If you’re anything like me, you’re always searching for a way to spice up plain ‘ol chicken breasts for dinner. Well look no further my friends, as I’ve got a doozie of a recipe for you, just in time for the start of grilling season.
Chipotle Mango BBQ Chicken Salad – aka the end of boring chicken as we know it!
Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken Salad features a smoky-sweet homemade BBQ sauce that not only serves as something you’ll want to spoon drink, but also as a flavor-packed marinade for the anything but ho-hum grilled chicken sliced on top, and as an ingredient in the cooling salad dressing drizzle.
The sweet heat of the sauce is accented by pops of charred sweet corn, bursts of garden-fresh tomato, and herby chopped cilantro. All. The. Things!
Start the Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken Salad by making the Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce. I adore how simple this recipe is, the fact that it’s made with pretty much all pantry staples, and that it can be made ahead of time. Who knew making homemade BBQ sauce would be so easy?
The Ingredients:
- Ketchup
- Apple juice
- Rice vinegar
- Onion
- Mango
- Lemon
- Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- Garlic
- Paprika
- Brown sugar
- Salt & pepper
- Canola oil
First add 1 chopped mango to a small saucepan over medium heat.
To the mango, add 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce,and 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce. Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are smoked, dried jalapenos packed in a thick, spicy sauce. Chipotle peppers aren’t as hot as fresh jalapenos, rather they have a milder smoky heat. So yum.
You can find chipotles in adobo sauce in cans in the ethnic foods aisle of the grocery store. I usually only use 1 or 2 peppers per recipe (there’s like 8 in a can,) so I stash the rest in the freezer and pull one out when I need it.
Add the rest of the ingredients into the saucepan, then give them a good stir.
Let the sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes until it’s thick and luscious. Your kitchen will smell AWESOME!
Turn the heat off and allow the sauce to cool for 15 minutes or so, then transfer it to a food processor or blender.
If you are worried that the chipotle pepper will make the BBQ sauce too hot, take it out, then blend the sauce until smooth. I am a weenie when it comes to heat, and this wasn’t too hot, but you might want to take it out if you have small children.
That’s it! Next, marinate 2 chicken breasts in some of the sauce to be grilled anywhere from 15 minutes, to a couple hours later.
Now, not only is this mouthwatering Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce acting as a marinade for the grilled chicken going on top of the salad, but it’s also making up part of the salad dressing.
Oh yes. Simply combine 2 Tablespoons BBQ sauce with 2 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt, then add in a little lime juice, and season with salt & pepper. Stir, taste, and adjust the lime juice and/or seasonings if necessary.
I am SO obsessed with this stuff!!! A little spicy, a little sweet, a little tart, a lot tasty.
To finish the salad up, grill the marinated chicken breasts for 5-6 minutes a side, or until they’re no longer pink in the center.
Love that orange color from the chipotle pepper and paprika in the BBQ sauce.
Add a couple shucked ears of sweet corn on the grill (no butter or oil needed!) to char up next to the chicken. Just roll the ears every couple of minutes to get them evenly charred on all sides.
Finally, pile crispy romaine lettuce on a plate, top with chopped cilantro, tomato wedges, the grilled corn, and chicken, then drizzle with the Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce laced dressing!
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Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken Salad
Description
Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken Salad is chicken slathered in homemade chipotle-mango BBQ sauce.
Ingredients
- For the Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce (makes 2-1/4 cups):
- 1 mango, chopped
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 2 Tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- For the dressing:
- 2 Tablespoons prepared Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 1-2 teaspoons lime juice (maybe more, maybe less)
- salt & pepper
- For the salad:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 ears sweet corn, shucked
- 1 vine-ripened tomato, cut into wedges
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 bag Dole Romaine Salad mix
Directions
- For the Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce: Combine all ingredients for Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Let cool then transfer to a food processor or blender, and process until smooth.
- For the dressing: Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste, then add more lime juice, salt and/or pepper if necessary.
- For the salad: Marinate chicken breasts in some of the prepared Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce for at least 15 minutes, or up to 3 hours. Grill over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side until no longer pink in the middle. Allow to rest for 5 minutes off the grill before slicing. Grill corn alongside the chicken, rotating every few minutes until charred on all sides. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut kernels off the cob.
- Divide lettuce between two plates, then top with grilled corn, tomatoes, cilantro, and grilled chicken. Drizzle with prepared dressing.
Notes
BBQ Sauce adapted from Tofu-N-Sprouts
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
SO GOOD! I can’t get over the smokey Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce which, despite having both mango and brown sugar in the ingredient list, is definitely not too sweet.
I may never buy BBQ sauce again!
Hope you’ll give this one a try!
Sarah 06.10.2012
Made this tonight for myself. AMAZING! Such a fresh, tasty and aromatic combinations of flavours! Thank you!
Anna 05.25.2012
I made this couple of days ago and it´s THAT good. The dressing is just FAB!
Denise 05.19.2012
Made this for dinner tonight. It was excellent and I will definitely make it again! The BBQ sauce was great and made plenty to use for other dinners. Daughter and I had it as a salad with fresh green, yellow and red bell peppers from the Farmers Market (and fresh corn), husband and son has their chicken with cooked corn on the cob and small potatoes. All loved it. Oh, and WATERMELON too LOL!!! Thanks for sharing.
erin 05.14.2012
tried this for a mother’s day dinner, and it is a thumbs up all the way. even my husband liked it and he doesn’t like spicy, or crazy flavors, and this he really liked! i’m ready to try this on salmon or some sort of fish. and i would NOT recommend blending the pepper up with everything else, it’s plenty spicy!
Michelle 05.13.2012
We’ve been on a huge ‘meat and salad’ kick lately and always looking for ways to make it new and fresh. Can’t wait to try this!
Jess R 05.13.2012
Made this for lunch with friends this afternoon – it was a hit! Thanks for posting!
Sheila Thompson 05.12.2012
I am making this tonight to take to my mother-in-law’s tomorrow for mother’s day….my house smells so yummy! Not sure if you are a fan of Mustard’s BBQ but this sauce smells exactly like it!
Sheila Thompson 05.12.2012
UPDATE! The sauce and the dressing are AMAZING!!! Thanks for the recipe!
Susan 05.11.2012
This sounds absolutely amazing! I have been in the NYC area for the past year and a half and no one knows what good BBQ tastes like – a mix of spicy and sweet! They also can’t handle much of any heat ^^;; I will have to try this recipe and see what my husband thinks :)
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Kevin (Closet Cooking) 05.11.2012
This is a tasty sounding salad and BBQ sauce!
Jill 05.10.2012
This looks amazing!
Kelly 05.10.2012
Just found your site, which is totally cute! I love!
I made this recipe last night, but I live in Australia, so it was impossible to find chipotle pepper in adobo sauce! (Mexican food is no where near as popular here, miss USA :( )
I looked for what you could substitute and found someone describe the ingredients listed on the sauce tin, and someone else describe Tabasco sauce mixed with a Steak sauce, so I literally mixed Tabasco sauce with American Steakhouse seasoning.
It turned out amazing, and I served my chicken with
Spanish/Mexican rice by Uncle Ben’s because I’m lazy. Totally awesome, thank-you!
Sarah @ Belle on Heels 05.10.2012
This is like my husband’s dream dinner: chipotle + mango + BBQ = awesomesauce. Can’t wait to try this!
Amanda Johnson 05.10.2012
I was looking for something light, and to make on the grill for dinner. I came across this recipe, and was exactly what I was looking for. It was AMAZING! Loved the sweet-smokey-spicy combo. I forgot to buy a mango so subbed pineapple, and didn’t want to buy an entire bottle of apple juice that I wouldn’t drink otherwise so subbed orange juice. My husband and I loooovved it! Also made a salad for me, and threw his on a bun cause he doesn’t do salad. Thank you for the fantastic recipe!
Karen 05.09.2012
Just made this for dinner…very tasty! I am not a mango fan but it added just the right amount of sweetness without being able to taste it! Used white grape juice instead of apple since I had it on hand. Added cukes and extra onions to the salad and topped with dressing and hot sauce..YUM!
Natalie 05.09.2012
Can’t wait to try this! I just went to 3 grocery stores to find those chipotle peppers, but I’m sure it will be worth the trip!
Ern 05.09.2012
Looks delicious, this is definitely going on next week’s menu! How long will the extra BBQ sauce keep?
Iowa Girl Eats 05.11.2012
I’m thinking a couple weeks in a tightly sealed jar?
Julie 05.09.2012
Ben cracks me up! :P
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl 05.09.2012
That’s one sassy salad! Yum!
Erin 05.09.2012
I think this sounds amazing! Unfortunately I can’t just serve salad at my house. I am thinking quinoa as a side..any suggestions?
Iowa Girl Eats 05.11.2012
Quinoa or rice would be food – or even serving this with pita bread!
Anna 05.09.2012
Can´t wait to make this one… been looking for some “fresh” salad recipes. Thanks!