Mango Avocado Shrimp Salad & Spicy Mango Dressing – A healthy, hearty, and delicious salad with tropical fruit tossed in a cream, spicy mango dressing. Simply delicious!!!
Chances are, when visiting the Islands, you’ll run across several variations of mango, avocado, and shrimp salads. It’s such a great combination that you’ll want to dig in once you lock eyes on it!
Not only is this dish super tasty, but it’s healthy, gluten-free, and sweetened naturally with honey and mango. Plus, it’s already paleo-compliant, and you can easily make it vegan by simply omitting the shrimp. Literally, it’s a salad everyone can enjoy.
Why the Mango, Avocado, Shrimp Salad Dressing Works
Now, while anyone can throw a bunch of ingredients together and make a salad, it’s the dressing that makes it great. So, forget about the salad for a moment and look at the amazing creamy, luscious mango dressing with an incredible zing. Seriously, I could bottle this stuff and sell tons of it. It’s SO GOOD!
The delicious combination of citrus, mango, herbs, and spices—including orange, lime, hot sauce, garlic, and cilantro—really packs a punch in the flavor department. It’s sweet and spicy, just the way I like it.
Even better, it’s super easy to make! Blend the ingredients in a food processor, and it’s ready to go in a few minutes. Easy peasy!
Ingredient List
Spicy Mango Dressing
- Fruit – Orange, mango, lemon, and lime deliver a refreshing tropical citrus zing.
- Flavor – Garlic, onion, cumin, and fresh herbs add tasty goodness. Add a habanero or scotch bonnet if you love heat.
- Base – Olive oil, honey, and hot sauce or sriracha provide the fat you need to carry flavor, the sweetness to balance the citrus’ acidity, and the hot sauce adds pleasant heat.
Mango, Avocado, Shrimp Salad
- Shrimp provides a delicious seafood protein for an awesome main-course salad.
- Greens – Lettuce (micro greens, young leafy greens, etc.) are the leafy greens the nutritionists always say we need.
- Add-Ins – Avocado for a healthy fat, mangos for a palate-pleasing sweetness, and cherry tomatoes for more color.
How to Make Mango Avocado Shrimp Salad & Mango Dressing
- Puree the cubed mango and the juice from the orange, lemon, and lime in a blender. Add the cumin, honey, garlic, oil, and hot sauce. Blend until smooth.
- Finish Dressing – Throw in onions and herbs, and pulse just to mix. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Adjust dressing thickness with lemon, oil, and orange juice. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Shrimp – Coat a pan with cooking spray. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Optionally, add some of your favorite seasoning. Saute for 4-5 minutes or until opaque and cooked through. Set aside and let them cool.
- Assemble – Arrange the romaine lettuce (or your salad mix), shrimp, avocados, and tomatoes on a large plate or bowl.
- Serve with bread and the mango dressing on the side. Enjoy!!
Notes & Tips
- Prewashed bags of salad greens are a time-saver. Even a coleslaw mix would be great in this recipe.
- A salad spinner is a very useful gadget to have. If you love salads, it’s worth the investment. I even spin grated potatoes after rinsing and before squeezing out the excess moisture.
- Make extra dressing and store it in a glass jar for up to a week in the fridge. It’s terrific on salmon and tilapia.
- Make the salad and dressing ahead of time and store them separately in the fridge. Assemble just before serving.
What Goes With Mango, Avocado, Shrimp Salad
Crusty bread is the first thing that pops into my head. Garlic bread is even better. Follow up this guilt-free salad with a light, refreshing dessert like apple bread, lemon bars, or key lime pie.
More Healthy Main-Course Salads to Try
Mango, Avocado, Shrimp Salad & Spicy Mango Dressing
Ingredients
Spicy Mango Dressing
- 1 medium orange
- 2 cups (330g) mango, chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 teaspoon (5g) minced garlic
- ¼ cup (40g) diced onion
- 1 teaspoon (2g) cumin
- ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (21g) honey
- hot sauce or sriracha to taste
- 2 tablespoons (7g) fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, parsley, etc.)
- salt and pepper to taste
The Salad
- 1 pound (450g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3-4 cups (150-200g) cups lettuce (romaine, leaf lettuce, micro greens, young leafy greens, etc.)
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 1-2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup (150g) or more cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
The Dressing
- Puree the cubed mango and the juice from the orange, lemon, and lime in a blender. Add the cumin, honey, garlic, oil, and hot sauce. Blend until smooth.
- Throw in onions and herbs, and pulse just to mix. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Adjust dressing thickness with lemon, oil, and orange juice.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
The Salad
- Coat a pan with cooking spray. Saute the shrimp with salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning for 4-5 minutes. Set aside and let them cool.
- Arrange the romaine lettuce (or your salad mix), mango, shrimp, avocados, and tomatoes on a large plate or bowl.
- Serve with bread and the mango dressing on the side.
Tips & Notes:
- Prewashed bags of salad greens are a time-saver. Even a coleslaw mix would be great in this recipe.
- A salad spinner is a very useful gadget to have. If you love salads, it’s worth the investment. I even spin grated potatoes after rinsing and before squeezing out the excess moisture.
- Make extra dressing and store it in a glass jar for up to a week in the fridge. It’s terrific on salmon and tilapia.
- Make the salad and dressing ahead of time and store them separately in the refrigerator. Assemble just before serving.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Michelle says
Imma, I made this today and it was very very delicious. I made extra dressing as I expected it to be exactly as it looks, delicious. How long I keep it in a bottle in the fridge? By the way did I mentioned how good it tasted , okay I will repeat it again Imma it was extremely delicious ☺️.
imma africanbites says
Hi, Michelle. Glad it turned out well for you. The dressing would last in the fridge for several days – about 5 days.
janelle says
OMG!! I made this dressing last night and put in on Salmon and it was amazing!!! I only had enough ingredients to do the dressing not the salad, but that’s ok it was sooooo good. I love your recipes!! keep them coming
Jennifer says
Hello from Oregon! Made this, and it was so delicious, I loved it, and my parents loved it. I will be making this again – thank you for posting the recipe!
imma africanbites says
Glad it all turned out well for you, Jennifer. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. I appreciate it.
Sheri says
I added a habanero to the mango dressing. It was the bomb!
ImmaculateBites says
Oh yes! Habanero gives it that extra kick. So happy to hear it worked out well for you.
Jakob says
My girlfriend and I tried it yesterday. It was very delicious!
We will probably make it again as it was easy to make and that’s a key thing in hectic life:-)
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
I have actually been wanting to make mango dressing for the longest time ever. You have just got me wanting to make this
Aish Padihari says
I swear, I can eat this everyday. I lived in a tropical place for 20 years, so I’m easily drawn to fresh, tropical flavors. Great job with the photography.
Karly says
Oh yum, there is so much color and flavor going on here! My husband would go nuts for the shrimp too!
Megan Marlowe says
I cannot get enough mangoes right now. I love them and they pair perfectly with shrimp and avocado. Love this salad!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Megan
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
Mango, avocado and shrimp is such a delicious combination. It reminds me of some of my holidays to the Caribbean.
Tamara says
I don’t live on an island, but I do live in subtropical McAllen, Texas where mangoes, avocados, and Gulf shrimp are always available. This salad looks amazing, but your dressing with the addition of citrus must be fantastic! Love it 🙂