The perfect sweet and spicy topping for all of your favorite fish tacos, shrimp tostadas, tortilla chips and grilled fish. Let's make some Mango Habanero Salsa!
Mango habanero salsa just tastes like summer. The sweet fruit, crisps peppers and onions, fresh cilantro, tart lime juice - it's perfectly balanced and satisfying. If sunshine had a flavor, this would be it.
My favorite way to serve this flavorful salsa is over my easy baked fish tacos, but the spicy and sweet flavor is the perfect combination to top simple grilled halibut, blackened Mahi Mahi, or serve straight out of the bowl with a pile of your favorite tortilla chips.
What you'll need to make this recipe:
Before we get to the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Habanero peppers: the recipe calls for habanero peppers, which have a spicy, fruity flavor. For a milder take on the dish, choose jalapeños, poblanos or green bell pepper.
Red onion: substitute yellow onions, sweet onions or diced scallions for a milder onion flavor.
Cilantro: the classic herb for salsa can be traded out for fresh chives or flat leaf parsley, if desired.
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the printable recipe card below.
Step by step instructions for this recipe:
1. Prep mangos
Start by dicing up your whole mango. You need two full cups of mango for this recipe, so you may need two mangos.
2. Prep and combine veggies
Dice all of your veggies - including the red onion and red bell peppers - into small pieces - roughly the same size. Combine all in a large bowl or serving platter.
For the chili peppers, see notes below. But WEAR GLOVES. And wash your hands. The end.
3. Make dressing and toss
Make your salsa dressing by combining the remaining ingredients, including fresh lime juice, honey and salt, in a small bowl. Mix well to ensure the honey has dissolved.
Pour the dressing over the spicy salsa mango habanero salsa recipe. Stir well, but gently, so as not to break up the ripe mango pieces.
4. Serve with favorite dishes
Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Then taste and adjust seasoning. To serve, garnish with fresh lime slices and additional cilantro.
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
- Always wear gloves! You are dealing with a lot of heat in these peppers. You'll want to be sure you don't leave any spice residue on your hands, as it will feel exceedingly unpleasant if you touch any other part of your skin / face / eyes / ANYTHING. I also wear gloves when cleaning the knife and cutting board I used to dice the habanero.
- Add the spicy habanero peppers last, and add half to start with. It's easy to add more peppers, and not so easy to surgically remove the tiny diced peppers from your chunky mango habanero salsa.
- If you're looking for truly, deeply spicy mango habanero salsa recipe, leave in the seeds and the white ribs inside the chilis when dicing, and add them to the homemade salsa.
Habanero chili sounds super spicy, and sometimes they are, but it's a weirdly balanced heat with fruity undertones. I usually dice two, and start by adding half to the salsa. Then let it sit for a few minutes, taste, and add more, if needed. Diced habanero can be stored in a Ziplock in your freezer and added to future salsa batches, soups, or even Portuguese garlic shrimp. If you can't find habanero or spicy flavors worry you, grab less spicy peppers like jalapeño peppers or even a poblano for more color and crunch and just a whisper of heat.
I love the simple sweetness of the mango, red onion and bell pepper, combined with the spicy chilis. But if you're looking for a more traditional salsa, you can substitute tomatoes for the red bell pepper.
Habanero peppers are the ideal pairing for mangoes precisely because of their flavor profile. In addition to the spice, habanero's have a fruity, smoky undertone that adds a range of freshness and flavor to this salsa that typical jalapenos just can't match.
Diced fresh peaches would be lovely in this easy recipe. Tropical fruits like pineapple and papaya would also add the sweet-tart profile this easy salsa recipe loves. And if using mango, for best results, use the freshest, ripest mangoes possible in this recipe.
To store, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Mango Habanero Salsa Recipe
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6-8
Ingredients
2 cups fresh, ripe mango, diced fine
1 cup red bell pepper, diced fine
½ cup red onion, diced fine
½ cup fresh cilantro, minced
2 habanero peppers, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Peel and dice fresh mango. Wash and dice red bell pepper. Peel and dice red onion. Clean and mince fresh cilantro. Wearing gloves, clean, seed and dice 2 habanero peppers.
- Combine all diced ingredients. Make salsa dressing by combining fresh lime juice, honey and salt in a small bowl. Stir well to dissolve honey. Add to the salsa ingredients. Toss to coat. Cover and store in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve with fish tacos, over grilled seafood, or with crispy corn tortilla chips.
Notes
If you can't find habanero or spicy flavors worry you, grab less spicy peppers like jalapeño peppers or even a poblano for more color and crunch and just a whisper of heat.
- Prep Time: 15
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Mexican
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