The sauce for this chicken is so scrumptious that I caught my husband eating it by the spoonful! It’s also versatile since it’s great on pork and fish too. Sometimes a weeknight cook’s best tool is a flavor-packed sauce that is easy to make and works with many dishes. My family is a bunch of wimps when it comes to hot sauce, so we make ours with only 1/2 tsp (10 ml), but feel free to add as much as you like. It really adds a wonderful depth of flavor that enhances the sweet mango and the bite of the ginger. You can also grill the chicken, which is our summertime method of choice.
SAUCE INGREDIENTS
1 mango, peeled, pit removed, and chopped
½ cup loosely packed cilantro
1 small shallot, cut in half
2 tsp (10 ml) chopped fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup coconut milk
1 TBSP (15 ml) coconut vinegar or raw apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP (15 ml) lime juice
2 TBSP (30 ml) olive oil
Your favorite hot sauce to taste (we use ½ tsp)
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
CHICKEN INGREDIENTS
2 pounds (907 g) boneless chicken thighs
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 TBSP (15 ml) coconut oil
Serves 4
Prep Day:
Place the sauce ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until all the ingredients are chopped but are still slightly chunky.
Season the chicken with sea salt and pepper. Place the chicken and one-third of the sauce in a 1-gallon freezer bag, and seal.
Place the remaining sauce in a 1-quart freezer bag, and seal.
Place both the chicken and sauce freezer bags in another 1-gallon freezer bag, and seal. Place the bag containing the sauce and chicken in the freezer until needed.
Serving Day:
Thaw the chicken and sauce in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade, and discard the marinade.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the coconut oil. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the remaining sauce on low.
Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.
More Recipes You'll Love
Mango cilantro chicken brings a blast of tropical flavour to a simple weeknight skillet. Chicken thighs marinate in a chunky mango-cilantro sauce with ginger, garlic, and lime, then sear until caramelized while the reserved sauce warms into a bright, silky drizzle.
Pro Tips
- Pulse the sauce until it's chopped but still slightly chunky — those little pieces of mango and cilantro cling to the chicken and keep the texture lively.
- Use a third of the sauce as the marinade and reserve the rest as a finishing sauce; never reuse the raw marinade that touched the chicken.
- Boneless thighs are the right cut here — their higher fat content stays juicy over the 6-minute-per-side sear where breasts would dry out.
- Warm the reserved sauce gently in a small saucepan while the chicken cooks so the coconut milk loosens into a pourable, creamy consistency.
- Coconut vinegar or raw apple cider vinegar adds the tangy backbone — don't substitute a harsh white vinegar, which would overpower the mango.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen mango?
Yes, thawed frozen mango chunks blend into the sauce just as well as fresh. Thaw and drain them first so the sauce doesn't get watery.
Is this mango chicken paleo?
Absolutely: mango, cilantro, coconut milk, coconut vinegar, lime, and fresh aromatics over chicken thighs. No soy, sugar, or thickeners.
Can I marinate the chicken ahead?
Definitely — the freezer-bag method is built for it. Freeze the chicken in a third of the sauce, thaw overnight, and the flavours only get deeper.
What should I serve with it?
Cauliflower rice is perfect for soaking up the mango sauce, with a simple green vegetable alongside to balance the sweetness.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Serves 4 Prep Day: Place the sauce ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until all the ingredients are chopped but are still slightly chunky.
- Season the chicken with sea salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken and one-third of the sauce in a 1-gallon freezer bag, and seal.
- Place the remaining sauce in a 1-quart freezer bag, and seal.
- Place both the chicken and sauce freezer bags in another 1-gallon freezer bag, and seal.
- Place the bag containing the sauce and chicken in the freezer until needed.
- Thaw the chicken and sauce in the refrigerator overnight.
- When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade, and discard the marinade.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the coconut oil.
- Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the remaining sauce on low. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.
