Perfect Weeknight Mango Chicken Recipe

Why This Recipe Works?

Using skin-on chicken thighs ensures the meat stays nice and juicy. Rubbing a flavorful garlic and curry paste onto the meat side infuses a ton of spicy flavor into the chicken. Using mango chutney to glaze the chicken makes this dish insanely easy to prepare, and it can be put together in about 10 minutes.

Ingredients

Chicken - I highly recommend using skin-on boneless chicken thighs for this. Thigh meat is more flavorful, and the skin locks the juices in keeping the meat from getting dry and tough. It also renders out enough fat, so you don’t need to add extra oil. Check out my instructions on how to debone a whole chicken leg if you need them. As for chicken breast, it will work if you find skin-on breast, but be aware that it is very difficult to cook breast meat without drying it out. This recipe will also work with alternative protein sources such as tofu or tempeh. Salt - Although mango chutney has a fair amount of salt, the glaze does not penetrate into the chicken, which is why it’s best to season the chicken with salt first. Garlic Curry Paste - By rubbing the chicken with a paste made from grated garlic and curry powder, you can infuse it with loads of spicy and savory flavor. I used my homemade Japanese Curry Powder, but a store-bought one or garam masala will work. Ginger is another delicious ingredient to add the rub if you have it. If you want to make this spicy, just add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the rub. Mango Chutney - Mango chutney is made of mangoes, salt, sugar, and spices which are all ingredients that would get added to mango glaze if you were making it from scratch. Since chutney includes all of these ingredients and it’s been cooked down until it’s nice and thick, it saves a ton of time over using fresh mango. I used Sharwoods Green Label Mango Chutney, but other brands should work fine.

How to Make Mango Chicken

You first want to trim off any connective tissue or excess skin and fat from your chicken thighs. Don’t overdo this, though, or you’ll lose the protective barrier that the skin and fat provide. Next, cut the chicken into manageable pieces. I usually cut chicken thighs in half, or if you’re using a whole deboned leg, cut it into 4 pieces. Season both sides of each piece of chicken with salt. To make the curry paste, stir the grated garlic and curry powder together in a bowl. You want this to be spreadable, so add a little water if it’s too firm. Next, spread the garlic curry paste onto the meat side of the chicken. You want to avoid getting it on the skin side as it’s more likely to burn due to the longer cooking time on the skin side. To pan-fry the chicken, heat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat and add the chicken skin-side down. Use tongs to press on the chicken to ensure the skin is making even contact with the pan as it cooks. It should take about four to five minutes for the skin to brown and become crisp. Once the skin side is browned and the chicken is about halfway cooked, flip it over. Continue pressing on it with tongs, and let it cook for another three to four minutes. If the chicken starts to brown too much before it’s fully cooked, turn down the heat and flip it back over so the skin side is facing down. When the chicken is done, use a paper towel and tongs to soak up the excess fat, but try to leave as much brown fond in the pan as possible. Pour the mango chutney into the pan. Glaze the chicken by flipping it over repeatedly to coat it with a thick layer of mango sauce. The chicken is done when the glaze has thickened up.

Serve it With

This mango chicken goes great with plain rice, but it’s also fantastic with garlic rice. For vegetables, it’s nice with some steamed carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower, but you could also serve it with green papaya salad for something that’s both refreshing and spicy.