼ cup julienned carrots, 2 tablespoons julienned red bell pepper, ¼ cup shredded red cabbage, ¼ cup thinly sliced onions, ½ cup julienned cucumber, 2 mangoes, 2-3 iceberg lettuce leaves, ¼ cup basil leaves, ¼ cup mint leaves, ¼ cup peanuts
Video
Notes
- To cook quinoa: rinse ¼ cup of quinoa 2-3 times to remove bitterness, heat 3 cups of water in a pot, add quinoa & once it starts boiling, simmer for 15-20 minutes till the quinoa is cooked well. Rest for 5 minutes, drain and use.
- The salad can be stored along with the dressing for up to four hours in the fridge. Or you can add the dressing just before serving if you like your salad extra crunchy.
Nutrition
This article was researched and written by Urvi Dalal.
The post Thai Mango Quinoa Salad with Chicken appeared first on My Food Story.
0 Comments