This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This fresh and flavorful Mango Habanero Salsa combines soft and juice mango with fiery habanero peppers to create a delicious fresh salsa. Serve with tortilla chips or as a condiment with grilled meats, shrimp tacos, fish tacos and more.
This homemade mango habanero salsa combines sweet fresh mangoes with one of the hottest peppers on the planet, the habanero. This fresh homemade salsa tastes better than anything you can buy at the store and comes together easily.
The combination of juicy mango and spicy habanero peppers creates a bright and balanced blend of spicy and sweet fruit flavors that everyone can enjoy. There’s no need to fear habanero peppers as the mango helps tone down the heat. It’s not too sweet and not too spicy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Homemade mango salsa tastes better than any store-bought salsa.
- It comes together in less than 20 minutes.
- It’s naturally gluten free, dairy free and whole30 and paleo compatible.
- You can easily adjust the spice level to fit your taste from mild spiciness to hot.
- It’s perfect for serving at summer get-togethers or any time of the year.
Ingredients You Need
This mango habanero salsa recipe comes together with fresh ingredients that you can easily find at your local grocery store.
- Mangos – Choose mangoes that are ripe and ready for salsa. When gently squeezed, a ripe mango has some give but is still form. If it’s hard, the mango isn’t ripe yet. If it’s too soft, then it’s over-ripened.
- Habanero Peppers – This pepper is rate 100,000-350,000 on the Scoville chart, placing it in the EXTRA hot zone. The peppers add a spicy kick to create a spicy salsa. If you can handle extra heat, use some of the seeds and membrane in the salsa (at your own risk as this is the hottest part of the pepper.) If you don’t want to use habanero peppers, you can substitute with jalapeño peppers.
- Tomato – Larger tomatoes with a meaty texture and a few seeds like beefsteak tomatoes and Roma tomatoes are good for salsa.
- Red Onion – These create the best flavor and add a little color to the salsa.
- Cilantro – If you don’t like cilantro, you can omit it or use parsley, Mexican oregano or Thai basil. Any of these fresh herbs will add a unique flavor to the salsa.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is best, but you can also use dried minced garlic.
- Lime – You can substitute with freshly squeezed lemon juice, but lime juice is more traditionally used in salsa for the best flavor.
- Kosher Salt – Helps to elevate the flavor of the salsa.
OPTIONAL: You can adjust the ingredients and flavors by adding bottled hot sauce, fresh or roasted corn kernels or black beans. Red bell pepper, pineapple, peaches, avocado or tomatillos are also a great addition to salsa. The options are endless for creating your own unique flavor!
How to Make Mango Habanero Salsa
After chopping the mango and vegetables, the salsa comes together will little work. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Combine the ingredients – Add the chopped mangos, habanero peppers, tomato, red onion, cilantro and garlic to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Then, add the fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt.
Step 2: Pulse, salt and serve – Pulse the mixture until the salsa is your desired consistency. Adjust the lime and salt to taste and serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!
We like thinner salsa, but still with small chunks. The more you pulse, the thinner the salsa will be. A few pulses results in a thicker pico de gallo style salsa. While many pulses will result in more of a restaurant style consistency.
Recipe Tips
- Make Roasted Mango Habanero Salsa: Roast or broil the habanero peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic on a baking sheet. Allow them to cool, then pulse with the mango and remaining fresh ingredients. Roasting the vegetables will bring a stronger flavor and smoky element to your salsa.
- For Thicker Salsa: If you prefer chunkier pico de gallo-style salsa, finely chop the mango, tomato and onion by hand, so you have complete control of the final product’s consistency and presentation.
- Wear Gloves: Since the habanero peppers are very hot, wear gloves to prevent the heat from transferring to your hands. If you do not wear gloves, wash your hands completely after handling the peppers.
- Stir in a splash of white vinegar for tang and to extend the vibrancy of each flavor.
FAQs
Soon after fruit salsa ingredients are mixed, the fruit and vegetables will begin to release moisture. For this reason, it’s best to enjoy the salsa fresh. You can reduce the water by scooping out the tomato seeds before chopping.
Yes. Fresh mango is best, but frozen mango chunks are an option if you can’t find ripened mango or mangos are not in season. Let the frozen chunks thaw in the fridge before chopping.
After peeling, stand the mango upright on a cutting board with the wider end facing down. Cut the mango into thirds, working around the pit. Cut each piece into small chunks, then chop finely by hand or in a food processor.
Serving Suggestions
While this mango habanero salsa tastes great as a dip served with chips, you can also serve it with a variety of dishes. Check out the list below for ways to use this spicy mango salsa.
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
- Air Fryer Fish Tacos
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp Quinoa Bowls
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Steak Nachos
Did you try this Mango Habanero Salsa recipe? Leave a recipe rating and review below.
Mango Habanero Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe mangoes, chopped
- 2 habanero peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon koshers salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust lime juice or salt to your preference.
- Serve with tortilla chips or as desired. Store leftover salsa in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made it with fresh ingredients, ended up using 1.5 habaneros instead of the full 2 because of a bad spot. Was just enough spice to have a kick without losing the flavour in the heat of the pepper. I also added an extra tomato for more volume, and there were no leftovers!
I LOVE REPICE
Do you have water bath or pressure cooking instructions for this recipe?
Unfortunately, I do not have instructions for a water bath as I have no canned this recipe.
Yummy! I ended up making a lot of substitutions, cuz I did it spur of the moment – frozen mango cubes, jalapeno peppers, canned tomatoes, frozen cilantro, garlic powder. I didn’t even feel qualified to comment, but mangos & chile, what can go wrong? Go ahead and substitute in with whatever you have on hand. We had it with leftover barbequed chicken.
I’m so glad you enjoyed and were able to adapt to fit your needs. Thanks so much for your feedback!
Love, love, love the combination of sweet and spicy! Thanks for sharing.
I love that little touch of sweetness the mango adds to this salsa. So good!