This Coconut Mango Chicken is baked to perfection as it soaks up warm spices and the delicious flavors of the marinade. It's a super comforting main course and is perfect over rice or noodles.
My mom and I loved the Mango Chicken Curry at our local Indian restaurant. And by loved, I mean we could eat the sauce alone with a spoon, or even drink it. Perhaps with a straw. Or not. It was so dreamy!
The coconut mango marinade and sauce here was 100% inspired from the one at the Indian restaurant, and I've been making it now for years.
Mine is far from authentic Indian, and other than the heat from the cayenne, it contains no curry spices. However, it's very reminiscent of the sauce my mom and loved so much, so mission accomplished.
Chicken on the bone, with or without skin, is baked after sitting overnight in the-easy-to-make marinade. The marinade is later cooked and becomes a rich and creamy sauce that's drizzled over the chicken. It's scrumptious!
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The Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil - I love Spanish olive oils.
- coconut milk - Full-fat or light.
- fresh mango - Most mangoes are peak season during the summer (in the U.S.), though among a few others, in the winter you can find Keitt mangoes (from Australia) and Sapūrana Mangos, which are globally sourced year-round. A ripe mango should be slightly firm with a little bit of give when gently pressed with your fingers. (More about choosing the best mangoes.) If you can't find any good fresh mangoes, you can use frozen. Let the mango pieces thaw completely before using them.
- cayenne pepper - If you don't want any heat in the dish, omit the cayenne. You can use a pinch or two of cinnamon instead.
- honey
- chicken - Cut up chicken, bone-in, skin on or off. Fresh raw chicken should be a light pink color with white pieces of fat, little to no odor, soft and moist. Chicken baked on the bone it's incredibly juicy -- and if the skin bakes with it, it's often even juicier. Still, coconut mango chicken is also delicious with boneless chicken breasts.
- cilantro - For garnish. You can substitute basil for the cilantro if desired, or skip it if you'd like.
(See recipe card below for quantities.)
* Check out this photographic tutorial with three methods for cutting mangoes.
How to Make it
- Add the coconut milk, mango and cayenne pepper to a powerful blender and blend until it's very smooth. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Add the chicken pieces to the baking dish, moving them around so both sides are well coated with the marinade. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, and ideally overnight. Try to flip them over at least once during that time, even if it's only for an hour.
- After the chicken has marinated, preheat the oven to 450°F, line a sheet pan with parchment, and then evenly drizzle it with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and place them on the baking sheet, with a couple of inches between them. Do not rub the marinade off the chicken, but let any excess drip off into the baking pan. (Do not throw it out -- it will become the sauce later in the recipe.)
- Season both sides of the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper, skin side up (or the side up where the skin was, if it's removed).
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the honey evenly over the chicken and place the baking sheet in the preheated 450°F oven. Once you see the chicken sizzling, after about 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 375°F.
- Bake just until the chicken is cooked through. The smaller pieces will be ready first, about about 15 to 25 minutes, and the breasts after about 30 to 35 minutes.
- As you remove them from the oven, place them on a large plate or platter and cover with foil. (They should have a nice golden color when they're done, and if they don't, you put them under the broiler just to brown them, about 30 seconds.)
- While the chicken is baking, add the remaining marinade to a small saucepan. Add the last teaspoon of honey and another pinch or two of cayenne pepper, and bring to a boil. Let it boil for about 30 seconds, then turn the heat to low and simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle it over the chicken.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of chicken on the bone, be careful that you don't bake them too long (bone-in is a bit more forgiving). Also, don't start with the oven at 450°F, set it to 375°F to begin with. The cooking time will be at about 10 minutes less.
- you can also use the sauce with fish. Since it's a thicker sauce, use a fish that's not too delicate, like Mahi Mahi or Halibut.
Recipe Tips
- Not all mangoes are a vibrant orange, and once the mango pulp mixes with coconut milk, it'll become lighter. If your mango marinade/sauce is a lighter color than you'd like, you can saturate it a bit by using annato seed oil instead of olive oil. It's easy to make and is a natural way to add a gold color to foods without changing the flavor.
- The best recipe results always starts with the best ingredients. So if you can't find good mangoes (i.e. that taste delicious), go with frozen.
- When baking chicken pieces that vary in size, to avoid overcooking the smaller pieces, remove them as they're ready. First the wings, then the legs, thighs, and finally the breasts, which will always take the longest, as they're the thickest. Start checking the wings and legs after about 15 minutes.
- If the chicken isn't golden on top by the end of the baking time, you can place the pan under the broiler for about 30 seconds. This is not necessary, but most foods look better with a golden touch. (Watch the chicken carefully while it's under the broiler because it'll only take seconds, not minutes.
- When you're making the sauce, it's very important to bring the marinade to a boil and let it boil for a bit before simmering it. This is a must any time you cook a marinade after raw poultry or meats have been in it.
Serving Suggestions
- Mango Coconut Chicken is absolutely perfect served with Coconut Cilantro Rice. It's like they were made for each other. 😉
- My second rice choice to serve with it is Basil Rice. It's always a plus to serve a dish with an amazing sauce like this with something that will soak up any that's left on the plate. (Pasta is great, too.)
- It's lovely with Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad, Blood Orange Pistachio Salad and Pea Shoot Salad.
- When I serve it with the cilantro rice, I usually add a simple lemony asparagus side.
- The sauce alone can have other uses, too. Try drizzling it over pork chops, tossing it with roasted vegetables like sweet parsnips and adding it to blackened fish tacos.
Making it Ahead
- Since the chicken is cooked on the bone, it'll be extra juicy and will be delicious for a couple of days.
- You can make the entire dish up to 2 days ahead. Let it cool completely, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The day you're serving it, remove it from the fridge about an hour beforehand. Then heat it in a preheated 375°F oven just until it's hot, about 15 minutes.
More Must-Try Recipes with Mango
- Mango Salad with Basil
- Mango Avocado Toast
- Avocado Mango Salsa with Chipotles
- Chipotle Mango Quesadilla Recipe
- Tomato-Mango Endive Appetizer
I really hope you give this Coconut Mango Chicken recipe a go, and enjoy every last bite!
I'm telling you, you will love it. As will anyone you serve it to!
Coconut Mango Chicken Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (full-fat or light)
- ½ cup mango, roughly chopped
- about ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey, divided
- 1 (approximately 3½-pound) whole cut-up chicken, bone-in, skin-on or off
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- a few fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish, washed and dried
Instructions
- Make the marinade/sauce. Add the coconut milk, mango and cayenne pepper to a powerful blender and purée until it's very smooth. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and then stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Marinate. Add the chicken pieces to the baking dish, moving them around so both sides are well coated with the marinade. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, and ideally overnight. Try to flip them over at least once during that time, even if it's only for an hour.
- Preheat oven and prepare a sheet pan. After the chicken has marinated, preheat the oven to 450°F, line a sheet pan with parchment, and then evenly drizzle it with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Prepare to bake. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and place them on the baking sheet, with a couple of inches between them. Do not rub the marinade off the chicken, but let any excess drip off into the baking pan. (Do not throw it out -- it will become the sauce later in the recipe.)Season both sides of the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper, skin side up (or the side up where the skin was, if it's removed).
- Bake. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the honey evenly over the chicken and place the baking sheet in the preheated 450°F oven. Once you see the chicken sizzling, after about 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 375°F. Bake just until the chicken is cooked through -- I remove the pieces at different times to avoid overcooking the smaller pieces -- the wings should be done after about 15 minutes, the legs and thighs after about 20 to 25 minutes, and the breasts after about 30 to 35 minutes. As you remove them from the oven, place them on a large plate or platter and cover with foil. (They should have a nice golden color when they're done, and if they don't, put them under the broiler just to brown them, about 30 seconds.)
- Make the sauce. While the chicken is baking, add the remaining marinade to a small saucepan. Add the last teaspoon of honey and another pinch or two of cayenne pepper, depending on how much heat your want, and bring to a boil. Let it boil for about 30 seconds, then turn the heat to low and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle it over the chicken. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
- Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs and serve!
NOTES
NUTRITION
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Chelsea
This recipe looks great - do you think it could be made with boneless skinless breasts or thighs?
valentina
Hi Chelsea, yes, you can use boneless, skinless breast or thighs -- in this case, don't start with the oven at 450. Set it to 375 to begin with, and the cooking time will be much less. (Marinate for the same amount of time.) Enjoy!
Jessica M.
We made this tonight! It was excellent! We seasoned the chicken beforehand with paprika and cumin, and then baked it in the sauce (we didn't marinate it overnight). Served it topped with cilantro, slice of lime, and cauli-rice with chunks of mango/cilantro tossed in. It was excellent! Thanks for the easy recipe!
valentina
Thanks so much for sharing Jessica! So happy you enjoyed this recipe. It's one of my favorites. Your cauliflower rice, mango, cilantro & lime to go with it, sound perfect. How delicious!
Lisa M
I made this tonight and overall it was delicious! I used fresh mango (two made a 1/2 cup) and the house still smells really good. My dad and I like curry but my mom and husband do not and I wanted something that I could make in the oven that was still summery...perfect!!
The cooking times were off for the chicken I used and I have very limited experience with bone-in chicken (as in, none) so this might have been my fault. With the varied cooking times and absolutely delicious, juicy flavors, I’d do this in the crock pot next time. A lot easier to do in the summer also, when I am most likely to make this. Gave me inspiration for a regular curry for the winter too!
Served this with plain jasmine rice topped with the sauce (be sure to boil it of course!) and a summer spinach salad...spinach, blueberry, pineapple, strawberries, and pecan.
valentina
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for all of this great feedback. First, I'm thrilled you loved the dish!
I'm sorry the timing was off for you. There are many variables with timing, the thickness of the pieces of chicken, how well the oven is calibrated, the thickness of the baking dish, and so on. I'm so happy it still turned out well and that it was delicious. Making it in a crock pot is a great idea. Please let me know how it goes. And your salad sounds amazing -- the essence of summer! I'm inspired by it. 🙂 Thank you again - for your comments, and for checking out my recipes and cooking them! Makes me happy!
John Wiankowski
I live in Belize and the fresh fruits are terrific. My favorite in season is the mango. I eat one every morning. The season is over now but I will do this recipe the next time around.
valentina
Thank you, John. A mango every morning sounds dreamy! As does living in Belize. 🙂 Thanks for checking out my recipes and I hope when you try this one, you thoroughly enjoy it. ~Valentina
CK
Tried this recipe and we absolutely love it. I played around a bit and added two things that I think are worth a note: Fresh jalepeno to the blended mixture and fresh squeezed lime once the chicken was plated. Give the lime a try!
valentina
Hi! Thanks so much for sharing this. Adding the jalapeño and lime sounds divine, and I will definitely try it next time. Great idea! So happy you loved it -- it's one of our favorites. I hope you have a lovely weekend, and thanks for making my recipes. 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
We always, always, have coconut milk on hand and this looks like the most delicious use for it! Talk about a fabulous dish! I'm such a huge fan of savoury and sweet combos so I'm ALL over this! Adding to the menu 🙂
valentina
I love savory+sweet too! Always and all ways. 😉 Thanks, Dawn, and enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina
Marissa
What a spectacular dish. My mouth is literally watering thinking of this mango sauce. Definitely need this in my life!
valentina
Yay! Hope you love it. Thank you, Marissa. 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced
What a fun flavor idea, Valentina! I typically don't think of a sweeter sauce with chicken, but I'm on board with the coconut + mango flavors here. This recipe is packed with flavor...just like I like!
valentina
Thanks so much, David! 🙂 ~Valentina
L. A. Bad
Hello! Couple of questions here, Valentina. If I make annato oil with ground annatto instead of the seeds, how much ground do you think I should add to the 2 Tbsp of oil? Also, I want to try fish, as you suggested, instead of chicken. How should I go about it? Thank you for sharing this recipe.
valentina
Hi there, and thanks for writing in. 🙂 I would use 1 teaspoon of the ground annatto seeds. And for fish . . . the rule of thumb is generally 10 mins cooking time per inch. If you use something like Mahi Mahi, follow the directions through the marinating process and then season the fish as you would the chicken. The oven should be preheated to 375°F (NOT 450°F), and then bake for about 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. It will not brown, the way the chicken does, but should be delicious! Any mild white fish should work well! I hope this helps. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina (And Happy New Year!)
ripon hassan
You have descried the recipe so nicely and that really helped me. Looking forward for more of such recipes.
valentina
Thank you so much! 🙂 ~Valentina
Julie
Perfect, thank you. XxxX
valentina
Yay! Thank you. 🙂 ~Valentina
Mimi Rippee
This sounds wonderful. I love all of these flavors!
Valentina
Thank you, Mimi. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Cathy
I made this last night and we all loved it! Mango are so delicious right now which really adds to the wow factor.
I served it with coconut-cilantro cauliflower rice. Delish!
Valentina
Yay! Cathy, I'm so happy you enjoyed this chicken dish, and brilliant to use the cauliflower rice with cilantro. Thank you! 🙂 ~Valentina
Helen
Hi there, I really hope you’re still monitoring this. I was wondering if you could adapt this recipe for the slow cooker?
Thank you
Valentina
Hi Helen, I am absolutely still monitoring my site. In fact I just posted a new recipe this morning. 🙂 As for making the mango chicken in a slow cooker, after you've marinated it, add it to the slow cooker and cook, covered, on low until chicken it's tender, about 4-5 hours. This is based on my research, but I can't make any guarantees, as I have not tested it this way. It seems to me it should work and be delicious. Cheers and thanks for checking out my recipes. ~Valentina
Helen
Oh that’s wonderful! Thank you so much Valentina, I’ll give it a crack and report back. Thanks again!