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Chili Mango Peanut Chicken Salad – A new summer favorite, bursting with fresh flavor! This colorful, no-cook salad is made with crisp greens, vibrant herbs, rotisserie chicken, sweet mango, creamy avocado, and crunchy peanuts. It’s all tossed in my go-to toasted chili mango peanut dressing—savory, sweet, spicy, and totally addictive. Quick to throw together, super satisfying, and so delicious… you’ll be making this on repeat all summer long!
Okay, I’ve got a fun backstory for this one. I reached out to my cousin Maggie (sometimes I like to ask my cousins if they have any recipe requests). She always gives me great ideas, and she’s had this one on her list for years.
She and my cousin Abby have been obsessed with a peanut chicken fruit salad from a local Cleveland spot, Joe’s Deli, since they were kids. They loved it so much that my Aunt Katie would even try to recreate it at home!
So, I finally decided to give it a try. The only problem? Maggie could barely remember the details. She just said, “It’s a chicken salad with peanut dressing and a ton of fruit—berries, pineapple, mango, maybe even some melon?”
I’ll be honest, the idea of all that fruit in one salad sounded a bit… off. But I took the basic inspiration and created my own spin on it—something that felt a little more me, while still honoring Maggie’s memory of the dish.
The magic starts with the spicy chili mango peanut dressing. It’s based on a dressing I created a few summers ago, and it’s still one of the best I’ve made. I blend fresh or frozen mango with peanut butter, toasted sesame oil, lime, and chili flakes. It’s creamy, sweet, spicy, and ridiculously good.
Then I tossed together shredded rotisserie chicken, crisp greens, fresh herbs, mango slices, and creamy avocado. After snapping the photos, I decided to throw in some blueberries too—and WOW. The sweet mango, spicy peanut dressing, and fresh herbs all work so well together. It’s a surprising mix of flavors, but trust me—it totally works!
These are the details
Ingredients – for the dressing
- fresh or frozen mango chunks
- creamy peanut butter
- toasted sesame oil
- olive oil
- apple cider vinegar
- honey
- sambal oelek
- tamari or soy sauce
- garlic
Ingredients – for the salad
- cabbage/kale
- rotisserie chicken
- Persian cucumbers
- herbs, green onions,/basil/cilantro
- fresh blueberries
- fresh mango chunks or slices
- avocados
- salted roasted peanut
Special Tools
Just the basics! A cutting board, a good knife, a blender for the dressing, and a big salad bowl!
Step 1: make the chili mango dressing
This is one of the yummiest dressings. We LOVE a peanut-based dressing.
This is a mix of fresh or frozen mango chunks, peanut butter, toasted sesame oil, olive oil, vinegar, honey, sambal oelek, tamari or soy sauce, and garlic. Add everything into a blender and mix until very creamy. You can then season it up with salt.
If you do not like spicy food, you can omit the sambal oelek. No problem!
Step 2: the salad
Next up is the salad. I use shredded green cabbage, shredded kale, and I also added some shredded romaine to create the exact salad pictured. Just know that if you use romaine, it will wilt if you make this salad ahead. Next, add the shredded rotisserie chicken, sliced up Persian cucumbers, so many fresh herbs (I use basil and cilantro), green onions, and then, if you wish, a big handful of fresh blueberries. I think they’re delish in the salad and add a nice juicy bite.
Step 3: toss it all together
Add the dressing, then top the salad with slices of mango, avocados, peanuts, and more dressing. When serving, I love to add pita or tortilla chips, they’re delicious! Maggie eats her salad with pita chips!
Fun note, Maggie finally sent me a photo! Oh boy, my salad looks nothing like the salad she gets. Hers is honestly fruit with peanut dressing and chicken. Oh well, I still adore this yummy, summery salad. It’s spectacular! This would be great to make for Memorial Day!
Looking for other dinner ideas?
Crockpot White Chicken Chili Burrito Bowls
Red’s Favorite Spicy Tuna Poke Bowls
Skillet Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice
30 Minute Pineapple Chicken with Coconut Rice
Weeknight Sesame Teriyaki Chicken with Ginger Rice
Sesame Ginger Orange Chicken Salad
Lastly, if you make this Chili Mango Peanut Chicken Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Chili Mango Peanut Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Chili Mango Peanut Dressing
- 1 cup fresh or frozen mango chunks
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons sambal oelek, (optional)
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- salt
Salad
- 4 cups shredded cabbage/kale
- 2 cups cooked shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup sliced Persian cucumbers
- 1 cup mixed green onions, basil, and cilantro
- 2 cups fresh blueberries , (optional)
- 1 cup fresh mango chunks or slices , (1 fresh mango)
- 2 avocados, sliced
- 1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped
Instructions
- 1. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until creamy, adding water as needed to thin. Season with salt.2. To make the salad. In a salad bowl, combine the greens, chicken, cucumbers, herbs, and blueberries (if using). Pour over half the dressing, then toss to coat the greens.3. Add the mangos, avocados, and peanuts. Pour over the remaining dressing. ENJOY the yumminess!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This was so delicious and a recipe that I’ll be making all summer! The dressing has the perfect balance of tanginess and sweetness and is not overwhelmed by the peanut butter. I used mixed greens instead of the cabbage/kale combo but added some cabbage for crunch. I only used about half the dressing, so I plan on using the rest for baked salmon.
Hey Mandy,
Happy Monday! Love to hear this salad turned out nicely for you, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
Delicious summer salad. Dressing was perfect.
Hey Emily,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and your feedback, I’m so glad it was a hit! xx
I loved the dressing on this amazing salad! Very unique!
Hi Tracey,
Fantastic!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
I also should tell you I used the left over Mango dressing and marinated chicken thighs and bbq them….soooooo goooood!
That is such a great idea! Thanks for sharing:)
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Quick question what is the shelf life for the dressing? Also is there an alternative substitute I can use instead of aambal oelek. I like spicy but don’t have it on hand.
Hi Sara,
The dressing is good in the fridge for 2 weeks. You could use sriracha in place of the sambal oelek. I hope you love this salad! xT
The salad is soooo good! Thank you! Question— I followed exact measurement for recipe and My dressing was really thick and not a thin runny consistency like yours. Why do you think that is? What can I do to make the consistency thinner for what I have left over?
Thanks so much, Sara! Love to hear you enjoyed the salad! Next time, I would just thin with a touch of cold water, that should help! xT
I made your dressing to go with a different salad that I made. LOVED IT! Can’t wait to make the salad part and use the dressing again!!!
Thanks so much, Tina! Love to hear this dressing was a hit:) I appreciate you giving it a try! xx
My husband doesn’t care for peanut butter dressings. Do you think this would work with tahini instead of the peanut butter?
Hi Linda,
Sure, tahini would be a great option here! I hope you love this salad, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I love this recipe. It’s perfect as far as I’m concerned. Tasty and quick. My husband loved it. I love all these taste combinations, cilantro, peanut, mango. Well done, Tieghan. We had a great meal tonight thanks to you.
Love to hear this, Nancy!! Thank you so much for making this salad and your kind message:) Have a great Thursday! xx
Hi Tiguan! This sounds delicious and I’m excited to try it! Question – the chicken looks like it has seasoning on it? Did you add anything to the rotisserie chicken to plus it up? My chicken always looks white and bland. Thanks!
Thanks so much, Natalie!! No need to add anything to your rotisserie chicken, but you could always season with a little salt and pepper if needed. I hope you love this salad! xx
So my husband is not a fan of peanut butter or blueberries and HATES avocados but LOVED salad😁 I will definitely be making it again.
Lol thanks so much, Kate!! Love to hear this salad turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! xx
Can I use something other than mango?
Hi Cheryl,
Totally, another fruit that you enjoy will also work here! I hope you love this salad, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
This was just ok, I wouldn’t make it again.
Hi Diane,
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the salad, if there is anything that I can help with, please let me know! xx
This was delicious! I could eat the dressing with a spoon! I added extra mango and a bit more honey 🤤
Thanks so much, Paulette!! Love to hear you enjoyed this salad. Isn’t the dressing the best?! xx
This looks pretty familiar, minus a few little tweaks, to your Thai Peanut Chicken Ramen Noodle Salad. I enjoy that one so I’ll have to try this!
Thanks so much, Rebecca! I hope you love this recipe! xx
What is sambal oelek and where do you find it?
Hi Kate,
Sambal oelek is a chili paste that can typically be found at your local grocery store. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Can I use the Sambal paste instead of the crunch?
Hi Julie,
Sure, that would work nicely for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx