Thai Mango Chicken

Written by
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine.
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Darlene Schmidt
Updated 10/26/19
Thai Mango Chicken Recipe

The Spruce 
  • Total: 30 mins
  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 15 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
927 Calories
43g Fat
60g Carbs
76g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 servings
Amount per serving
Calories 927
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 43g 55%
Saturated Fat 14g 69%
Cholesterol 216mg 72%
Sodium 1639mg 71%
Total Carbohydrate 60g 22%
Dietary Fiber 7g 26%
Protein 76g
Calcium 221mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This Thai recipe for mango chicken tastes like a deep-fried dish but is much easier to make, plus lower in calories and fat.

Slices of flour-dusted chicken are pan-fried, then simmered in a tangy mango sauce. Fresh ripe mangos work best in this recipe, the taste is well worth the effort.

This dish works equally well for a family meal or when entertaining.

Ingredients

  • For the Mango Sauce
  • 2 fresh ripe mangos (fruit scooped out or substitute 2 cups frozen or canned mango)
  • 1 red chili (de-seeded and diced, or 1 teaspoon chili sauce or 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed chili)
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or white vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1/2 lime (juiced)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 thumb-size piece galangal or ginger (sliced)
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 makrut lime leaves (snipped into slivers with scissors (discard stem and central vein), or zest of 1 lime)
  • For the Chicken
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (or rice flour)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 to 3 chicken breasts (cut into 2-inch-long pieces—chicken thighs work too)
  • 1/4 cup oil (for pan-frying)
  • 1 red bell pepper or 1 sweet red pepper
  • 1/2 to 1 mango (cut into chunks)
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons coconut milk (or water)
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh coriander

Steps to Make It

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this mango chicken dish is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and cooking.

Make the Mango Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Thai Mango Chicken sauce Recipe
    The Spruce 

  2. Place 2 ripe mango chunks, red chili, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, galangal, garlic, turmeric, and makrut lime leaves in a food processor or blender. Process well, until more or less smooth.

    Thai Mango Chicken Sauce Recipe
    The Spruce 

  3. Taste the sauce. The goal is to reach a balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty. Add more sugar if you find the sauce too sour (this will depend on the sweetness of your mangoes). If not spicy enough, add more chili. If not salty/flavorful enough, add more fish sauce. If too salty or too sweet, add more lime juice. Set aside.

    Thai Mango Chicken Sauce Recipe
     The Spruce

Make the Chicken and Assemble

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Thai Mango Chicken Recipe
     The Spruce

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the chicken pieces and turn or gently stir them to coat.

    Thai Mango Chicken Recipe
    The Spruce 

  3. Heat a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then begin frying the chicken pieces, 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until light golden brown and cooked through.

    Thai Mango Chicken Recipe
     The Spruce

  4. Remove chicken from pan and set on a paper towel.

    Thai Mango Chicken Recipe
     The Spruce

  5. Wash out the wok/frying pan, or use another (clean) one. Set over medium-high heat and add the mango sauce plus red bell pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer (medium to low heat).

    Thai Mango Chicken Recipe
     The Spruce

  6. If sauce becomes too thick, add 3 to 4 tablespoons coconut milk or water. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes, or until the pepper has softened slightly but still retains some crispness.

    Thai Mango Chicken Recipe
     The Spruce

  7. Add the fried chicken pieces, gently stirring them into the sauce. If desired, add chunks of mango (fruit of 1/2 to 1 ripe mango). Simmer briefly, just until everything is hot.

    Thai Mango Chicken Recipe
     The Spruce

  8. Do a final taste test for salt, tasting the sauce together with the chicken. Add a little more fish sauce or chili if desired.

    Thai Mango Chicken Recipe
     The Spruce

  9. Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve with plenty of Thai jasmine-scented rice. For an extra special treat, use easy coconut rice.

    Thai Mango Chicken Recipe
     The Spruce