If you love a dinner that is fresh, flavorful, and comes together without turning on your oven, then you are going to absolutely love my Healthy Air Fryer Cashew Chicken Thighs with Mango Avocado Salsa. Juicy, tender chicken thighs are marinated in a creamy cashew butter sauce and air fried to crispy perfection, then piled on top of fluffy jasmine rice and finished with a bright, tangy mango avocado salsa. It’s the kind of summer meal that the whole family loves — and yes, you get all that crisp without ever touching a grill.
Summer dinners don’t get much better than this. I wanted to create something that felt fresh and light. Something that doesn’t weigh you down but still has real flavor going on, and this recipe delivered in every single way. The marinade alone is worth talking about. It’s made of creamy cashew butter, soy sauce, honey, garlic, a squeeze of lime, and Greek yogurt, all coming together to coat the chicken perfectly. After 15 minutes in the air fryer, you get chicken that is caramelized on the outside and incredibly juicy on the inside.
And then there’s the mango avocado salsa, which I have to be honest, I could eat by the spoonful straight out of the bowl. Persian cucumbers, ripe mango, creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, green onions, a hit of rice vinegar, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. It’s everything you want in a summer salsa: crunchy, sweet, tangy, and just a little spicy. It pairs perfectly with the richness of the cashew chicken.
One thing I love about this recipe is how well it translates to a dinner party or a backyard gathering. The salsa takes maybe ten minutes to throw together, the chicken marinates fast (or immediately, if you’re short on time), and the whole thing comes together without any stove-hovering. You can have everything prepped before your guests arrive and just let the air fryer do its thing.
What You Need to Make These Air Fryer Cashew Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Thighs: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay juicy in the air fryer in a way that chicken breasts usually don’t.
- Cashew Butter: Creamy cashew butter is the base of the marinade and gives the chicken that rich, slightly nutty coating that makes this recipe so unique.
- Lime: The zest adds a fragrant brightness that really elevates the whole thing, so don’t skip it.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce: Soy sauce adds saltiness and depth to the marinade. I always recommend low sodium so you can control the salt level. If you want to keep this recipe gluten-free, coconut aminos or tamari work perfectly as a swap.
- Honey: A couple tablespoons of honey balance out the soy sauce and add just enough sweetness to help the chicken caramelize beautifully in the air fryer.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic go into the marinade and add that savory backbone that ties everything together.
- Greek Yogurt: This makes the marinade extra creamy and helps it cling to the chicken. It also keeps the chicken tender as it cooks.
- Persian Cucumbers: Two Persian cucumbers add crunch and freshness to the salsa. I love using Persian cucumbers because they’re small, firm, and don’t get watery the way regular cucumbers sometimes do.
- Green Onions: Add a mild, fresh bite.
- Mango: Ripe, diced mango is the star of the salsa and brings natural sweetness and a juicy, tropical element to every bite.
- Avocado: Adds creaminess to the salsa and helps balance the acidity from the lime and rice vinegar. Make sure it’s ripe — you want it firm enough to hold its shape but soft enough to cut cleanly.
- Cilantro: Cilantro makes the salsa taste bright and herbaceous.
- Rice Vinegar: Adds a subtle tang to the salsa that really brightens everything up.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Gives the salsa a gentle kick without making it too spicy. If you love heat, feel free to add a little more.
- Jasmine Rice: Any long-grain white rice works, and so does cauliflower rice if you want a lighter option.
How to Make These Air Fryer Cashew Chicken Bowls
To make these Air Fryer Cashew Chicken Thighs, start by preparing the marinade. Add the cashew butter, lime zest and juice, soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, and Greek yogurt to a large bowl and whisk until smooth and fully combined. Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and toss to coat well. At this point, you can either let the chicken marinate in the fridge for up to a few hours if you have the time, or you can move straight to cooking.
While the chicken marinates (or while you prep everything else), make the salsa. Add the diced mango, avocado, Persian cucumbers, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, rice vinegar, kosher salt, and crushed red pepper flakes to a bowl and toss gently to combine. Set it aside.
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Arrange the marinated chicken thighs in a single layer in the air fryer basket — you may need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. Air fry for 15–16 minutes, flipping halfway through. After flipping, brush any extra marinade from the bowl onto the chicken for an even more flavorful, caramelized finish. The chicken is done when it’s cooked through and the outside has a nice golden crisp.
To assemble, add a scoop of cooked jasmine rice to each bowl, top with a chicken thigh or two, and finish with a generous spoonful of the mango avocado salsa. Serve immediately and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! The chicken can marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking.
The salsa is best made the day of, but you can prep the mango, cucumber, cilantro, and green onions up to a day ahead and store them in the fridge. I’d recommend adding the avocado right before serving so it stays fresh and doesn’t brown.
Absolutely — this recipe is a great entertaining option. You can marinate the chicken the night before, prep the salsa components in advance, and then air fry the chicken while guests are over. Since the salsa requires no cooking, there’s very little active stove time during the meal, which makes it easy to manage when you have people over.
You can cook the chicken in the oven instead. Bake at 425°F for about 20–22 minutes, flipping halfway through, until cooked through and nicely browned. You can also finish under the broiler for a couple of minutes to get a bit of extra char.
You can, though I’d keep a close eye on the cook time since chicken breasts can dry out more quickly than thighs. Start checking for doneness around the 12–13 minute mark.
It can easily be made gluten-free by swapping the soy sauce for coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari. Everything else in the recipe is naturally gluten-free.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new!
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cashew Chicken:
- 1 ½ Pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- ½ Cup Creamy Cashew Butter
- 1 Lime, zested and juiced
- ¼ Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- ¼ Cup Greek Yogurt
For the Mango Avocado Salsa:
- 2 Persian Cucumbers
- 3 Green Onions, diced
- 1 Cup Mango, diced
- 1 Large Avocado, diced
- ⅓ Cup Cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 Lime, juiced
- 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
For Serving:
- 2 Cups Jasmine Rice
Instructions
- To make this recipe, start by preparing the marinade. Add the cashew butter, lime zest and juice, soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, and Greek yogurt to a large bowl and whisk until smooth and fully combined.
- Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and toss to coat well. At this point, you can either let the chicken marinate in the fridge for up to a few hours if you have the time, or you can move straight to cooking.
- While the chicken marinates (or while you prep everything else), make the salsa. Add the diced mango, avocado, Persian cucumbers, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, rice vinegar, kosher salt, and crushed red pepper flakes to a bowl and toss gently to combine. Set it aside.
- When you're ready to cook the chicken, preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Arrange the marinated chicken thighs in a single layer in the air fryer basket — you may need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. Air fry for 15–16 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- After flipping, brush any extra marinade from the bowl onto the chicken for an even more flavorful, caramelized finish. The chicken is done when it's cooked through and the outside has a nice golden crisp.
- To assemble, add a scoop of cooked jasmine rice to each bowl, top with a chicken thigh or two, and finish with a generous spoonful of the mango avocado salsa.
- Serve immediately and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Rate & review
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