This Chicken Mango Salad with Bacon is crunchy, tangy, and tropical with a tiny hint of spiciness thanks to mango habanero bacon and a chili lime vinaigrette!
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As the weather starts to get warmer, I am once again craving those bright, fresh flavors of spring and summer. I find myself shopping for more and more produce and making big salads loaded with an abundance of colorful veggies and healthier proteins. But it's not just fresh fruits and veggies that I've been eating. I've also found myself snacking on dried fruits like pineapple and mango strips. Anything with a tropical vibe!
I wanted to make a salad that had some of those tropical flavors with a hint of spiciness. So I ordered Mango Habanero Lollipops (and then some) from JD's House of Bacon. My idea was to fry up the bacon, add the Mango Habanero glaze, and add the flavored bacon to a salad made with chicken, dried mango strips, a homemade lime vinaigrette, and other fresh ingredients.
JD's is a food truck that also sells skewered bacon, bacon lollipops, and bacon crumbles in a variety of different flavors on their website. The great thing about ordering from JD's House of Bacon is that the flavored glazes come separate from the bacon, so you can adjust the amount of glaze you want. I added a couple tablespoons of the mango habanero glaze. The heat from the glaze is just enough to "tickle" your taste buds.
Chicken Mango Salad with Bacon
This salad starts with a bed of crispy Romaine lettuce. Then, it's topped with sliced chicken breast, JD's Mango Habanero Lollipops, dried mango strips, grape tomatoes, chopped green onions, and lime vinaigrette. It's tangy, slightly sweet, and just the right amount of spicy!
This salad is a great way to use leftover chicken! Then, all you have to do is cook up some bacon, put together the salad, and whip up a quick lime vinaigrette. It's easy, delicious, and full of flavor that's perfect for spring and summertime!
Since my chicken was already cooked, all I had to do was cook the bacon. Heat a skillet over medium and add the bacon. Cook it until crispy, about 10 minutes. Drain, remove the lollipop sticks, and then toss the bacon in mango habanero sauce.
Now all that's left to do is assemble your salad. Add the Romaine lettuce, bacon, chicken, cucumber, mango strips, bell pepper, tomato, and scallions to a salad bowl.
The easiest way to mix up homemade dressing is in a mason jar. So grab a small jar, add all of the dressing ingredients, and give it a good shake! Then, pour it onto the salad, toss, and enjoy!
Chicken Mango Salad with Bacon
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 package JD's House of Bacon Mango Habanero Lollipops + 2 tbsp. Mango Habanero glaze
- 4 cups Romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper cut into thin strips
- 1/2 cup dried mango strips
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes sliced
- 1 scallion chopped
For the dressing:
- 1 lime juiced
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the salad:
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook for 10 minutes, or until desired crispness is achieved.
- Drain bacon on a paper towel and remove sticks.
- Place the bacon in a small bowl and add the Mango Habanero glaze, stirring to coat the bacon. Set aside.
- In a salad bowl, add the lettuce and top with the sliced chicken, bell pepper, mango strips, grape tomatoes, and bacon.
- Sprinkle with chopped scallions and prepare the dressing.
For the dressing:
- Add all of the ingredients to a small mason jar. Replace the lid and give it a good shake.
- Pour dressing over the salad, toss, and serve.
Every single bite of this salad is full of flavor! The mango, the lime, the hint of spice, the crunch of the veggies, the chicken, and the saltiness of the bacon work so well together! This salad is flavor perfection!
Did you make this Spicy Chicken Mango Salad with Bacon recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!
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