Pineapple Mango Salsa Chicken (Easy One-Pan Dish)
This Pineapple Mango Salsa Chicken recipe features a sumptuous variety of flavors, but its beauty is in its simplicity. So, whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner option or make-ahead lunch idea, give this easy salsa chicken recipe a try!
I like to cook with fresh seasonal ingredients as much as possible but sometimes life gets busy and there’s not always enough time to source and prepare everything from scratch. In those times, relying on store-bought items and shortcuts can help get dinner on the table quickly without sacrificing taste or quality. Whether it’s pre-cut vegetables, canned or frozen produce, or ready-made sauces and seasonings, these options can provide the building blocks for delicious and convenient meals.
This easy, one-pan pineapple mango salsa with chicken recipe is a good example of this because it works great with either fresh or frozen ingredients (or a combination of both). Just grab a jar of your favorite tomato-based salsa, some chicken, fresh or frozen pineapple, mango, bell pepper, and onion. The juicy and sweet pineapple and mango blend perfectly with the spicy salsa, adding great depth of flavor to the chicken. Serve it along with this quick-and-easy recipe for Coconut Rice to really level up on those tropical flavors!
This meal is perfect for busy weeknights but also exciting enough for entertaining guests. And it can all be ready in under 30 minutes! This makes it a convenient option for those who want to enjoy a delicious meal without spending too much time on cooking and cleanup. It also freezes well. I like to put a scoop each of the rice and the salsa chicken into individual sized containers for freezing so I’ve got some convenient and healthy homemade lunches or dinners to have on hand.
Table of contents
What you’ll need to make Pineapple Mango Salsa Chicken
Here are the main ingredients with some pro tips and potential substitutions:
- Chicken breast – Defrosted if frozen. Shrimp or fish are good variations to try as substitutes for the chicken. Pork loin would also work.
- Cornstarch – You could use flour instead for coating the chicken before frying, but cornstarch makes it extra golden.
- Bell pepper – Fresh or frozen works, sometimes I just buy one of those bags of frozen chopped bell pepper and onion mixes for this recipe. If you prefer your veggies a little crisper when cooked, then stick to fresh.
- Onion – Same recommendation as the bell pepper.
- Salsa – Your favorite storebought tomato salsa should work great, or you can use a salsa that already comes with pineapple or mango. But if you do, I don’t recommend skipping the pineapple and mango in this recipe because you will miss out on those larger bites of flavorful fruit. I also like to go a little bit spicy on the salsa selection because the creamy coconut rice provides a nice, cooling balance. This hot and spicy Aplenty Pineapple Salsa made with Habanero and Ghost peppers from Amazon is a favorite of mine.
- Pineapple – I usually use frozen because I have it on hand to make smoothies. If using fresh, make sure to add it at the very end of cooking or it’s likely to get a bit mushy or broken down in the sauce.
- Mango – Same recommendations as the pineapple. If you only have one or the other (pineapple or mango) just double the amount used. You could also substitute peaches for the mango.
- Coconut Rice – if you plan to make the coconut rice to serve with the salsa chicken, start by cooking it first so it will be done by the time the chicken is ready. Click the link for the recipe here: Coconut Rice.
Step-by-step instructions
*For full recipe with ingredient portions, scroll down to the recipe card below.
- If using fresh produce, wash, prep and chop into 1.5-inch bite-sized pieces.
- Cut the chicken breast into about 1-inch cubes. Place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Then add the cornstarch and stir to coat the chicken.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add two tablespoons oil and once heated, sear and cook the chicken, flipping and turning until golden brown about 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Add one tablespoon oil to the skillet. Then stir fry the peppers and onions until softened about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the salsa, pineapple, and mango and then add the chicken back in. Turn down the heat to medium and cook until heated through about 4-5 minutes. And that’s it, it is ready to eat!
Serving suggestions
- This Coconut Rice recipe is my go-to companion dish for this salsa chicken recipe, or you could serve it with other types of rice.
- You could also serve the salsa chicken as a filling for tacos or tostadas.
- If you are avoiding carbs, you could serve it in lettuce wraps.
- This dish is so flavorful on its own but topping it with some fresh sliced avocado is so good! And toasted coconut is great topping if serving it with the coconut rice.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftover mango pineapple chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It can also be frozen up to 3 months.
- It reheats easily in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat in about 3-5 minutes depending on the portion size.
Let me know if you’ve made this pineapple mango chicken recipe or have any questions in the comments below!
More Maplevine Kitchen recipes to try!
Pineapple Mango Salsa Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 16oz jar tomato salsa
- 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks (chopped if using fresh)
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks (chopped if using fresh)
- 1 avocado sliced (optional)
Instructions
- If using fresh produce, wash, prep, and chop into 1-inch pieces.
- Cut the chicken breasts into about 1-inch cubes. Place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Then add the cornstarch and stir to coat the chicken.
- Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large-bottomed pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, stir fry the chicken until golden brown about 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Add one tablespoon of oil to the skillet if needed and then stir fry the peppers and onions until softened about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the salsa, pineapple, and mango and add the chicken back in. Turn down heat to medium and cook until heated through about 4-5 minutes.
- Serve over Coconut Rice and top with sliced avocado.
Notes
Serving suggestions
-
- This Coconut Rice recipe is my go-to companion dish for this salsa chicken recipe, or you could serve it with other types of rice.
-
- You could also serve the salsa chicken as a filling for tacos or tostadas.
-
- If you are avoiding carbs, you could serve it in lettuce cups.
-
- There’s not a whole lot of toppings I recommend because the dish is so flavorful on its own but topping it with some fresh sliced avocado is perfect! And some toasted coconut is great with the coconut rice.
Leftovers and storage
-
- Leftover salsa chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It can be frozen up to 3-4 months.
-
- It reheats easily in the microwave in about 4-5 minutes depending on the portion size.
