Why it works: Chicken and mango match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and 202 recipes mention both. Both carry 2,6-nonadienal, which smells cucumber, green. The science ↓
The recipe
Ingredients
Contains: wheat, soy (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Prepare the sauce
Combine 3/4 cup broth, orange juice, soy sauce, cornstarch and sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
Stir-fry
Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until hot.
Add chicken; stir-fry about 2 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center.
Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep it warm.
Add jalapeno, red pepper, and the remaining 1/4 cup broth to the skillet. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add mangos, onions, garlic, and cinnamon.
Return the chicken to the skillet and stir well.
Thicken and serve
Stir in the broth mixture.
Cook over high heat about 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly, then serve over hot rice.
This recipe comes from the Recipes Wiki on Fandom and is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Our formatting and summaries are shared under the same licence.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Chicken + mangotop 10% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together202 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, green).
-
Orange + mangotop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together212 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Pepper + mangotop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together471 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Chicken + oniontop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together17,808 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
-
Orange + peppertop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together2,402 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Chicken breast
- Provides the lean protein that makes up the main body of the stir fry.
- Cornstarch
- Thickens the sauce into a glossy coating once it bubbles.
- Fresh mangos
- Add sweetness and fruity flavor that balances the soy and jalapeno.
- Orange juice
- Adds acidity and sweetness to the sauce.
- Soy sauce
- Adds salty, savory depth to the sauce.
- Chicken broth
- Provides liquid that loosens the sauce and carries the flavors.
The step that matters
Cook the sauce until thick and bubbly. Cornstarch only thickens when it reaches a boil, so the sauce must bubble fully. Stopping early leaves it thin and watery.
Flavor stand-ins for the jalapeno
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chicken, orange, sauce, sugar, pepper, mango, onion):
- Gingerbetter flavor fit
- Cardamombetter flavor fit
- Corianderbetter flavor fit
- Jalapenothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against chicken, orange, sauce, sugar, pepper, mango, onion. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
Illustration
Illustration
Illustration
IllustrationThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.