Easy Homemade Mango Habanero Salsa
This delicious Mango Habanero Salsa recipe marries the sweetness of juicy mango with the fiery heat of habanero peppers, resulting in a fresh and flavourful salsa with a spicy kick. It can be used to complement a variety of dishes like nourishing bowls, grilled meats, and tacos, or simply served with tortilla chips as an easy appetizer.
In This Article
What Makes This Recipe So Good?
The bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables used in this recipe deliver ample nutrients. We get plenty of antioxidant-rich vitamins like A, C, E and K along with smaller amounts of B vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. There’s plenty of fibre too! The best part is adding a dollop or two of this onto your meals also increases your intake of fruit and veg for the day.
Vitamins A, E and K are fat-soluble, which means they’re best absorbed when combined with a healthy fat. So when serving over tacos or adding to nourishing bowls be sure to add in some avocado, chopped nuts or even a little of your favourite cheese as extras.
Ingredients – What You’ll Need
This homemade mango habanero salsa is a perfect mix of wonderfully fresh ingredients we find in abundance during the warmer months. It combines fresh mangoes, fresh cilantro (coriander), red bell pepper (capsicum), red onion, fresh lime juice and spicy habanero peppers to make quite an addictive spicy salsa.
- Mangoes – Ripe, sweet mangoes are the key to balancing the heat of the chilli.
- Habanero – You do not need to stick to the volume or type of chilli pepper for this recipe. If the heat of the habanero is too much for you, use any type preferred. You can even increase or decrease the amount I suggest to suit your taste so you have a spicier salsa or one with quite mild heat. If you’re unsure which to choose, look at the Scoville scale to help you decide.
- Lime juice – Provides more acidity to the recipe but it’s also adding flavour and cuts through the sweetness of the mango.
- Red onion – This brings more depth to the sauce and also adds its own sweet, spicy flavour. The same as you might expect from using raw red onion in a salad for example.
- Red bell peppers – add sweetness and crunch.
- Ginger – Brings a little pungency and a different kind of spice to the recipe.
- Garlic – Used simply to add flavour. I’ve gone with fresh garlic over garlic powder here because it provides more nutrients and a more potent flavour.
- Cumin – Provides an earthy taste that adds yet another layer of depth and complexity.
- Salt – Helps to bring out the other flavours.
Not a fan of spicy food? No problem! By changing the chilli you use you can control the heat level to make a milder salsa or even one with extra heat if that’s your thing. See substitutions and variations below for tips on milder chillies.
Instructions – Step By Step
This easy mango habanero salsa comes together in just a few simple steps and can be served chilled or at room temperature. It’s quite a chunky salsa so you get a good mouthful of everything when serving it too.
- Cut the cheeks off each mango and cut the flesh into a small to medium dice. Also, salvage any mango flesh you can from around the seed. Place into your serving dish.
- Cut the bell pepper into a small dice and add to the bowl with the mango.
- Peel the onion and cut into a small dice, then add this to the bowl too.
- Pull the leaves off the cilantro (coriander) and discard the stems. Give the leaves a good wash, pat dry, and roughly chop. Add ¾ of it to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Leave the rest aside for garnish.
- Add the habanero to a food processor with the garlic, ginger, cumin, salt and lime juice. Blend on high for a couple of seconds to mix it all together.
- Pour the habanero dressing over the salsa and toss gently to combine. Top with the remaining chopped cilantro and serve with bbq, nourishing bowls or your favorite tortilla chips.
It all comes together very easily and not only is it delicious but it’s so vibrant and colourful it will brighten up your plate.
Substitutions And Variations
For something different, you can substitute the mango for pineapple. The tartness of the pineapple is also a perfect combination with the heat of the chilli. The remaining ingredients in the recipe and the instructions for making it stay the same.
For a very mild salsa, replace the habanero with a poblano or jalapeno peppers and remove the seeds.
Storing, Freezing, Make Ahead
Storing: Any leftover salsa can be kept in a glass jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
Freezing: This can be frozen though is best made fresh and enjoyed within a few days. If you do want to freeze it, simply pour the salsa into a freezer-safe container or freezer bags if you’d like to portion it out so you can use small amounts at a time in future. When you’re ready to use it, thaw in the fridge overnight then taste before serving the next day. If the flavour needs a bit of a pick-me-up, drizzle with some more lime juice and toss it through. Top with some more chopped fresh cilantro before serving. The salsa can be frozen for up to two months.
Expert Tips And Tricks
I use a food processor to chop the habanero with some of the other ingredients to avoid lingering contact with it. You can chop by hand if preferred but if doing this be sure to use gloves.
FAQ
They are, but much less so than if the seeds are left intact. Much of the heat found in habanero, and many chillies is in the seeds and white membrane. If you’d like a much milder salsa, I recommend removing the seeds before blending.
Yes! Much spicier. Aside from removing the seeds to reduce the spice in this recipe, you can also swap the habanero for jalapenos, or even a poblano chilli if you’d like just a touch of spice.
More Dips And Sauces You’ll Love
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pic on Instagram!
Mango Habanero Salsa
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Serving bowl
Ingredients
- 2 ripe mangoes (roughly 2 cups)
- ½ small red onion (roughly ½ – ¾ cup)
- ½ small red bell pepper (roughly ½ – ¾ cup)
- 1 habanero pepper (or your chilli of choice)
- ½ cup cilantro / coriander (loosely packed)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small piece of fresh ginger (about 1 inch)
- 1 large lime, juiced
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Cut the cheeks off each mango and cut the flesh into a small to medium dice. Salvage any mango flesh you can from around the seed and chop that up too. Place the mango into your serving dish.
- Cut the bell pepper into a small dice. Peel the onion and also cut this into a small dice then add them both to the bowl with the mango.
- Pull the leaves off the cilantro (coriander) and discard the stems. Give the leaves a good wash, pat dry, and roughly chop. Add ¾ of it to the serving bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Leave the rest aside for garnish.
- Add the habanero to a food processor with the garlic, ginger, cumin, salt and lime juice. Blend on high for a couple of seconds to mix it all together. You want the habanero, garlic, and ginger very finely chopped but not fully blended into a paste.
- Pour the habanero dressing over the salsa and toss gently to combine. Top with the remaining chopped cilantro and serve alongside bbq, nourishing bowls or use as a dip for tortilla chips.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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