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 01/12/21
Thai Mango Chicken Recipe

The Spruce 
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
927 Calories
43g Fat
60g Carbs
76g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
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 recipe for Thai 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 mango works best in this recipe since it adds the best flavor and color. The taste is well worth the effort.

This dish works equally well for a family meal or when entertaining. Serve with freshly cooked Thai jasmine rice and a simple vegetable side dish like Thai cucumber salad or stir-fried bok choy.

Ingredients

  • For the Mango Sauce:
  • 2 mangos (fresh, ripe, fruit peeled and sliced from the pit)
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 makrut lime leaves (cut into slivers with scissors, with stem and central vein discarded)
  • 1 red chili (seeded and diced)
  • 1 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger, sliced)
  • 1/2 lime (juiced)
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • For the Chicken:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 to 3 chicken breasts (cut into 2-inch-long pieces; or chicken thighs)
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1/2 to 1 mango (cut into chunks)
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons coconut milk (or water)
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh cilantro

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 ingredients
    The Spruce 

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

    Thai Mango Chicken Sauce in food processor
    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 ingredients
     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.

    chicken tossed with flour and salt in a bowl
    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.

    chicken cooked in a wok
     The Spruce

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

    cooked chicken draining on a plate
     The Spruce

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

    Thai Mango Chicken sauce
     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 sauce in a pan
     The Spruce

  7. Add the fried chicken pieces, gently stirring them into the sauce. If desired, add chunks of mango. Simmer briefly, just until everything is hot.

    Thai Mango Chicken in a wok
     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 in a wok
     The Spruce

  9. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot topped with cilantro.

    Thai Mango Chicken Recipe
     The Spruce

Recipe Variations

  • Fresh mango works best, but you can substitute 2 cups frozen or canned mango.
  • 1 teaspoon chili sauce or 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed chili can be substituted for the fresh chili.
  • If you don't have rice vinegar, use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
  • If you don't have makrut lime leaves, use the finely grated zest of 1 lime.
  • Use rice flour in place of the all-purpose flour to make the recipe gluten-free.

Do You Need to Peel a Mango Before Eating It?

Mangoes are peeled before eating because the peel has a bitter, unpleasant taste. They may also cause an allergic reaction in some people because of the chemical urushiol, the same chemical in poison ivy.