Thai Mango Salad is a fresh, crunchy salad made with sour green mango, crisp vegetables, and a spicy Thai dressing. In Thailand it's called Yum Mamuang, and you'll find it at street stalls and on restaurant menus all over the country.
It's ready in 15 minutes, there's no cooking, and you can make the dressing days ahead. I serve it with Thai Fish Cakes, chicken, or anything from the BBQ, and there's never any left.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Every bite is sweet, sour, salty and spicy at once.
- It's ready in 15 minutes, and there's no cooking at all.
- You can adjust the heat, sweetness and tang to your taste.
- The dressing keeps for days in the fridge, so you can make it ahead.
- No fancy ingredients, just a green mango, fresh vegetables and a few pantry staples.
- It goes with anything grilled, and it's just as good as a light lunch on its own.
What Is Yum Mamuang?
Yum Mamuang is the Thai name for this green mango salad. It's made with unripe green mango, which is firm, crunchy, and sour, not sweet like the ripe ones you'd eat on their own.
The pounded version, Som Tam Mamuang, is another one you'll see on Thai menus.
When you buy mangoes for this salad, pick the ones that feel very firm, with no soft spots. If a mango smells sweet, it's too ripe for this recipe.
How to Julienne a Mango for Salad?
Use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to peel each section of mango. Lay it on its side and cut the tail end off.
Thinly slice it using a mandolin slicer until you get to the stone of the mango, and then cut the thin slices into julienne.
Repeat the same for the other side of the mango. If there's still flesh on the stone, slice it off with a paring knife, then discard the stone.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Ingredients for Thai Salad Dressing
- Red chili - I use 1 small chili with medium heat for the dressing but you can adjust the amount to your taste.
- Ginger - Use fresh root ginger for this recipe, not dry or powdered! They are widely available in supermarkets or Asian stores.
- Thai fish sauce - It is called "Nam Pla" in Thailand, and it goes into most Thai dressings and dipping sauces. You'll find it in Asian shops or large supermarkets.
- Lime - It adds acidity and tanginess to the dressing. You can substitute it with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
- Palm Sugar - It gives sweetness to the sauce. Adjust the amount to your taste. You can substitute it with brown sugar.
Ingredients for Thai Mango Salad
- Mango - Use a firm, unripe green mango. Ripe ones are too soft and sweet for this salad.
- Vegetables - I use the freshest vegetables I can find when I am making a salad. I prefer carrots, red peppers, bean sprouts, red onions, and gem lettuce for this colorful salad. Other vegetables you can use are cucumbers, spring onions, shallots, and cabbage.
How to Make Thai Mango Salad?
Prepare the Thai Dressing
Place all the dressing ingredients apart from the coriander/cilantro in a bowl of your food processor and blitz until combined.
Taste the dressing, adjust the seasonings according to your taste, and add the coriander/cilantro.
Blitz again using the pulse function for a few seconds until the coriander is finely chopped but not turned into a green mess.
Transfer the sauce into a bowl and proceed to prepare the mango and vegetables for the salad.
Prepare the Thai Mango Salad
Peel the mango and cut it into julienne, or dice it if you find it easier.
Prepare the rest of the vegetables, wash and dry the peppers, and cut them into strips.
Peel the red onion and finely slice it. Wash, peel, and julienne the carrot using a Thai peeler or a sharp knife.
Wash, dry using a salad spinner, and slice the gem lettuce.
Place all your vegetables in a large salad bowl and gently toss together until all combined.
Drizzle the sauce on top and serve immediately. Alternatively, you can serve the sauce on the side without mixing it with the vegetables.
This Thai Mango Salad recipe yields 2 large salads or 4 side salads.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- As with any fresh salad, use the best and freshest ingredients you can possibly get.
- Blitz the coriander/cilantro at the very end, just briefly until it is finely chopped to avoid green and messy-looking salad dressing.
- Taste and adjust the final flavor of your dressing to your liking by adding extra sugar, lime juice, or fish sauce.
- Add the salad dressing just before serving your salad, at the very last minute, to keep the freshness of the vegetables.
- Cut the mango slightly thick when you julienne it. Very thin shreds go soft and soggy in the dressing.
- You can make the dressing a few days ahead. The garlic mellows as it sits.
Variations
- Top the salad with a handful of roasted peanuts or cashews for extra crunch.
- Add dried shrimp or crispy fried shallots, the traditional Thai toppings.
- Toss in some fresh mint or Thai basil along with the coriander.
- Turn it into a main meal with grilled shrimp or chicken on top.
Serving Suggestions
This Thai Mango Salad goes with almost anything grilled.
I serve it with Fried Calamari (Calamari Fritti) or BBQ Grilled Shrimp Skewers, and it's just as good next to Baked Sea Bass in Foil.
For a takeaway-style dinner at home, try Salt and Pepper Chicken, Duck Spring Rolls, or my Chicken Wings Recipe.
If you want more on the table, add my Egg Fried Rice Recipe or some Fish Taco Slaw Recipe.
Storage and Make Ahead
This salad is best dressed and eaten straight away, as the dressing softens the mango the longer it sits. You can prep everything ahead though.
Store the cut vegetables and the dressing separately in airtight containers in the fridge.
The vegetables keep fresh for up to 48 hours, and the dressing keeps for up to 10 days. Toss them together just before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but the salad will be softer and sweeter. Add extra lime juice to balance the sweetness, and serve it straight away because ripe mango softens quickly in the dressing.
Yes. Use soy sauce instead, starting with the same amount and adjusting to taste. The flavor changes a little, but it works well and makes the salad vegetarian.
Yes, it is very common to use green papaya for salads in Thailand. If you can get hold of green papayas, make sure to pick the firm ones to add some crunch to your salad.
Som Tam, the green papaya salad, is probably the most famous Thai salad. Green mango salad uses the same style of dressing, so if you like one, you will like the other.
Related Recipes
For more delicious Asian-inspired recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this vibrant and refreshing Spicy Thai Mango Salad as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Thai Mango Salad
Ingredients
For the Spicy Thai Dressing
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 red chili
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 ½ tablespoon palm sugar
- ¼ bunch coriander/cilantro
For Thai Mango Salad
- 1 green mango
- 3 ½ oz carrot (100 g)
- 3 oz bean sprouts (80 g)
- 1 ½ oz red onion (40 g)
- 2 ½ oz red pepper (70 g)
- 4-5 leaves gem lettuce
Instructions
Prepare the Thai Dressing
- Place all the dressing ingredients apart from the coriander/cilantro in a bowl of your food processor and blitz until combined.
- Taste the dressing, adjust the seasonings according to your taste, and add the coriander/cilantro.
- Blitz again using the pulse function for a few seconds until the coriander is finely chopped but not turned into a green mess.
- Transfer the sauce into a bowl and proceed to prepare the mango and vegetables for the salad.
Prepare the Thai Mango Salad
- Peel the mango and cut it into julienne, or dice it if you find it easier.
- Prepare the rest of the vegetables, wash and dry the peppers, and cut them into strips.
- Peel the red onion and finely slice it.
- Wash, peel, and julienne the carrot using a Thai peeler or a sharp knife.
- Wash, dry using a salad spinner, and slice the gem lettuce.
- Place all your vegetables in a large salad bowl and gently toss together until all combined.
- Drizzle the sauce on top and serve immediately. Alternatively, you can serve the sauce on the side without mixing it with the vegetables.
Notes
- As with any fresh salad, use the best and freshest ingredients you can possibly get.
- Cut the mango slightly thick when you julienne it. Very thin shreds go soft and soggy in the dressing.
- Blitz the coriander/cilantro at the very end, just briefly until it is finely chopped to avoid green and messy-looking salad dressing.
- Taste and adjust the final flavor of your dressing to your liking by adding extra sugar, lime juice, or fish sauce.
- You can make the dressing a few days ahead. The garlic mellows as it sits.
- Add the salad dressing just before serving your salad, at the very last minute, to keep the freshness of the vegetables.
- Store the vegetables and the dressing separately in airtight containers. The vegetables keep fresh for up to 48 hours, and the dressing keeps for up to 10 days.
Jenny says
That was a delicious, spicy and pretty looking salad. I will definitely be making it again!