These Grilled Chicken Breasts are marinated with garlic, lime, and spices, then topped with a fresh mango black bean salsa for the ultimate high-protein summer dinner. It’s packed with lean protein, fiber, and bright fresh flavor—perfect for grilling season, meal prep, or an easy weeknight meal.
Grilled Chicken with Black Bean Mango Salsa
Living on Long Island, I’m always looking for easy summer dinners that make the most of grilling season, and this is one I’ve been making for years—it’s actually one of the earliest recipes I ever shared on Skinnytaste, and one I still make every summer. The chicken gets marinated in garlic, lime, and spices which keeps it juicy and flavorful, but it’s the fresh mango black bean salsa that really makes it. The sweetness of the mango with the lime, cilantro, and black beans tastes so fresh and summery, plus it adds extra fiber to make the meal more balanced and satisfying. I love serving this with rice, grilled corn, or just as-is for a lighter high-protein dinner.
Why This Grilled Chicken Recipe Works
I love taking advantage of warm weather and grilling outside during the summer. Bonus points for dishes that are just as fast and easy as they are delicious. This simple grilled chicken with black bean mango salsa delivers on all of that.
- Fast: The marinating time is hands-off, and the chicken grills in under 10 minutes.
- Healthy: It’s naturally gluten-free and high in protein and fiber.
- Easy to prep ahead: Slice the chicken and make the salsa a day early.
Ingredients You’ll Need
When buying mangoes, choose a firm one that gives slightly when pressed. It shouldn’t be too soft or too hard. To ripen it, leave it on the counter for a day or two. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Remove any fat and slice them in half lengthwise. Using a good pair of kitchen scissors will make this task easier than using a knife.
- Spices: Salt, black pepper, cumin, and dried oregano season the chicken.
- Lime juice for the chicken marinade and black bean salsa dressing
- Red onion adds crunch and sharpness, which mellows when mixed with lime juice and mango.
- Olive oil helps balance the acidity and keeps the salsa from being too dry.
- Salt for seasoning the salsa
- Black beans add protein and fiber. Just rinse and drain them before mixing with the other ingredients.
- Mango for sweetness. Peel and dice a ripe mango into small pieces.
- Cilantro for freshness.
- Jalapeño: For spicy salsa, keep the ribs and seeds. For a milder version, remove them before dicing the pepper.
How to Make Chicken with Mango Black Bean Salad
While the chicken marinates, prepare the salsa and preheat the grill. You can even make the salsa a day ahead if that works better with your schedule. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Marinate the chicken in lime juice and spices for at least 1 hour, or up to 5 hours, in the refrigerator. More time means more flavor.
- Make the salsa: Mix all the black bean salsa ingredients in a bowl, then taste and adjust the salt as needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Grill the chicken on a grill pan on the stove or an outdoor grill. Cook on both sides for about 3 minutes, then check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer.
- How to serve: Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes to keep it juicy, then slice and serve with salsa.
Customize It
- Protein Options: This black bean mango salsa would work with almost any protein, such as chicken thighs, pork tenderloin, shrimp, or white fish. If using seafood, only marinate for 20 minutes.
- Onion: Swap red onion with shallot.
- No mango? Try it with diced pineapple or peaches, or use thawed frozen mango.
- Hate cilantro? Skip it, or replace it with chives.
- Make it spicier and use a serrano with the seeds and ribs still intact.
- Add other vegetables, such as avocado or bell peppers.
Serving Suggestions
Complete the meal with one of the side dish recipes below, or make tacos, rice bowls, or salads (with chopped romaine) with the chicken and black bean mango salsa.
Add a side dish
Storage
- Refrigerate the chicken and salsa separately for up to 4 days.
- Reheat the chicken in the microwave or air fryer until it’s warm, then top with the cold salsa.
- Freeze the chicken for up to 3 months. I wouldn’t freeze the salsa.
More Grilled Chicken Recipes for Easy Dinners
For more healthy dinner ideas, check out these five delicious grilled chicken breast recipes to inspire your next summer meal!
- The Best Grilled Chicken Breasts
- Grilled Chicken Tacos with Lettuce Slaw, Avocado, and Cotija
- Zesty Lime Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Breast (Grilled or Air Fryer)
- California Grilled Chicken Avocado and Mango Salad
Grilled Chicken with Black Bean Mango Salsa
Equipment
- grill or grill pan
Ingredients
- 16 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise to make 4 thin cutlets
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 lime, juice of
For the Mango Black Bean Salsa (makes about 2 ½ cups):
- ¼ cup red onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced
- 1 jalapeño, chopped (keep seeds if you want it spicy)
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in a large non-reactive bowl with remaining ingredients, toss well to coat and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- In a medium bowl, combine the red onion, lime juice, olive oil and season with salt, to taste.
- Mix well then combine with the remaining ingredients; refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Heat the grill or a grill pan to medium high, discard the chicken marinade and grill the chicken breasts about 3 minutes on each side, or until the center is cooked through.
- Transfer to a cutting board and slice the chicken on the bias.
- Serve the sliced chicken topped with mango black bean salsa.
Can the salsa be made a day ahead or is it best fresh?
Delicious. It was raining, so we air-fried the cutlets. Also, I used a whole can of black beans because what would I do with the little bit left from the can? Definitely will make again.
This recipe was a huge hit! The grilled chicken was delicious, but the real star of the show was the mango black bean salad. My mom initially turned her nose up at it because she insists black beans belong only in chili, but after trying it, she told me she could have eaten a whole bowl of just the mango and black bean salad!
I served it with coconut rice, and the combination of the chicken, salad, and rice was absolutely amazing. The sweet mango, savory chicken, fresh flavors, and creamy coconut rice all worked so well together. This is definitely one we’ll be making again and again. Highly recommend!
Made this recipe last week and we loved it. It is a great combination of flavors and textures and is so easy to make. The few leftovers we had disappeared the next day! This one is going into the rotation!!
Fricking awesome! My finicky husband went back for seconds.
We loved this! Quick and easy after marinating. I cooked the chicken in the air fryer since we don’t have a grill available, and omitted the jalapenos due to allergy. Definitely going on the repeat list.
Looks Delicious!
Always enjoy this – quick to prepare and quite delicious!
My daughter is allergic to mango & peaches & doesn’t like pineapple. Any other ideas? I love everything else about this recipe & want to try it tonight
Maybe a tomato based salsa- https://www.skinnytaste.com/easy-no-cook-salsa-recipe/ or a pico https://www.skinnytaste.com/pico-de-gallo-salsa-0-pts/
Love this chicken on the grill but can you make in an air fryer?
Sure!
Wow, Gina. This salsa is really simple, but it packs a lot of flavour. We loved it so much, we made it twice this past weekend.
This was such an EASY and fresh summer meal. I made it exactly as listed. I cooked the chicken on the grill. The salsa was absolutely delicious. I purposely hid the last piece of chicken and reserved some salsa for a leftover lunch for myself. 😃 Another Skinnytaste home-run!
Thanks Janie!
Thanks for this awesome recipe! It’s so quick and easy and super delicious. Your recipes are more consistently delicious than any other recipe blog that I have followed. So many of your recipes are regulars now for me. As someone working towards better health I’m so grateful for all your fabulous, healthy recipes!
This was really delicious – marinated the chicken for an hour. Perfect!
Made this tonight. This was delicious.
Any tips for dicing mango? I picked a ripe one according to comments but trying to peel and cut it kind of turned it to mushy stringy chunks.
Do you cook the black bean ahead of time?
I used canned.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. My boyfriend and I loved it 🙂
This is one of my favourite summer recipes (although everything I have made from your website has not yet failed me). I am wondering if there is a way to calculate the salsa on its own, without the chicken (calories). Thank you! 🙂
Absolutely delicious! Made this last night with cilantro lime rice. I had some leftover and took it for lunch, even better the next day ( I usually don't care for leftovers either). Loved all the flavors. This will be the star entrée for a birthday dinner party I am planning next month!
This is delicious. I'm sitting here eating the salsa with a spoon 🙂
Can I marinate the chicken overnight or will that be too much?
I was very skeptical on the black bean mango salsa, but it was delicious and i am definitely making this again!!!
Do you think you could make the chicken in a crock pot? How would you adjust the recipe?
I have been using recipes from your website all year Gina but I don't ever comment. I made two recipes this week, this one and the chicken enchilada zucchini boats. They were HUGE hits with my husband and 7 and 5 year old boys. They are tough (I mean really tough) to please. When I can cook healthy and please them? Well, then I feel like I hit the jackpot! Thank you!
Awesome!!
Oh, Gina! You've done it again. Made this two nights ago for my family and even my 3.5 year old enjoyed some! We had some leftovers so I have had lunch the past two days as well. This is AMAZING!
Just made this tonight! it was sooooo good!
Did you heat your beans?
I'm excited to make this for camping this weekend!! Thank you, it sounds delish.
This sounds wonderful!
Can I use thawed frozen mango?
I use thawed frozen mango all the time in recipes, and it turns out pretty much exactly the same as fresh. I usually buy mine at Trader Joe's because it's not too expensive.
I love my Trader Joe's and just happen to have frozen mango in the freezer! I'm making this tomorrow!
I am not a fan of cilantro. I swear it tastes like comet smells. Any better options than parsley for replacement?
Chives maybe?
How do you pick a ripe mango? It seems that no matter what I do, I'm ending up with a green one, which doesn't have the sweetness I love about mango!
It should give a little when you press it. I usually let it sit on my counter until it does.
This looks so fresh, healthy, and delicious. My kind of meal!
This looks like a great little meal. Very similar to what I had last night. Grilled jerk chicken with spicy pineapple salsa!
Thanks for sharing.
Liveintheyard.blogspot.ca
Hi there – love the blog! Quick question – when I click "print friendly" at the bottom of the page, I am taken to a different website… am I doing something wrong?
THANKS!
hmm, i just clicked and that didn't happen to me. You can contact support@printfriendly.com they can quickly help you with any issues.
Okay it's working for me now – strange! Thanks for checking! 🙂
Can you sub peach for mango?
sure!!
I adore mango salsa (just had some last night with shrimp and scallops, actually!), so this looks great! Your photos are gorgeous as well.
This would be so good with shrimp, going to try that next!!
Very great idea for dinner, nice color mix, black from black beans and yellow from mango, very appetizing.