Mango Chicken Quinoa Salad

Sharing one of our favorite quinoa salad recipes today! My Mango Chicken Quinoa Salad makes the perfect salad for parties and side salad to your favorite meals!

Quinoa Salad

This simple summer quinoa salad has all of my favorite ingredients that are perfect for a light lunch on it’s own or as a side salad with a main dish. I like to make extra so I have some in the refrigerator for the next day to enjoy. Mango, chicken, vegetables, and quinoa in a light lemon dressing….you are in for a healthy treat! If you haven’t been a fan of quinoa in the past, give this salad a try, you’ll love it!

Try my Quinoa Party Salad recipe too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.

How To Make Quinoa Salad

  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. When done cooking, transfer it to a large bowl and toss with a fork. Let cool for 30 minutes or so tossing every 5 minutes.
  2. Add broccoli, chicken, mango, carrots, olives, roasted red bell peppers, parmesan and Feta cheese to quinoa, stirring to combine.
  3. To make dressing, place oil, lemon, salt and pepper into a mason jar with a lid. Close lid and shake for 30 seconds or so until well combined. Pour over quinoa and stir to combine. Taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve room temperature or chilled.

What Is Quinoa?

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-whah”) a grain, but it’s actually a seed — one that originated thousands of years ago in the Andes Mountains. Dubbed “the gold of the Incas,” it’s treasured because of its nutritive value (more protein than any other grain or seed!). It’s loved for its yummy, nutty flavor.

How To Cook Quinoa

Cooking quinoa is actually simple. First, you want to rinse the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse with cold water for a minute.

To cook quinoa, use one part quinoa to two parts liquid.  Place both the quinoa and the liquid in a saucepan, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and let the seeds cook for 10 to 15 minutes — or until the water is absorbed, the seed is translucent and the germ is partially detached.

When cooked, quinoa has a crunchy, nutty flavor. It works great in savory side salads, mixed into veggie burgers and more. I also love it as a hot breakfast cereal — just pour in some cow, soy or almond milk and add chopped nuts for a crunchy topping.

quinoa salad

Mango Chicken Quinoa Salad

This Mango Chicken Quinoa Salad is perfect for serving at parties and goes great as a side salad to your favorite meals!
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Cool Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 375kcal
Author: Jenny
Cost: $10
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 2-3 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 cup cooked shredded chicken breast
  • 1 large ripe mango diced
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Simple Lemon Dressing

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Cook quinoa according to package directions. When done cooking, transfer it to a large bowl and toss with a fork. Let cool for 30 minutes or so tossing every 5 minutes.
  • Add broccoli, chicken, mango, carrots, olives, roasted red bell peppers, parmesan and Feta cheese to quinoa, stirring to combine.
  • To make dressing, place oil, lemon, salt and pepper into a mason jar with a lid. Close lid and shake for 30 seconds or so until well combined. Pour over quinoa and stir to combine. Taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Nutrition

Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 609mg | Potassium: 376mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2510IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 2mg
Keywords: best quinoa salad recipe, chicken mango salad, quinoa, quinoa salad, quinoa salad recipe

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30 Responses
  1. Pamela Heiligenthal @ Enobytes

    A unique recipe deserves a unique wine pairing. I think a light, crisp Spanish white Godello would pair well. Looking forward to trying the recipe.

  2. The Healthy Apple

    Beautiful, Jenny! Love this recipe. It’s perfect for my gluten-free buddies! xoxo Hope you are well.

  3. Kelly McCormick

    Just so you know, you say to add red bell peppers in during the recipe, but it’s not listed in the ingredients!

  4. Jenifer

    I love Quinoa. It is my new favorite food. However, I am not a fan of mangos. How do you think this dish would do if you replaced the bleu cheese with feta and eliminated the mango? Would you substiture cherry tomatoes to make it more greek and fit with the feta? (I wish I could make up recipes! I am no good at that though!)
    Thanks,
    Jen

  5. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com

    Lovely salad, Jenny! I am not a big fan of blue cheese, which would you recommend as a sub? 🙂

  6. Mandy schneider

    Hi Jenny…quick question..I really need to figure out Twitter..I was looking into ordering your cookbook on Amazon and I see that they are offering it Kindle addition. I think that’s the route I want to go but do you happen to know if they will charge me now or when it comes out? What day will it come out so I know to put money into my account lol? TY 🙂

    1. Jenny

      Hi Mandy, I believe Amazon will charge you now and as soon as the book comes out (October 16th) you will get it. Let me know if you have any other questions!! Thanks so much for getting my book, I can’t wait to share it with everyone!!

      1. Mandy schneider

        Awesome thank you! Can’t wait to see it! You should have a book signing in Disneyland two birds one stone for me lol!!!!

  7. Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel

    This sounds awesome! What a light and refreshing dish for the end of the summer 🙂

  8. Kathleen Richardson

    Jenny, I just had quinoa for supper with salmon, but your recipe is calling to me. So, I’m going to pin it, right away, on my Pinterest Salad Board. Yay ~ mangos, kalamata olives, blue cheese!

    Keep writing…

  9. Kristi

    Hi Jenny! Quinoa is a fave of mine! Can’t wait to try this. Your directions state to add roasted red peppers, but they aren’t on the list of ingredients. Did you add them to your recipe? Love your blog!!

  10. Melissa @ Treats With a Twist

    I love quinoa salads! And mango adds the perfect sweet note. Great idea!

  11. j3nn

    Oooh, blue cheese with sweetness and salty olives sounds like a winning combo! Can’t help but wonder how a drizzle of honey might taste on this as well. 🙂

  12. Karin - The F Girl

    We have been eating a lot of quinoa lately and this recipe looks like a perfect addition to our repertoire. Thank you so much for sharing, it looks delicious and so fresh!

  13. Averie @ Averie Cooks

    I love mango and I bet it adds just a great flavor to this dish – with the blue cheese quinoa, mmmmmm!

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