This mango quinoa salad is protein packed and bursting with flavor. It’s naturally gluten and dairy free and is full of nutritious superfoods. This salad is perfect for a picnic, a family party, or a weeknight dinner. It comes together in just 30 minutes!
Mango Quinoa Salad with Chicken
The idea for this salad came to me when we were going on a road trip. We decided to pack all of our food with us rather than stopping to get fast food, but we wanted to bring something healthier than just granola bars and PB&J’s.
In an effort to clean out the fridge before we left, I added all of the fresh produce we had to some leftover quinoa. I threw in slices of frozen grilled chicken and tossed everything with poppyseed dressing.
We kept it cold in a container in our cooler in the trunk and ate it with spoons when we stopped to get gas. Let me tell you, it was delicious!
My husband told me I better not forget how I made it so I jotted down the ingredients in my phone. We’ve made this salad so many times since then for picnics, family gatherings, and for dinner. I’m always getting asked for the recipe.
The thing I love most about this salad is that it is packed with nutrients and bursting with flavor. The protein from the quinoa and the chicken makes it perfect for a main dish, but it can also be served as a side salad with or without the chicken. It’s super colorful with all of the different fruits and veggies. It’s also extremely versatile.
What goes in Mango Quinoa Salad?
The star of the show really is the mango, but the combination of the fresh ingredients with the poppyseed dressing makes this salad delightful. This is what you’ll need for the salad:
- Quinoa
- Chicken
- Mango
- Blueberries
- Red or Yellow Bell Peppers (or both!)
- Avocado
- Green Onions
- Poppyseed Dressing
- Honey (or pure maple syrup if desired)
- Spices (salt, pepper, cumin, garlic)
Optional Mix-ins for variation
- Chopped cashews or almonds
- Black Beans
- Cilantro
How to make Mango Quinoa Salad
- Cook the quinoa ahead of time, ideally the day before, and store it in a container in the refrigerator. This salad is best served cold and the fresh ingredients will sweat if the quinoa is not properly cooled before mixing.
- Cook and cool the chicken. My family loves this with slices of grilled chicken, but it is just as good with cubed chicken cooked on the stove top. Be sure to season the chicken with salt and pepper then cook until no longer pink. I haven’t made it with shredded chicken, but it’s on my list to try. Again, the chicken needs to be cooled down so its best to make it ahead of time. I have also cheated and used frozen pre-cooked grilled chicken when I didn’t have a lot of time.
- Prepare the fresh ingredients by cubing the mango and avocado and chopping the green onion. I like to make all of the pieces small enough that you can get a little taste of everything in one bite. The bell peppers especially are better cut in a brunoise rather than larger cubes.
- Toss with poppyseed dressing, honey, and spices to taste.
Notes:
- Quinoa is cooked differently depending on the variety so be sure to follow the package directions. You will usually need one part quinoa to two parts water.
- Always rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under cold water before cooking. The seeds are covered in a film that will make the flavor more bitter if not rinsed properly.
- To make this salad dairy free, be sure to check the ingredients of the poppyseed dressing. You can make your own poppyseed dressing or use a good store bought brand. We love the skinny girl brand poppyseed dressing, because it is sugar free, dairy free, and doesn’t have processed oils.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. After that, it becomes too soggy and doesn’t taste as fresh.
Mango Quinoa Salad with Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup cubed mango (about 1-2 large mangoes)
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
- 3 scallions, finely sliced
- 1/4 cup red or yellow bell pepper, cut bruniose
- 1/2 cup cubed avocado
- 1/4 cup halved blueberries
- 1/4 cup poppyseed dressing
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa ahead of time, ideally the day before, and store it in a container in the refrigerator. This salad is best served cold and the fresh ingredients will sweat if the quinoa is not properly cooled before mixing.
- Cook and cool the chicken. My family loves this with slices of grilled chicken, but it is just as good with cubed chicken cooked on the stove top. Be sure to season the chicken with salt and pepper then cook until no longer pink. I haven’t made it with shredded chicken, but it’s on my list to try. Again, the chicken needs to be cooled down so its best to make it ahead of time. I have also cheated and used frozen pre-cooked grilled chicken when I didn’t have a lot of time.
- Prepare the fresh ingredients by cubing the mango and avocado and chopping the green onion. I like to make all of the pieces small enough that you can get a little taste of everything in one bite. The bell peppers especially are better cut in a brunoise rather than larger cubes.
- Toss with poppyseed dressing, honey, and spices to taste.
Notes
- Quinoa is cooked differently depending on the variety so be sure to follow the package directions. You will usually need one part quinoa to two parts water.
- Always rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under cold water before cooking. The seeds are covered in a film that will make the flavor more bitter if not rinsed properly.
- To make this salad dairy free, be sure to check the ingredients of the poppyseed dressing. You can make your own poppyseed dressing or use a good store bought brand. We love the skinny girl brand poppyseed dressing, because it is sugar free, dairy free, and doesn’t have processed oils.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. After that, it becomes too soggy and doesn’t taste as fresh.
