This inspired Thai chicken peanut mango salad is slapped with real-food flavor from mango, fresh cucumber, crunchy peanuts, crisp cabbage, and more. The delectable peanut dressing makes this Asian chicken mango salad go next level! It’s made from scratch and easy to make with what seems like hours of effort.
It’s my favorite tongue-hugging meal of a salad, and make extra because it’s what cravings are made of.
Updated on October 25, 2025
Somedays (ok, a lot of days), the time is lacking and my speed is slacking. Motherhood combined with business, self care, and all things comprised in our daily lives and family unit make easy and wholesome meals…the best-thing-ever.
Enter, an inspired Asian chicken mango salad that hits the spot with super fresh green cabbage, sweet carrots, zesty cilantro, rich roasted peanuts, and refreshing cucumber. Give this super-food cabbage salad a kick with only mildly-ripe green mango (that is more sour), and garnish with scallions and red hot Thai chilis.
Oh my, oh my! It’s really the all-star salad that is a well-balanced meal. The cabbage is very filling and fluffy because of it’s thinly sliced quality. I can get all my veggies in and a colorful dose of vitamins.
Then, add a seasoned and sautéed chicken breast to amp the protein, and once you put the peanut salad dressing…it’s a 1,2,3 skyrocket launch.
If you need healthy meal prep ideas then it’s this Asian chicken mango salad recipe that works because it’s an all-in-one-deal! The combination of veggies hold up in the refrigerator (so perfect for meal prep salads or as mason jar salads), making leftovers as good as just made. Remember to have the dressing on the side.
Ingredients for Asian chicken mango salad
- Green Cabbage – fresh and shredded thinly, long slices
- Carrots – a whole sweet carrot that is julienned
- Green Mango or Mild-Ripe Mango – cut into small cubes, or lengthwise pieces
- Cucumber – seeds removed and cut into slightly-chunky, lengthwise pieces
- Scallions – sliced
- Roasted Peanuts – whole for richness and crunch
- Cilantro – regular chopped
- Red Thai Chilis – turn up the heat, add color
- Sautéd Chicken Breast – season it by rubbing salt, paprika, and garlic powder all around it. Pan sauté it in one whole piece so it remains juicy. Remove and chop into chunky pieces.
- Lime – squeeze all over to keep everything fresh and colorful
- Thai Basil or Mint – optional garnish
Why the Green Mango?
Thai chicken salad, along with many Filipino and other Southeast Asian cuisine, love to incorporate green papaya or green mango into recipes for salads, snacks, and soups, etc..
It imparts a delightful tartness and compliments the contrasts of meats, fats, and salty foods.
If you’ve heard of recipes needing “salt, heat, acid, and fat” to be a tongue-sational experience, that’s just what is happening here. Each ingredient has its level of flavor, and mixing these contrasts makes a whole new taste with exciting results.
Adding semi–green mango to this salad, not only makes it have a nice crunchy bite, it mixes harmoniously with the richness of the peanut dressing. I don’t think it can go without.
You can use unripe papaya or unripe mango to make this salad. A mildly ripe, but still firm mango, is also okay to use.
How to season and cook Sautéed Chicken Breast
A scrumptious Thai chicken salad calls for seasoned chicken and it’s going to make everything come together. When you go out to eat, the chicken breast in salads are seasoned. We are going to do that too, here.
As you are preparing the salad ingredients for mixing, heat your pan with oil over a medium flame.
Well season the chicken breast. Use one large chicken breast and rub coarse salt, paprika, and garlic powder all around it.
Can I use chicken thighs?
Stick with white meat for this dish. I believe the balance in the flavor of this recipe is from the textures, crunch, and leanness of ingredients. Chicken breast is best and has the most complementary texture and flavor alongside the inspired Thai peanut dressing, which is very rich and creamy.
Simple Chicken Seasoning Dry Rub
- coarse salt
- paprika
- garlic powder
The seasoned and sautéd chicken breast make a difference from house salad…to party salad.
This cabbage salad is so yummy, enough that you can confidently share it with friends and family. It’s the seasoned chicken.
It’s juicy and flavorful, and seasoning this main ingredient is simple and effortless. It now becomes tasty, instead of an ingredient that disappears behind the peanut dressing.
Sauté your chicken till fully cooked and well seared by cooking one side at a time. Barely move the chicken so it gets a deep sear on each side. Then chop into big juicy bites.
How to Make the BEST Peanut Dressing
This is the homemade peanut dressing that will seal the deal. It’s the game-changer that takes this inspired Thai Asian chicken mango salad to the moon.
Creamy and satisfying peanut butter becomes next level with the intermingling of tangy Asian ingredients and the sweet twist of golden honey.
I have always loved this kind of dressing on a colorful and crunchy Asian salad, chicken satay, on fresh lumpia, and on other noodle salad dishes that can get transformed from okay to awesome once this element is added.
A really good, quality, made-with-love peanut dressing is the missing link. It’s the chorus. It’s the hug that you’ve been waiting for.
After a tried and true process, I’ve fallen in love with this recipe inspired Thai peanut dressing recipe. Better yet, the ingredients are quite handy and available and the mixing is nothing more than having a good whisking wrist.
Ingredients for the best Thai Peanut Dressing
All you need is to put everything in one bowl, and then whisk. You can use a food processor if preferred.
- Creamy Peanut Butter – the more natural the better for wholesome flavor and less additives.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce – You can use gluten-free or regular depending on your preference.
- Rice Vinegar – seasoned rice vinegar is best. Sometimes there is an organic version that is available.
- Toasted Sesame Oil – be sure it says “toasted”
- Sriracha – this is easy to imparts some spice and more flavor. If you prefer, you can use Szechuan chili flakes or chili garlic sauce
- Honey – any honey you like
- Grated Ginger – a microplane works well to very finely grate the ginger
- Minced Garlic – smash a small clove and chop till it’s very fine
- Water – whisk well into the dressing to thin the viscosity. Add it gradually until the dressing is rich and creamy, but still runs slowly to ensure the thickness of the sauce.
Can I store leftovers? As long as the dressing was left on the side, this recipe is the best mason jar salad that can last a whole week in the refrigerator. Put the dry salad in a mason jar and then add a napkin in the jar, then seal for keeping the freshness.
Crunchy Asian Chicken Mango Salad with Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ whole green cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 whole unripe mango green mango julienned or chopped
- 1 whole carrot julienned
- ½ whole cucumber remove seeds
- ½ cup green onions cut in one inch length pieces
- ½ cup peanuts roasted and salted
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 lime squeeze all over and mix in
- 3-5 red Thai chili sliced for garnishing
Chicken Breast
- 1 whole chicken breast
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- ½ tbsp garlic powder
- ½ tbsp paprika
- ½ tbsp salt
Peanut Dressing
- ¾ cup peanut butter creamy and natural
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp sriracha or chili paste
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 2-3 tbsp water add at the end for thinning the dressing
Instructions
Make the Crunch Thai Salad
- Add all salad ingredients to a bowl and mix½ whole green cabbage, 1 whole unripe mango, 1 whole carrot, ½ whole cucumber, ½ cup green onions, ½ cup peanuts, ¼ cup cilantro
- Squeeze the lime all over and mix the salad1 lime
Sauté the Chicken Breast
- rub the dry ingredients all over the chicken breast1 whole chicken breast, ½ tbsp garlic powder, ½ tbsp paprika, ½ tbsp salt
- heat oil in pan over medium heat2 tbsp neutral oil
- set the chicken in the pan in one movement and let sear (about 7-9 minutes per side) Flip to sear the other side until finished. 165 F is the internal temp for done chicken breastremove from heat source and let rest for five minutes. Chop into chunky pieces.
Make Peanut Dressing
- put all peanut dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix with a whisk or food processor until completely smooth¾ cup peanut butter, ½ cup honey, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, ½ tbsp sriracha or chili paste, 2 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp ginger
- then add two tablespoons of water and whisk well2-3 tbsp water
- add another tablespoon of water to make the peanut dressing thinner.Add water in very small. increments until you achieve your desired viscosity for the dressingmix the dressing until very creamy and the dressing drips off the whisk but still remains thick
Finish this Crunch Thai Salad
- Combine the salad with the chopped chicken
- Pour the peanut dressing all over the entire salad and toss well
- Garnish with the Thai chilies then Serve and Enjoy!3-5 red Thai chili
Notes
- serve with the whole chicken breast on the side and make the salad as a vegetarian side dish
- add more veggies such as red bell pepper, red cabbage, roasted sweet potatoes, or sesame seeds
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