Mango Habanero Salsa
Mango habanero salsa strikes the balance between sweet and spicy. Serve it chunky or blended. This recipe is perfect with tortilla chips, tacos, quesadillas, or anything grilled!
Mango habanero salsa strikes the perfect balance between sweet and spicy. On the first bite, you’ll get sweet mango, then the habanero heat kicks in. You can control the heat by adding more or less habanero.
I recommend using a food processor to distribute the habanero evenly. Trust me, you want to even out the spice!
I love this recipe with tortilla chips and a cold beer. On a hot day, of course! But I have also topped grilled zucchini with it. Other recommendations include topping tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and burrito bowls. You can also add it to proteins like tofu, tempeh, salmon, or chicken. If you are not sure about the spice, I have a pineapple mango salsa that’s perfectly tropical, or try my habanero salsa if you’re feeling bold.
Ingredient Notes
Fresh Cilantro
I made cilantro optional because not everyone likes that flavor. But if you do like cilantro, I recommend adding it. The freshness adds complexity!
Habanero
These little peppers pack a serious punch. When I work with habaneros, I always wear gloves for safety. The oil from the peppers can stay on your hands, and if you touch your face or eyes, you will feel the burn. Next, start with 1/4 to 1/2 of one habanero. Then add in 1/4 increments until you reach the desired heat. With habaneros, a little goes a long way!
Fresh Lime Juice
Lime wakes up all the flavors and gives this recipe a fresh zing! Lime also helps the salsa last longer while stored in the refrigerator.
Mango
Mangos are very sweet, which is the perfect flavor to offset spicy habaneros. You can use fresh or frozen mangoes. I prefer frozen; they are precut. In other words, no mess, no fuss!
Tomatoes
Tomatoes add a touch of sweetness that differs from the mango. Before adding the tomatoes, scoop out the watery seeds. This will help keep your salsa from becoming watery!
Watch How to Make Mango Habanero Salsa
Personalize This Recipe
- Add fresh or frozen peaches for more flavor. If you’re unsure about mangoes, replace them with peaches.
- Add avocado to add a creamy texture. But don’t blend the avocado. Instead, dice it into very small pieces and toss it into the blended salsa.
- Habanero peppers can be up to 140 times hotter than jalapeños! So, if you’re not sure about the spice, substitute jalapeños for spicy habaneros.
How to Handle Habanero Peppers Safely
Many consider habanero peppers among the world’s hottest chili peppers. Habanero peppers score between 100,000 and 350,000 on the Scoville Heat Scale. This scale measures how spicy chili peppers are. For comparison, jalapeño peppers range from 2,500 to 8,000 SHU. This means habanero peppers can be up to 140 times hotter than jalapeños!
To be safe, I recommend removing your contacts. Once my contacts are out, I wear gloves! These guys are so hot that even a day after touching them, the oil can stay on your hands. You will feel it when you touch your face and eyes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Homemade Salsa Recipes
- Red tomatillo salsa (Chipotle copycat)
- Pineapple mango salsa for you sweet lovers
- Spicy habanero salsa for my spice lovers
- Colorado green chile for those of us who use green chile as a salsa too!
How Did It Go?
I hope you loved this mango habanero salsa as much as I do! Before you go, please leave a rating and a comment to let me know how it went.
Mango Habanero Salsa
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 cups (330g) mango, roughly chopped
- 1 to 2 habanero peppers
- 2 large tomatoes, seeds removed and roughly chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- ½ red onion, roughly chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- optional – add salt, pepper, roughly chopped cilantro, and lime for additional flavor.
Instructions
Step One – Blending:
- Combine mango, habanero peppers, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, lime juice, cilantro, and salt in a food processor or blender. Pulse until you reach your desired texture, chunky or smooth.
Step Two – Serving:
- Transfer the salsa to a serving bowl. Adjust the flavor with salt, pepper, cilantro, and/or lime juice to personal preference. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges, if desired.