This mango chicken skillet with jalapeños is ready in less than 30 minutes for a spicy sweet dinner everyone will love. Serve it over rice for an easy meal.
*This post has been updated 1/11/2018 to include a video on how to make this easy Mango Chicken Skillet. Scroll down to watch! Text is original.
While almost everyone spent their weekend at a lake, pool, ocean or river (at least according to all social media outlets), I put a beach towel down in my pool-less yard in an attempt to get some color and even out sports bra tan lines while ants and every other bug creature that lives in the grass crawled all over me.
To say I was jealous of everyone else and their water filled 3 day weekend would be the understatement of the year.
*This post is sponsored by Nakano. All content and opinions are my own.
It got so bad at one point I contemplated a run to the store for a one of those blow up kid pools, but when you don’t actually have kids to use it, that kind of purchase hovers on the line of white trash and I’m pretty sure my neighbors already think I’m weird enough.
To drown my water woes though, I’ve been eating all the summer fruit possible.
Currently on my counter there are 5 peaches, 1 watermelon, 2 pounds of cherries, 1 pound of strawberries, 3 figs (I’ve been housing those) and 2 pints of blueberries.
I ran into the store quickly on Friday to grab eggs and milk when a big sign of 2/$.99 mangos basically attacked me.
Obviously, I bought 6.
Best part?
They were perfectly ripe and ready to eat, none of that waiting a week to ripen BS necessary.
After standing over the counter eating one and sucking the pit as mango juice ran down my chin (hotness), the idea for this jalapeño mango chicken skillet came about.
Why I Love This Chicken and Mango Recipe
- Ready in 30 minutes
- Perfect flavor combo of sweet and spicy – It’s sweet, sticky and spicy, kind of like Thai and Chinese takeout meet (similar to this slow cooker honey garlic chicken and sweet & sour tofu)
- Easy weeknight dinner
- Fresh ingredients
- Dairy-free
- Made in one skillet and the food processor
Ingredients Needed
- mangoss
- mango seasoned rice vinegar (or regular rice vinegar will work in a pinch)
- jalapeño
- garlic
- lime juice
- fresh ginger
- soy sauce
- chicken breast cut into cubes (like these garlic chicken bites)
- flour (use GF flour if necessary)
- salt and pepper
- coconut oil
- red onion
- chicken broth
- chopped green onions, sliced jalapeños, and sesame seeds for garnish
How to Make Chicken with Mango Sauce
Add the mangoes, rice vinegar, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice, ginger, and soy sauce to the food processor. Pulse until smooth and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Cook the sliced onions until softened.
In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Toss the diced chicken until coated and place it in the skillet. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the mango sauce and chicken broth to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cook until the chicken is done then garnish with onions, jalapeños, and sesame seeds.
Tips for Making and Serving
- Less spicy: Omit or reduce the amount of jalapeños.
- Serving: Add the mango chicken over a bed of your favorite rice. For a lower-carb option use cauliflower rice.
- Heartier meal: Add veggies to the skillet like broccoli, green beans, carrots, or mushrooms.
- Storing: Keep leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 4 days. To reheat, microwave or heat over low on the stovetop.
- You can use this same jalapeño mango sauce for grilled chicken and pork. Marinate the meat for at least 30 minutes before grilling. Save a little sauce to brush on at the end before serving.
More one skillet dinner recipes –> chicken and artichoke olive skillet, Thai basil cashew chicken skillet, Chinese chicken zoodles and creamy turmeric chicken.
My maple miso chicken drumsticks are another great recipe to check out if you like sauces and glazes like this. Or make this gochujang chicken which is similar in spice level.
Or, try this lamb korma for another delicious sauce that’s a bit more creamy and cozy for cooler weather eating.
Common FAQs
To make this one-pan meal gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour and substitute coconut aminos for the soy sauce.
Mangos are a very versatile fruit and pair well with chicken, fish, pork, duck, and other tangy flavors like citrus and pineapple.
Now, who has a pool that lives near me? I’ll gladly bring you food in exchange for a day on a lounge chair!
Check out this spicy cilantro mango wild rice salad also made with Nakano mango seasoned rice vinegar.
And, this mango habanero salsa which is the perfect summer condiment and delicious in SO many ways.
Jalapeno Mango Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- flesh of 2 mangos, chopped
- 1/4 cup Nakano mango seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or tamari/coconut aminos
- 1 1/4 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, GF if needed
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/2 large red onion, sliced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- chopped green onions for garnish
- sliced jalapeños for garnish
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the mango, rice vinegar, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, ginger and soy sauce in a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.
- Place the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the sliced onions and cook for 2-3 minute until softened.
- Place the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Toss the chicken pieces in the flour until coated then place in the skillet and cook until lightly browned on one side. Toss and cook for 1 minute on the other side.
- Add the jalapeno mango sauce and the chicken broth to the skillet, turn the heat down to medium-low and stir to combine. Let cook another 3-5 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- Garnish with green onions, jalapenos and sesame seeds. Serve with rice.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
I loooooove mangos, thats basically how I stand there eating them too. This sauce sounds so tasty, I can’t wait to try it!
And you should totally buy a kiddie pool…worth it! ;)
Mango and chicken….score!
And add my vote to those who want you to get the pool. They should be on sale by now, shouldn’t they?
Sweet, spicy and saucy — the perfect combo! And the perfect dinner. :)
Embrace the weird: buy that kid pool, and fill it with iced vodka. (And of course, get in!)
I’m going to put this on the menu for this weekend. It sounds great! Surprisingly enough, the toddler likes spicy food, and mango is always a winner.
If it makes you feel better, I spent the weekend alone, in my pjs, baking muffins…and I went to bed at 8:30. So, your 4th was much more exciting than mine!
And this chicken? I love the combo of spice and mango! Sounds DELISH. Pinned!
Want this for dinner!
This looks perfect for summer, water nearby or not! Adding to my list – yum :)
The image of a blow up pool sitting in your yard is hilarious! This dish is AMAZING–love mango with spicy and savory foods!
I was going to suggest you get a pool for Ginger to cool off in … and then you could share it lol. It’s an excuse, right? ;) At least a kiddie pool!