Tajín Prawn and Black Rice Salad with Mango and Avocado

Bowl of black rice, prawn, avocado and mango salad with chilli seasoning sprinkled on top.

Bright, vibrant and refreshing this Tajín Prawn and Black Rice Salad with Mango and Avocado is my new favourite thing to make for lunch at the moment. The chewy black rice adds so much texture as well as visual drama, the avocado adds a refreshing creaminess, and mango fruitiness and the coriander a lovely herbal note, and that is before we get to the juicy prawns and zingy Tajín-based dressing!

Perfect for desk boxes and lunchboxes, this is the salad I make when I want something light yet filling and healthy for lunch during the summer months; it’s essentially one of my favourite recipes from my book One Pan Pescatarian, the Thai Prawn, Avocado, Red Rice and Mango Bowl on pg 216, but updated with Mexican-inspired Tajín flavours.

Black Rice

Also known as Forbidden Rice or Purple Rice, Black Rice is a dense, chewy rice that is slightly higher in protein than other rice varieties. It’s also packed with antioxidants and fibre, but most importantly it’s texture means you get the same flavour you would say from red or brown rice, but it holds up so much better in a rice salad as it doesn’t turn soft and mushy with dressing. I like Belazu’s Venus Black Rice from Ocado, which I also often serve alongside curries: Chicken Pasanda and my Egg Curry look particularly dramatic plated up with it! However, for weeknight eating I must warn you black rice takes between 35-45 minutes to cook.

Close up of a bowl of black rice salad with prawns, mango and avocado.
Bowl of black rice salad with prawns, avocado, mango, and Tajin sprinkled on top on a blue background.

Tajín Seasonings

Tajín is a Mexican seasoning of chilli powder, dehydrated lime and salt which I always put on the table for fajita night to give our wraps a little extra salty-spicy-sour edge, which is most commonly used to rim spicy margarita glasses, and which was always found by the fruit station in Mexico as it is usually sprinkled on mango or melon for a snack. You can find it in Sainsbury’s, on Ocado, or elsewhere onlinead. I’ve also used Tajín-brand chamoy in the dressing. Chamoy is a savoury Mexican sauce made from pickled fruit paste, and the Tajín-brand one is mild, contains chilli, and is very big on the lime. It’s also often served with fruit or swirled into fruit cocktails, and you can also find it in Sainsbury’s, on Ocado, and elsewhere onlinead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will this black rice and prawn salad keep for?

Because of the prawns, I’d not recommend keeping it in the fridge for any longer than 3 days.

What sort of prawns are best for this recipe?

I buy cooked kings prawns frozen and thaw them, though you can also get fresh ones from the chiller section at the supermarket, or from a fishmonger. I’d not recommend poaching raw frozen or chilled prawns yourself as they tend to shrink during cooking and won’t have the best taste in the salad, but you can cook raw shelled prawns and peel them yourself and still get a great salad!

You Might Also Enjoy

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Bowl of black rice salad with prawns, avocado, mango, and Tajin sprinkled on top on a blue background.

Tajín Prawn and Black Rice Salad with Mango and Avocado

  • Author: Rachel Phipps
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 2
  • Category: Salads
  • Cuisine: Mexican
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

This bright, refreshing, tropical and spicy black rice and prawn salad is studded with cubes of juicy mango and creamy avocado, all finished with a spicy-sour Tajín and lime dressing.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Black Rice Salad

  • 110g black rice
  • 200g diced mango
  • 100g cooked prawns, defrosted if frozen
  • 1 large avocado
  • handful chopped coriander

For the Tajín Lime Dressing

  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 tbsp runny honey
  • 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tbsp chamoy
  • 1/2 tsp Tajín, plus extra for serving
  • pinch sea salt

Instructions

  1. Cook the rice as per the packet instructions. Drain, rinse under the cold tap, and set aside to drain again. If your prawns need defrosting, do this at the same time!
  2. Whisk together the dressing ingredients, and set aside.
  3. Dice the avocado, chop the coriander, dice the mango if you’ve not brought it pre-chopped, and half the prawns. I find chopping king prawns in half for salads like this means you get more satisfying mouthfuls with more prawns!
  4. Stir everything together, being careful not to break up the avocado or mango pieces. Taste to see if you need any more salt before serving with a little more Tajín sprinkled over each portion.

Notes

Storage: Because of the prawns, I’d not recommend keeping it in the fridge for any longer than 3 days.

Discussion