Thai Tropical Chicken & Mango Salad with Freeze-Dried Mango

Published 2026-07-21

Looking for an easy lunch that feels fresh, colourful and full of tropical flavour?

This Thai-inspired chicken mango salad combines tender chicken, crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs and a sweet-tangy lime dressing with one special ingredient—freeze-dried mango.

While fresh mango is delicious, it isn't always available, and it can soften quickly once cut.

Freeze-dried mango makes this salad easy to enjoy any time of year. It absorbs a little of the dressing, becoming slightly softer while keeping its naturally sweet mango flavour and beautiful tropical colour.

Why Use Freeze-Dried Mango in Salad?

Fresh mango works beautifully in salads, but freeze-dried or dried mango has some advantages:

✓ Available all year round.

✓ No peeling or chopping needed.

✓ Adds concentrated mango flavour.

✓ Softens slightly when mixed with dressing.

✓ Doesn't release extra water and make the salad soggy.

It's a simple way to add a tropical twist to everyday meals.

Ingredients

Serves 2–3 people.

Salad

2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced (or leftover roast chicken)
4 cups mixed salad leaves
1 cucumber, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, sliced
30g freeze-dried mango pieces (you can also used dried mango) Mango • Freeze-Dried
¼ cup roasted cashews
Fresh coriander leaves

Optional:
Fresh chilli slices
Red onion
Crispy fried shallots

Thai-Inspired Dressing

Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 small garlic clove, crushed

Vegetarian option:

Remove chicken and replace fish sauce with soy sauce or tamari.

Method

→ Add the salad leaves, cucumber, tomatoes and avocado to a large bowl.
→ Add the sliced chicken and roasted cashews.
→ Add the freeze-dried mango pieces.
→ Mix together the lime juice, olive oil, sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce and garlic.
→ Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss everything together.
→ Allow the salad to sit for 5–10 minutes before serving. This gives the freeze-dried mango time to soften slightly and absorb the tropical flavours from the dressing.
→ Finish with fresh coriander and extra cashews.

Fruit Tropics Tip

Freeze-dried mango is perfect for salads because it gives you the flavour of mango without needing to wait for mango season.

For a slightly different texture, leave some pieces whole for little bursts of sweetness and crush a few pieces into smaller pieces so the flavour spreads throughout the salad.

How to Enjoy

This tropical chicken salad is perfect for:

→ Easy weekday lunches

→ Meal preparation

→ Summer dinners

→ Picnics

→ BBQ gatherings

→ A lighter alternative to heavier lunches

Explore our Freeze-Dried Mango collection 👉 Mango