Mango Habanero Salsa

With sweet fire heat and loads of flavor, this Mango Habanero Salsa is a must-try for anyone who craves big, bold flavors. It’s an easy fix, and with a handful of ingredients you can transform chips, tacos, nachos, and grilled meats into something fabulous! Ready to cook? Read on and I, Chef Jenn, will show you all my cheffy tricks to make this easy salsa recipe turn out perfectly every time!

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Before You Get Started – a Word About Habaneros

Habanero peppers are HOT. Spicy, With 100,000-350,000 Scoville Heat Units, they can be up to 140 times hotter than a jalapeno. You must be careful when dealing with and cutting these feisty chilis! Always wear gloves when cutting them, and even while cleaning the knife and cutting board afterwards. Keep your hands away from your eyes, and be careful not to touch anything that your gloved hands touched, after cutting the peppers. Dice them very finely – you don’t want to bite into a big chunk of one of these peppers!

About Habanero Peppers

With a slightly sweet but still fiery heat, habaneros are common in Latin American dishes. They come in a variety of colors, with the most ripe being a deep, brick red. You can find them in many grocery stores, or perhaps a specialty Latin market.

Store them in the fridge, and they’ll keep for about a week.

What You Need to Make Mango Habanero Salsa

• Mangos – see my notes below
• Habanero chili – 1 is plenty!
• Red onion
• Red bell pepper
• Cilantro
• Lime

How To Buy Mangos

Mangos are usually picked from the tree before they are ripe, so you’ll need to buy them a few days before you’re looking to make this mango salsa with habanero. Let the mangos sit on the counter for a day or two, but you don’t want them to be super soft.

When making salsa with mangos, look for mangos that are unblemished and on the firm side but with a bit of give. When pressing gently on the mango, you should feel some softness, not a rock-hard mango.

How To Make Mango Habanero Salsa

This recipe really couldn’t be any easier, just a few steps and you’re done!

1. Peel the mango with a vegetable peeler and cut it off the seed. Cut it into small dice. The smaller the dice, the more easily this fruit salsa recipe will fit on a nacho chip or inside a taco.
2. Seed and VERY finely dice the habanero. Start with about half the chili – you can always add more if you need more heat. See my notes above in order to safely deal with a habanero chili.
3. Seed and dice about 1/3 of the bell pepper.
4. Dice about 1/4 a cup of red onion.
5. Chop some cilantro.
6. Squeeze some lime juice.
7. Mix it all together and let it sit for about 20 minutes to blend all the flavors before serving.

Chef Jenn’s Tips

• There’s a lot of chopping in this recipe, but all the ingredients can be prepped ahead of time and then mixed shortly before you want to eat.
• This mango salsa recipe will also keep covered in the fridge for a few days, so feel free to make it ahead of time.
• The mango and bell pepper (not the habanero) should be diced about the same size. Knife cuts are important when making a salsa like this, so take your time and use a good quality chef’s knife to get pretty cuts.
• Be careful when dealing with the habanero chilis – they’re hot! See my notes above about how to safely handle one of these fiery peppers.
• Using a mango that’s more firm than soft will allow you to cut it more easily without making a juicy mess.

How To Serve Mango Habanero Salsa

This fruity and spicy salsa goes so deliciously with so many different dishes. Try it on fish tacos, spoon it over grilled chicken, or just scoop it up with tortilla chips. I love building a nacho bar with this fruit salsa and Creamy Jalapeno Dip as some of the options. It’s really versatile! Drop a note below in the comments and let me know how you like to eat this amazing tropical salsa recipe!

Frequently Asked Questions

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Step by Step Process

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