mango habanero salsa

This mango habanero salsa is a super fresh blend of sweet, spicy and tart. We use a combination of juicy mangoes, a whole habanero pepper, raw tomatillos, cilantro and a splash of lime to make a mango salsa that is equal parts sweet, summery and addicting.

I especially love the juicy, chunky texture that we get from pulsing everything together in a blender or food processor. It’s crazy easy and perfectly scoopable!

what makes this the best mango habanero salsa?

Ripe mangoes: If your mangoes are unripe, stop right now. Super fragrant, juicy, ripe mangoes are the most important part of this salsa. They add so much fruity flavor and crucial sweetness-- if the mangoes aren’t ripe, this salsa will be tart and unpleasant. Also try to source the best variety of mango you can. Stringy, fibrous flesh is the worst! Kent and Keitt mangoes are smooth and fairly common in grocery stores.

Tangy tomatillos: Straight fruit salsas are great, but they can quickly get too sweet. I love to add some tomatillos to cut the fruity profile and play up the savory side. Raw tomatillos add tartness and body to the salsa. They keep you coming back for more!

Blended: A lot of recipes make mango habanero salsa like a pico de gallo, with big chunks of fruit mixed up and not much holding it together. I think that’s great as a topping for grilled fish or meat, but as a salsa for chips? I prefer a partially blended consistency to keep sweet chunks of mango suspended in a saucy type of salsa. It’s also way faster to toss ingredients into a blender than to finely dice everything by hand. Let the machine do the work!

Freshness: Fresh mangoes, fresh cilantro, fresh tomatillos-- these ingredients are so fragrant and fresh, they immediately capture the flavor of summer. This salsa is much more than just mangoes and habaneros. It’s more than sweet and hot. It’s fresh, fragrant, and so so good!

what you need for this salsa recipe:

• mangoes
• habanero peppers
• tomatillos
• cilantro
• lime
• salt

how to make mango habanero salsa:

1. Peel and roughly chop the mango
2. Quarter the tomatillo, chop the habanero pepper and cilantro
3. Blend tomatillos, habanero, lime, salt and a splash of water until smooth.
4. Add mango and cilantro and blend slowly until combined but chunky
5. Taste, add more lime, salt or water (or habaneros!)
6. Serve with chips!

ways to use mango habanero salsa:

• As a dip with chips
• On tacos or fajitas
• On grilled fish or chicken
• Scooped on top of your favorite pork carnitas
• Topping for nachos, quesadillas or burritos
• Spooned onto grain or rice bowls
• As a sauce for wraps
• On top of scrambled eggs or a southwestern omelet
• Thin it with vegetable oil and use it as marinade for chicken, pork or seafood

how hot is habanero mango salsa?

The spice level of this salsa really depends on the habaneros you get, which unfortunately can’t be predicted. I wrote this recipe for 1 habanero pepper (seeds and all), and assuming you have an average habanero, the heat level is moderate.

The sweet mangoes and tart tomatillos do a lot to tame the heat (and dilute it!) so that you get a pleasant sweet-hot flavor, but it's nothing overpowering. If it’s just me and my husband, I prefer to throw in 2 or 3 habaneros to ratchet up the spice. Start with one and adjust from there. Remember: you can’t take spice away!

variations on this habanero mango salsa recipe:

• Frozen mangoes: Use frozen mangoes, thawed in the fridge overnight. Keep the sweet juices and skip the ¼ cup of added water!
  Peach mango habanero salsa: Try swapping out half of the mango for fresh peaches!
• Pineapple mango habanero salsa: Swap half the mango for fresh or canned pineapple.
• Mango habanero avocado salsa: Add 1 avocado to the salsa for an extra creamy texture.
• No cilantro: I love cilantro in everything, but if you’d prefer a simpler salsa, then skip it altogether!
• Tomato mango habanero salsa (like Mrs. Renfros): swap the tomatillos for one 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (drained) or ¾ lb of fresh tomatoes (blanched and peeled).

more salsa recipes to try!

spicy dried red chile salsa

avocado salsa

tomatillo red chili salsa

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