My chicken with mango corn salsa is perfect for a summery, low-processed lunch that's brimming with fiber and seasonal ingredients.
Aside from the bright and summery flavors in this chicken with mango corn salsa recipe, I love that it lets me enjoy the naturally sweet mango fruit with other savory ingredients.
This is a little trick I've learned during my Eating for Perimenopause journey, is to eat fruits that are high in sugar, like mangos, as part of a salad and with a protein. I find I get a much lower glucose spike from the fruit when I eat them as part of a savory dish, as opposed to in a dessert or a fruit salad.
When I was studying to be a chef at Silwood Kitchens in Cape Town, we used to make a mango, feta and corn salsa to serve with fish. Pretty similar to this one and I've never stopped making it.
If you are familar with South African recipes and cooking, we love sweet and savory combinations like this. For more summer recipes like this, try my Chopped Antipasto Salad and this High Protein Chicken Salad, next!
Ingredients
Summer in a bowl, my chicken with mango corn salsa uses whole ingredients and is the perfect low-processed meal. Here is what I used to make it:
- Chicken thighs: You could also use breasts, but I prefer juicy thighs over the super lean breasts.
- Mango: I make this recipe when mangoes are in season in Durban. I recommend fresh only, not frozen or canned as they are often super sweet and the texture doesn't really work.
- Corn: Or mielies, as we say in South Africa. You can also use canned or frozen but I prefer to work with whole, unprocessed foods when I have the time.
- Veggies: I used a pepper, tomatoes and spring onion.
- For the dressing: The dressing for my mango corn salsa is so simple. I make it straight into the bowl with olive oil (EVOO), freshly squeezed lemon juice, chopped fresh cilantro, chili flakes, salt and pepper.
See recipe card for quantities and full ingredient list.
Instructions
Once you've chopped the salsa ingredients and cooked the chicken, this chicken with mango corn salsa comes together in minutes:
Step 1: Cook the corn: Cook the corn until tender in boiling, salted water. Cool and take the corn kernels off the cob.
Step 2: Make the dressing: Into a bowl, add your oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, chili flakes and freshly chopped cilantro. Whisk together lightly.
Step 3: Prepare the salsa ingredients: To the dressing, add diced tomatoes, pepper and thinly sliced spring onion. Stir to combine. The salsa can be stored at this point.
Step 4: Prepare the mango: Dice the mango and either store until you're ready to enjoy the meal or add it to the salsa bowl.
Step 5: Add the corn: Once cooled, add the corn kernels. Season the salsa, taste and store until ready in the refrigerator.
Step 6: Cook the chicken: Toss your deboned chicken thighs in olive oil and salt. You can either cook them on the grill or in a cast iron pan. I like to pop mine in the oven to make sure the thicker parts are cooked through.
Step 7: Assemble: Combine your chicken and mango corn salsa elements.
Substitutions
- Chicken thighs: White fish, shrimp or pork all work.
- Tomato: If you don't like tomato, add extra red pepper.
- Vegetarian: Make a tofu version of this by grilling a lovely piece of tofu to replace the chicken.
Variations
- Avocado: For a creamier salsa, add diced avocado in with the mango.
- Salty: I'll sometimes add crumbled feta cheese to the mix.
- Kid-friendly: Swap the chili flakes for red pepper flakes or leave them out.
Equipment
The only thing of note is that you'll need a grill or a pan to cook the chicken in. I prefer cooking in cast iron or enamel pots as opposed to Teflon or aluminium.
Storage
Ok so, for the salsa, if you want to make it ahead of time that's great. When I do, I like to add the mango at the last minute or it will turn mushy from the lemon juice and olive oil. Same goes for the tomatoes, if I want to make it day ahead.
Leftovers are good, stored in the refrigerator for a day or so.
Top Tip
I recommend using a meat thermometer to check that your chicken has cooked through. You want it to be at 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part. As a chef who has worked with meat and chicken closely, I find deboned chicken thighs can sensitive when raw to storage so I always check they are 1000% cooked through.
FAQ
Somewhat. You can cook the chicken and corn ahead and prepare all the elements for the salsa. All you'll need to do last minute is add the mango.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Chicken Thighs with Mango and Corn Salsa
Equipment
- 1 pot for cooking the corn in
- 1 Cast iron pan or grill for cooking the chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 8 deboned skinless chicken thighs
- 1½ tablespoon olive oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the mango and corn salsa
- 3 corn cobs
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes diced
- 1 yellow or orange pepper finely diced
- 3 spring onions thinly sliced
- 1 ripe mango peeled and diced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ tsp chili flakes to taste
- salt and black pepper to taste
- small handful fresh cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- Cook the corn: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the corn and cook for 5–7 minutes, or until tender. Remove and allow to cool completely, then cut the kernels off the cob. Set aside.
- Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, chili flakes, salt, pepper, and chopped cilantro until lightly combined.
- Prepare the salsa base: Add the diced tomatoes, diced pepper, and sliced spring onion to the dressing. Stir gently to combine. At this stage, the salsa base can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
- Prepare the mango: Dice the mango. Either store separately in the refrigerator or add directly to the salsa if serving soon.
- Add the corn: Once the corn has cooled, add the kernels to the salsa. Season again with salt and pepper, taste, and adjust if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Toss the chicken thighs with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Heat a cast-iron pan or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken for 3–4 minutes per side until golden. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 10–15 minutes, or until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 75°C (165°F). Alternatively, grill the chicken over medium heat until fully cooked.
- Assemble and serve: Slice the chicken thighs and serve warm with generous spoonfuls of mango & corn salsa on top or alongside.
Fran Neal says
This is yum yum yum!