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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
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 721 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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!
This post was originally published on May 21, 2025
Hey thank you for this recipe! How long would you say that the dressing will last if I have extra?
Hey Vishal,
The dressing will be good for 2 weeks in the fridge. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
This salad is amazing! Don’t be afraid of the spice in the dressing. It works! I also add fried wontons for a satisfying crunch when serving.
Yay! Love to hear this, Kelly! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback. Happy Sunday!
Made this recipe with friends this weekend and we all had thirds. Totally delicious. We added some Asian noodles in the mix but otherwise made as directed. Will definitely make again.
Hey Kelly,
Love to hear it! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your input! Have the best week ahead! xT
This was good! Suggestion, there is no need to put the same photo in 4 times. It really made the page load slow and was difficult to navigate.
Thank you SO much Kristi! I am so glad you loved this salad! Thanks for giving it a try! xT
Two thumbs up from the aisle seats.
My wife bought all the ingredients, then brought me this recipe and said “Make this.” She might have said please, but I’m not sure.
It’s just us, so I made the recipe in two batches: one without blueberries the first night because we didn’t have them, and with blueberries two evenings later. My only other deviation was using almonds instead of peanuts. My wife was ecstatic, and indicated she had a slight preference for the without-blueberries batch.
It’s about ten days later now, and I’m strongly encouraged to make this again. In our home, the “please repeat” request is very high praise for a recipe.
Hey Doug! Thank you so much for trying out this recipe!! Makes me so happy to hear you enjoyed it! xT
I am going to make this tomorrow but didn’t see if the peanut butter should be the sweetened type of PB or just the peanuts and salt type. Thanks
Hey Jennifer,
I always use just the peanuts and salt type:) I hope you love this salad! Have a great weekend! xx
This recipe was a winner for Father’s Day. I didn’t put in the chicken and grilled jalapeño cilantro marinated pork chops instead and made a cilantro lime rice. The salad was the star for sure, especially for me since I am vegetarian. We also had a gluten free guest and it was perfect for him as well. Thanks for your quick reply about the peanut butter and for the great recipe!
Hey Jennifer,
Awesome! Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best week:)
Yum! This was so easy and I wanted to drink that dressing! I’m vegetarian so I omitted the chicken for chickpeas and edamame instead and it turned out delicious.
Hey Steph,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a hit! xx
This was really good (per usual) but I don’t see the chili flake and lime amount in the dressing recipe.
Hey Julie,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed:) There’s no chili flakes or lime in the dressing. xx
I made this recipe this evening and my husband’s comment was “Now that looks summery.” I told him that was the point. It was a really nice blend of flavors. Would highly recommend and I’ll be making it again! Btw, I did add the blueberries. Nice pop of color and flavor!
Lol thanks so much, Tonya! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you! Hope you had a great Monday! xx
Making this salad for dinner right now. Love love love the dressing. Adding the cilantro to the dressing like you are doing in the video makes all the difference to me. Love it and can’t wait to dig in.
Thanks so much Tieghan:)
Thanks so much, Stef! The dressing is so good, right?! I appreciate you giving it a try! xx
Can you make this the day before and add Ava ado and peanuts before serving?
Hi Lisa! Yes, that should work just fine! 🙂 xT