Thai Mango Salad with Peanut Dressing

This fresh Thai salad recipe features mango, bell pepper, greens and a delicious peanut dressing! It's a little spicy, a little sweet and full of flavor.

54 Reviews
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Mango Green Salad with Peanut Dressing

Now that the temperatures are heating up, I find myself craving more light, fresh and green meals. Enter this salad with Thai flavors, which satisfies all three at once. I can’t say I tasted a salad exactly like this on my trip to Thailand, but it would certainly pair well with Thai cuisine.

This refreshing salad features butter lettuce, sweet diced mango, red bell pepper, and jalapeño (optional). I tossed it all in a zingy and creamy peanut dressing.

The result is an irresistible combination of sweet and spicy flavors, crisp and creamy textures, and vibrant colors. It’s a lovely green salad for summertime.

To create this recipe, I took my Thai mango cabbage wraps as inspiration and reimagined them as a green salad. I love the mild and tender bites of butter lettuce, which provide substance while letting the bolder flavors shine. That said, you can substitute any mild greens.

I originally shared this recipe in 2016, and it’s still one of my favorites! I’m sharing it again today with updated photos. I hope you’re enticed to try it. If you’re new to preparing mango, here’s how to cut a mango.

How to Serve Mango Salad

This cooling salad would make an excellent side for any of my Thai-inspired recipes, especially spicy options like Panang Curry with Vegetables, Thai Green Curry with Spring Vegetables or Spicy Kale and Coconut Fried Rice.

It would also be great with grilled entrées, and I’d be delighted if someone served this salad to me poolside. The salad could pass as a light dinner on its own. Or for more substance, add some crispy baked tofu.

mango salad recipe

More Fruity Summer Salads

If you love the flavors in this salad, don’t miss my Mango “Burrito” Bowls with Crispy Tofu and Peanut Sauce, Crunchy Thai Peanut & Quinoa Salad, Fresh Mango Salsa or Peanut Dipping Sauce.

Please let me know how your salad turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.

bowl of mango green salad
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Thai Mango Salad with Peanut Dressing

  • Author: Cookie and Kate
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 side salads
  • Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 54 reviews

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This green salad is bursting with fresh Thai flavors and bright colors. It’s great on its own, or as an accompaniment to Thai main dishes. Recipe yields 2 large salads or 4 side salads.

Ingredients

Thai mango salad

  • One head (about 7 ounces) butter leaf lettuce or your greens of choice, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced and then sliced across to make 1-inch long pieces
  • 3 ripe Ataulfo mangos (also known as honey or champagne mangos) or 2 larger mangos, diced
  • ½ cup thinly sliced green onion (both green and white parts)
  • ⅓ cup roughly chopped roasted peanuts
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 medium jalapeño, seeds and membranes removed, finely chopped (optional, for spice)

Peanut dressing

  • ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes (if you like spice)
  • ¼ cup lime juice (about 2 to 3 limes)

Instructions

  1. To assemble the salad, simply combine all of the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl.
  2. To prepare the dressing, combine the peanut butter, tamari, maple syrup, garlic and optional red pepper flakes (everything but the lime juice) in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl. Use a small whisk or fork to stir until blended.
  3. Whisk in about half of the lime juice until creamy, then whisk in the rest. Continue whisking until the mixture is fully blended and nicely creamy. Taste, and if it tastes too tart, add another teaspoon or so of maple syrup.
  4. When you’re ready to serve, drizzle the dressing over the salad, and toss to combine. Serve immediately. Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator, dressing stored separately, for up to 4 days.

Notes

Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free tamari, not soy sauce.

Make it vegan: Use maple syrup, not honey.

2025 recipes edits: I revisited this recipe and lightly revised the dressing by omitting 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil. I prefer maple syrup in the dressing, which is less sweet than honey, so I increased it by 1 teaspoon.

Nutrition

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

Kate and Cookie

HELLO, MY NAME IS

Kathryne Taylor

I'm a vegetable enthusiast, dog lover, mother and bestselling cookbook author. I've been sharing recipes here since 2010, and I'm always cooking something new in my Kansas City kitchen. Cook with me!

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Comments

  1. Deborah @ The Harvest Kitchen

    Beautiful salad!! Love the combo of sweet and spicy flavors!!!

    1. Kate

      Thanks, Deborah! Me, too. :)

  2. Susan

    This salad sounds great. The Thai people make a green mango salad – it uses green mangoes which have essentially been spiralized into spaghetti. I remember it being spicy, but unfortunately don’t remember anything else about it. But then again, I’m certain that we would not be able to get the right kind of mangoes here, for making that salad.

    1. Kate

      That sounds great! I’d really like to go to Thailand someday. I actually tried spiralizing ripe mango the other day, and it was a hilarious fail. Just turned into mush! Maybe I could find green mangoes at the Asian market.

      1. Susan

        Thailand is a wonderful country. I spent a couple of months in Bangkok and have visited Phuket, an island, several times. I think the salad I was thinking of might be green papaya (rather than mango). Here’s a link to an authentic recipe: https://www.eatingthaifood.com/thai-green-papaya-salad-recipe – just in case you’re feeling brave and want to try it. The guy who posted this recipe is married to a Thai woman and lives in Thailand.

      2. Bridgett Irving

        I would like to eat a mango salad , In
        California they had great salads there.
        But of course I live in Texas, people only
        Go to chic-fu’la to get a salad. Thanks
        BI

  3. Marcia

    This salad is gorgeous and looks absolutely perfect for a beach potluck coming up, something our little foursome of longtime girlfriends are trying to do every couple of weeks throughout the summer to really celebrate the season. All the beautiful produce right now is center stage for our feasting (and trying to eat healthy at the same time) so keep your ideas coming! Not sure if I’ll do the salad, the wraps, or maybe both? Why not, right?

    Thanks for your inspiration, Kate, yet again. And hope you and Cookie stay cool! (I grew up with triple-digit summers so I know what you’re dealing with… my heart goes out to you!)

    1. Kate

      Thank you, Marcia! Your beach potluck sounds lovely. I have at least a few salads up my sleeve for this month. I’m about to head to a pool party, and it’s not too hot (eighty in OKC). Yay!

  4. Jessica

    I just made this for lunch, and it was delicious!

    1. Kate

      Thanks, Jessica! Happy to hear it!

  5. Keshia White

    I love how flavorful and fresh this sounds. It’s also great that it’s easy to make! No one wants to slave over the hot stove in this heat! lol

  6. Elissa

    Woah.
    I am very seriously concerned I may gain 10lbs over the summer because of all the delicous-ness taking place on the blog.
    You say, “Why Elissa, this is pretty healthy!”
    Yes…
    When eaten in moderation.

    1. Kate

      Haha! I’ll take that as a compliment. Fill up on green salads like this and I don’t think you will have any problems. :)

  7. Cassie

    YUM! I also have been craving SOOOOOO much fruit, especially plums and strawberries! Breakfast fruit salads are the best :) anyways, I love Thai flavors so this is wonderful! Definitely going to make the peanut sauce for my next Asian savory recipe!

    1. Kate

      Thanks, Cassie! I haven’t had fruit salad for breakfast in ages. I’ll have to do that soon. I also haven’t had a plum yet this year, but my friends made jam with plums that have fallen from the giant plum tree in their front yard. So good!

  8. Kjersten

    This is super good. I made it last night, used shredded cabbage instead of lettuce, added edamame, quinoa and matchstick carrots. I doubled the dressing.

  9. Kecia

    As usual your recipes never fail me! I am getting back to eating healthy after a small (in my eyes) break. I had to modify the recipe because I did not find any good mangoes. So I used pears and it still came out great! As always, thank you for the deliciousness!

    1. Kate

      Thank you very much, Kecia! Great idea to sub pears. Yay!

  10. Tori//Gringalicious

    All I can say is YUM! Absolutely anything thai peanut is right up my alley so this salad is like made for me!

    1. Kate

      Thanks, Tori! Hope you get a chance to make it soon!

  11. Mark Hartung

    Made this last night for the family holiday get together and it was a huge hit !!!!

    1. Kate

      I’m so glad! Thank you for letting me know, Mark!

  12. Janine

    Wonderful creation! My hubby would love this recipes because he loves Peanuts so so much. Already printed it out for the next days. Sometimes your Website is not that fast. Just to let you know. xoxo Janine

    1. Kate

      I hope you both enjoy the salad! I’m sorry you have trouble with my site sometimes. I’m not sure why it would be running slow for you. You might try clearing your browser’s cache when that happens. I hope that does the trick!

  13. Anne@ASaladForAllSeasons

    What a gorgeous salad! Love those mangoes and peppers. I am such a sucker for peanut dressing, I just love it so much. What a way to jazz up butter lettuce! :)

    1. Kate

      Thank you, Anne!

  14. Rebekah Patin

    The minute this appeared in my inbox I knew I had to make this. I love Thai food, I love mango’s, I love Cookie and Kate! I made it this evening and it was a huge hit. Me and my husband enjoyed it so much. I made it exactly as the recipe read and it was perfection.

    1. Kate

      Thank you so much, Rebekah! Your comment brightened my day. Glad you both enjoyed this one.

  15. Marie Fritzberg

    I just made your Thai Mango Salad tonight. So delicious!!! And it’s high time that I tell you how much I love your recipes, photos & comments. I have probably made over 20 recipes over the past year. Thank you, thank you for helping make food easy to prepare, healthy and most of all, delicious! Cookbook soon?

    1. Kate

      Thank you very much, Marie! That’s fantastic to hear. The cookbook comes out next spring. I don’t have an exact date yet, but I can’t wait for you to see it!

  16. Tina Davis

    I had a mango in the fridge when I saw this post, so I made it the same day and it really hit the spot. I only had arugala and I didn’t have a jalapeño, but it was still good. Next time I’ll try it as written. I think the butter lettuce would be really good.

    1. Kate

      Perfect! I’m glad you enjoyed it, Tina. It’s so nice to whip something up without a trip to the store.

  17. nicolas

    Hey Kate, love the recipe I’ve done it myself I do a something similar recipe couple additions. I use white soy sauce instead, to give a brighter color, I love using confit garlic to kill the bitterness. Do you just add the red pepper flakes for color in the dressing? Would you sub out that with the seeds you pulled out of the jalapeño to get the same effect as the red pepper flakes minus the color?

    1. Kate

      Hey Nicolas! I have never used white soy sauce or garlic confit. I try to use basic ingredients in my recipes, but your version sounds intriguing! I used red pepper flakes for color and some spice. You could use fresh jalapeño seeds for a fresher spicy flavor. I like the way dried chilis taste, but I’m struggling to find words to describe them.

  18. Giselle

    These Adobe product callouts are getting annoying.

    1. Kate

      I’m sorry you feel that way. Please keep in mind that there’s a hard-working single lady supporting herself with this blog, and sometimes that includes promoting products that I legitimately love. Adobe’s software is one of them.

  19. Debncharlie

    Used half a head of cabbage for the greens shredded through a Cuisinart so a coleslaw type of result. Needed a bit more intensity of flavor. Will try miso for the salty component next time.

    1. Bridgett Irving

      That really sound wonderful using cabbage as the the greens, but I wonder
      If it can be cooked cabbage with mango?
      Thank you BI /Texas

    2. Kate

      That’s a really good idea. I usually go with stronger dressings for slaw, so I think miso would be a great addition next time.

  20. Teresa Walker

    Hi Kate
    I just made this salad & like all your other recipes which I’ve tried, it was a hit! I substituted parsley for the cilantro & tossed in some tofu which I coated with siracha & then pan-fried in a wee bit of olive oil. The next time I make the recipe, I may also add an avocado. Many thanks!!

    1. Kate

      Thank you very much, Teresa! So glad my recipes are turning out well for you. Your version sounds great to me. Hooray!

  21. Nadia

    NEED to try this. that dressing!!!

    1. Kate

      Hope you love it, Nadia!

  22. Madeline

    Made this (with pineapple, because it’s what I had), and it was so perfect! Light and crunchy and spicy and wonderful. I can’t wait for your cookbook to come out! I’ll be ordering copies for myself and various and sundry family members and friends.

    1. Kate

      Oh, great idea! I love pineapple even more than mango. Thank you so much for your support; means a whole lot to me! <3

  23. Lilly

    Oh my goodness this was DELICIOUS! Kind of confused adding those ingredients in the dressing together, but it was awesome. Love your salad/bowl recipes!

    1. Kate

      Thank you, Lilly! Glad you trusted the dressing. I could put it on all kinds of things.

  24. Matt

    Loving the vibrant colours in these photos. We’re definitely going to try this dish.

    1. Kate

      Thanks, Matt! I hope you love it.

  25. Nell

    Good Morning! Anything with “peanut dressing” in the title always catches my eye & this sounds really yummy, light & easy. I’m a big fan of the champagne mangos – so sweet & juicy. Thanks for the recipe. Nell

    1. Kate

      Hi Nell! Thank you. Those champagne mangos are the best, aren’t they?

  26. Kat

    I got two days of really satisfying lunches for myself and my husband out of this recipe. The veggies held up nicely in the fridge and we poured on the dressing as we had each serving. I also added thinly sliced grilled chicken since we’re not veg, but think the crispy tofu would be awesome if I was making this as a dinner salad and didn’t need the protein to be ready to go out of the fridge.

    1. Kate

      Thank you, Kat! I’m glad you made this recipe work for you. Thanks for letting me know!

  27. Ann Biddison

    Another great recipe! Just the right amount of sweet,heat,and crunch! We live in Cape Coral FL and have been looking for some new mango recipes. The trees are full of ripe mangoes now. Thanks for the recipe!

    1. Kate

      Thank you, Ann! So glad you enjoyed the salad! I’m jealous of your mango trees. :)

  28. Joanne Wilson

    Hi Kate –

    I made your crispy tofu with your peanut sauce. Heaven on a plate!!
    Thank you very much. I look forward to your recipes.

    1. Kate

      Thank you, Joanne! That’s really nice to hear. Have a great weekend!

  29. Elle

    This looks and sounds amazing! I love fruit in salads and this is a fab combo with peanuts and cilantro. Perfect for summer. Thanks for the inspiration. Really love all your amazing pictures!
    Greetings from Germany. :)
    Elle

    1. Kate

      Thank you very much, Elle!

  30. Sneha

    Kate, I’ve really loved trying out your recipes this summer! The salads and light dinners have been perfect for my quest to be healthy but not miserable. Thanks so much for your blog and your recipes – always my go-to for new ideas and inspiration!!!!

    1. Kate

      Woohoo! That’s fantastic to hear. Thank you, Sneha!

  31. Evelyn

    Ugh, 100 degrees Fahrenheit sounds quite hellish. I made this salad when we had 30 degrees Celsius weather (that’s like 85 Fahrenheit or so?) and had dinner with friends, barbecuing in the back yard. They were loading up on meat and I made your peanut salad, your spring panzanella with fennel and peas, and you were right about it being a light dinner, I didn’t need anything else! Well, apart from needing to hide my bowl from the greedy carnivores who discovered these salads were actually maybe even better than their hamburgers and sausages… which I already knew, of course 
    I loved the freshness and the sweetness of the mango compared to the crispiness of the vegetables, and the peanut butter dressing was lovely and really made it a quite substantial salad. Thank you for this summery recipe, and I hope the weather’s less super hot at yours (or that you’re used to it by now…)

    1. Kate

      I wish I could have been there to get in on those salads! Thank you so much for your note, Evelyn.

  32. Paula

    The only thing that disappoints is that we do not have leftovers (even with a full batch of crispy tofu and just two of us we devoured it!). Love anything topped with your recipes for peanut sauce :-)

  33. Kyle

    Do you think sesame dressing would be a good substitute for the peanut dressing? Looking forward to try this one out!

  34. Adelaide

    Very very very good !!!!!

    1. Kate

      Thanks, Adelaide!

  35. Adelaide

    Great great great salad Kate!!!
    I have post it to many friends.
    Adelaide Verona Italy

    1. Kate

      Thank you for sharing this, Adelaide!

  36. BreAnn

    Delicious! I added some slivered snow peas along with some shredded carrots. Loved the peanut dressing…so comforting and satisfying! Definitely making this one again.

    1. Kate

      Yum! Snow peas sound delicious with this, BreAnn. Thanks for the comment!

  37. Mansi

    Hey Kate. Can’t wait to try this salad. Can you suggest an alternative to green onions??
    Thanks.

    1. Kate

      Hi, Mansi! I’d say leeks or chives would be a good alternative to green onions. They have a milder taste, but are in that onion family of flavors.

  38. Erika

    My husband made this for me for Mother’s Day and it was soooo good and super refreshing! We just got your cookbook and I already have so many recipes marked to try!

    1. Kate

      Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed this and I hope you love the book, Erika.

  39. Nicole

    Made this for my lunches for the week, and I just add fresh mango each day. I also added edamame and tempeh for some more protein, and changed the peanuts to cashews because of personal preference. So tasty- I especially love this dressing, and will be making this recipe again!

    1. Kate

      Yum! Your version sounds delicious, Nicole.

  40. Dhenuka

    Love this recipe! I made this today. We are done with summer and heading into the monsoon season here in India, which is a great time to buy those yummy rich Alphonso mangoes, which grow during the summers, at throwaway prices. I used Romaine and Lollo Rosso because they were the only kinds of lettuce I could find here at a reasonable price. I found the dressing to be a lot, quantity wise. I must’ve goofed up at some stage. But I loved it so much that I bottled the excess for tomorrow! Thanks for this yummy recipe!

    1. Kate

      Ooh, that sounds delicious, Dhenuka! I hope that dressing can brighten up monsoon season for you a bit. :)

  41. Jeanine

    This is my favorite salad! I love everything about it. It’s sweet, salty & spicy all rolled into one. Not only is it delicious but it makes a wonderful presentation. It always gets rave reviews. Thanks for another awesome recipe!!

    1. Kate

      This is such a kind comment, Jeanine! Thank you for reading and sharing this with your friends.

  42. Zanele

    Hi Katie..? I hope all is well with you… I must say I love your vegetarian recipes, they are awesome… Im an african woman from South Africa and been vegetarian for 5 yrs,,,,, Thank you so much for such an amazing recipes,,,,, My family and friends love them too,,, Peace from Newcastle South Africa

    1. Kate

      Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, Zanele! I’m happy to hear you enjoy my recipes all the way in South Africa. Hello from Kansas City!

  43. Todd Squires

    Slowly working through all your August recipes. Made this last night and decided to add buckwheat noodles which made it a perfect hearty entree for my hungry eaters!

    1. Kate

      Excellent! Soba noodles sound delicious with this, Todd. Thanks for commenting.

  44. Cristy

    My vegetarian son loved this.

    1. Kate

      Great! Thanks, Cristy.

  45. Elizabeth

    Thanks for all your great recipes!

    We love Thai food and have tried cooking it at home without any success so I’d love to try your recipe. I’m allergic to soy. Is there a way to adapt the recipe to leave out the tamari/soy sauce? Please let me know.

  46. joyce burton

    We love the salad dressing. Thank you

    1. Kate

      You are welcome! Thank you, Joyce for your review.

  47. Catherine

    I made this salad and it’s amazing! I think the dressing probably needed a little more lime juice and a touch more honey. Other than that, so excellent.

    1. Kate

      Great ways to make it more your taste, Catherine! Thanks for the comment.

  48. Kris Romstad

    My family loves this recipe! So many great fresh flavors and the perfect salad for spring and summer. The only change I made was I only used 2 mangoes as they were large and the proportions seemed right. Delicious!

    1. Kate

      Sounds like a great change. Thanks, Kris for your comment and review.

  49. Mae

    I had this recipe saved for a while and I finally made it tonight (with some baked tofu tossed in!). This recipe is a keeper! The flavors are just perfect together, not too sweet, not too salty, just a great balance! My boyfriend (who had been resistant to having a salad for dinner) commented “Please make this all the time!”

    1. Kate

      I’m glad you finally made it, Mae! Thank you so much for your star review.

  50. JOHN KANE

    Very good! Made it for my wife and me after we tired of Thanksgiving leftovers. Used red leaf lettuce, and baked the tofu. Definitely a salad we will enjoy again.

    1. Kate

      Thank you for sharing, John!