This homemade Mango Habanero Salsa is a great recipe to make when looking for something that's both flavorful and spicy. This fresh salsa goes great with everything from tacos to chicken breasts. Warning - this salsa is so good you won't be able to stop eating it. So whether it's Cinco de Mayo or any day of the week, give this amazing salsa a try! Perfect for Paleo or Whole30 diets.
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I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for new and delicious ways to spice up my food. That's why I love this mango habanero salsa recipe. It's the perfect mix of sweet and spicy.
Mangoes are in season right now and make the perfect addition to this spicy salsa recipe. In addition, the habanero pepper adds a delicious kick of heat that is guaranteed to wake up your taste buds! These two ingredients are the perfect combination!
If you are a fan of spicy flavors, this habanero mango salsa recipe is a low-effort but delicious recipe that you’re sure to love.
I like to serve this salsa at get-togethers because it has so much flavor, and almost everyone loves the heat! Plus, it is an easy appetizer; serve with tortilla chips for a fun and easy party snack!
The sweetness of the mangoes contrasts perfectly with the heat of the habaneros, making this salsa irresistible.
This salsa can also be used as a condiment for chicken, fish, or beef. Try it on smoked chicken breasts or air fryer tilapia. It also tastes great on smoked chuck roast and smoked chili lime chicken!
It's so easy to make that you'll never want to buy store-bought salsa again!
Try my Homemade Salsa For Canning Recipe to stock up your pantry for the winter!
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❤️ Why this recipe works
- EASY: This salsa is simple to make in only 15 minutes.
- HEALTHY: Mangos are a great source of Vitamin C and other nutrients. Habanero peppers are high in Vitamin A and Capsaicin.
- LOW CALORIE: This salsa has extremely low calories and no fat, so feel free to add it to anything!
- TASTY: This salsa is packed with flavor and is downright delicious!
- VERSATILE: Serve this salsa as an appetizer with tortilla chips or as a topping on chicken breasts or fish tacos.
- PERFECT FOR ANY OCCASION: This salsa will spice up your party at any Cinco de Mayo party or celebration.
- FRESH: This salsa is made with fresh ingredients, making it much fresher than anything you can buy at the store. Plus, there are no additives or preservatives in sight!
- CONTROL THE SPICE LEVEL: Making your own salsa is a great way to control the level of heat. With just a tweak of the ingredients, you can customize your salsa to make it mild or fiery.
- ECONOMICAL: Homemade salsa is more economical than purchasing jarred salsa, mainly if you use fresh mangoes that are in season.
- CUSTOMIZABLE: Make this salsa with ingredients you already have on hand. No habanero peppers? Use jalapeno or serrano peppers. No fresh mangoes? Use frozen mangoes or pineapple!
What are habanero peppers?
Habanero peppers are a type of chili pepper grown in South America. It is known for its intense heat. They are typically red but can also be orange or yellow. Habanero peppers are used in many spicy dishes and can also be used to make hot sauce.
The habanero's heat is measured in Scoville heat units (100,000 to 350,000). These numbers mean it is one seriously hot pepper.
It is about 76 times hotter than your average jalapeño pepper! Yikes!
🥭 Ingredients
This habanero mango salsa is easy to make with a handful of ingredients you might already have on hand or that you can easily find at the grocery store.
- Mangoes, ripe. I used fresh mangoes, but you can use frozen mangoes too. Just make sure to defrost them first.
- Tomatoes. I don't think salsa is complete without tomatoes. You can use any tomato, even cherry tomatoes.
- Onion. I love the flavor of red onion, but you can also use a yellow or white onion.
- Habanero pepper. I used a small habanero pepper, deseeded, with the white membrane removed.
- Red bell pepper. I used red bell pepper, but you can use any kind you have on hand.
- Lime juice, fresh.
- Cilantro, fresh.
- Kosher salt.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🍅 How to make the best mango habanero salsa
This easy-to-make chunky mango habanero salsa is a delicious and modern take on traditional salsa with a spicy and sweet flavor. It creates a perfect mix of bold flavors.
What’s great about this dish is that it’s completely customizable. Depending on your tolerance or spice level, it can go from mild heat to extremely spicy.
So grab your fresh ingredients, wear gloves, and start making our flavorful salsa!
Gather and prep your ingredients. Wash all of your vegetables. Grab a cutting board and a good knife. Slice the tomatoes into small pieces - place them in a large mixing bowl.
Chop the red onion into similar-size chunks and add it to the tomatoes.
Chop up the red bell pepper, slice into similar pieces, and add it to the bowl.
Next, peel and dice your mango into similar-size pieces and add them to the tomatoes and red onion.
Next, juice a lime, and get all of the juice out. Pour the lime juice on the vegetables/fruit in the bowl.
Chop some cilantro very fine and add as well. Sprinkle on some kosher salt.
Finally, put on some kitchen gloves and deseed the habanero pepper. Remove the white membrane as well and discard. Dice into smaller pieces. I like to cut it much smaller, so it's not so spicy if someone takes a bite who doesn't like spice.
Finally, add a small amount of habanero pepper at a time. Taste as you go. If you want your salsa spicier, add more! Stir to combine evenly.
Mix all the ingredients well, until evenly combined.
That's it! Transfer the fruit salsa to a serving dish, and serve with your favorite tortilla chips, on tacos or burritos, or eat it straight up!
Enjoy!
HINT: Wear rubber gloves when chopping the habanero pepper to avoid problems.
🍍 Substitutions
If you’re running low on time and you can’t buy any ingredients you don’t have, no worries; our spicy mango habanero salsa recipe makes way for a lot of substitutions:
- Habanero: If you don’t have any habanero chilies, I recommend using other spicy peppers. You can try a serrano pepper, jalapeño peppers, or scotch bonnet pepper.
- Onion: Red onions are preferred, but white or yellow onions will also taste good with this recipe.
- Lime juice: Lime juice can be substituted with fresh or store-bought lemon juice.
- Ripe mangos: As long as you use sweet mangos, they can either be fresh or frozen. You can also use other tropical fruits such as pineapple.
📖 Variations
Add your own twist to the recipe by adding your own ingredients or swapping some out to suit your preferences. Here are some ideas you might want to try:
- Tweak the spice level. You can add jalapeno peppers, chili powder, or hot sauce to taste if you like extra heat. If you don’t like spice, you can reduce the habanero in the recipe or swap it for hot peppers that fall lower on the Scoville scale, like jalapeno peppers. You can create a spicier salsa or milder salsa, depending on how much heat you want.
- Create a chunkier salsa by using bigger chunks of sweet mango or other ingredients in the recipe. The chunkier the salsa, the more the tropical flavor of the fruity mango will stand out.
- Add rinsed and drained black beans for a more hearty salsa.
- Make a Pineapple Habanero Salsa by omitting the mango and using pineapple instead.
- Make a Mango Pineapple Habanero Salsa using equal mango and pineapple measurements.
🌡️ Storage
If you have some leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will last up to 7 days.
I like to make a large batch of salsa to be used for several meals.
🍽 Equipment
To prepare the recipe, you will need the following:
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Large bowl
- Spoon
💭 Top tips
- Always wear gloves! You are dealing with a lot of spice in this recipe. It’s best not to risk leaving any spice residue on your hands, seeing as it may cause burning when it touches your skin.
- For best results, use super fresh fruit/vegetables and make sure you have ripe mangoes.
- Add the spicy habanero peppers last, and add a little at a time. It's easy to add spice, and not so easy to take away spice.
- Make a chunky salsa by dicing the fruit/vegetables larger.
- Want more spice? Add extra heat by leaving in the seeds and the white membrane. Again, wear gloves!
❓ Frequently asked questions (FAQS)
The main difference between mango habanero salsa and regular salsa is the level of heat. Mango habanero salsa is much spicier than traditional salsa. Habanero salsa is made with habanero peppers, which are much hotter than the bell peppers or jalapeno peppers used in regular salsa.
Mango habanero salsa is typically good for about one week in the fridge.
This salsa takes about 15 minutes to make. It is mostly just chopping the vegetables/fruit and stirring it to mix.
Mango habanero salsa is a spicy and sweet salsa made with mango, habanero peppers, and other spices. It has a fruity flavor with a kick of heat from the habanero peppers.
Yes, you can freeze mango habanero salsa. However, the texture and flavor will change after freezing.
🌮 What to serve with the salsa
- Tortilla chips
- Grilled/smoked chicken
- Beef dishes
- Grilled/smoked pork
- Fish tacos
- Burritos
- Quesadillas
- Taquitos
- Carnitas tacos
There you have it. That's my take on the classic mango-habanero salsa recipe. This is a super easy recipe that your friends and family will love - if they can take the heat, that is! 🙂
➡️Check out 30+ Best Cinco De Mayo Party Recipes for more great recipes!
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📋 Recipe
Easy Homemade Mango Habanero Salsa Recipe
Equipment
- cutting board
- knife
- serving bowl
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 large fresh mangoes diced
- 1 cup fresh tomatoes diced, about 2-3 medium tomatoes
- 1 cup red onion finely chopped, about ½ a medium onion
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice all the juice from 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 habanero pepper deseeded, chopped fine
Instructions
- Wash all of the vegetables. Finely chop the tomatoes, mangoes, red onion, and bell pepper into small chunks. Place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Squeeze all of the juice from 1 lime, about 2 tbsp, and add to the bowl of chopped vegetables/fruit.
- Add cilantro and sea salt.
- Put on some rubber gloves and deseed and finely chop the habanero pepper. Add a small amount of chopped habanero at a time to the bowl. Taste as you go. If you want your salsa spicier, add more! Stir to combine evenly.
- That's it! Serve the fruit salsa with your favorite tortilla chips, on tacos or burritos, or eat it straight up!
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Always wear gloves! You are dealing with a lot of spice in this recipe. It’s best not to risk leaving any spice residue on your hands, seeing as it may cause burning when it touches your skin. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after making this recipe!
- For best results, use super fresh fruit/vegetables and make sure you have ripe mangoes.
- Add the spicy habanero peppers last, and add a little at a time. It's easy to add spice, and not so easy to take away spice.
- Make a chunky salsa by dicing the fruit/vegetables larger.
- Want more spice? Add extra heat by leaving in the seeds and the white membrane. Again, wear gloves!
Arel
I tried the recipe, it's really good.
Jeri
I'm so glad you liked the salsa, Arel! 🙂 Thanks for trying it out!
Jessica
The perfect combination of sweet and spicy, this is my new favorite salsa to serve with grilled fish and chicken.