This simple mango sauce made with a handful of fresh ingredients and no cooking required can be used as a salad dressing or a refreshing, sweet and bright topping to fish, burgers, pork chops, steak, tacos and hot dogs. It’s even delicious as a dip for tortilla chips!
Every summer from age 18-22 I worked at a restaurant in my hometown on the lake with 4 of my friends. Those summers were honestly some of my favorite memories. We’d do double shifts broken up by a short break in between where our friends would pull up to the restaurant on jet-skis and we’d go out on the lake, get soaked and return for the dinner shift with water dripping down our legs as we waited on tables.
That restaurant also had daily specials that I swear always had some dish topped with a mango sauce. Sometimes it was chunky, other times it was more pureed but it was the chef’s absolute go-to for topping snapper, pork chops, skirt steak and pretty much every other protein you can think of.
That’s the thing about mango sauce — its versatility rivals the taste. You can put it on pretty much everything and it becomes that perfect finishing touch to round out the dish. From a Mexican themed night of tacos to topping something as delicate as sablefish, mango sauce does it all.
Why You’ll Love It
- There’s no cooking involved, everything’s done in the blender or food processor.
- Texture can easily be varied from a drizzly sauce to a thicker puree to something chunkier and more similar to salsa.
- Its uses are endless. Keep a jar in the fridge to top a boring chicken breast, toss it in salad as a dressing or use it as a fancy finishing touch to dinner.
Simple Fresh Ingredients
The most important element to this sauce is obviously the mango itself. The sweeter and riper your mango, the less sweetener you have to use. Sometimes, when mangos are at their best, I don’t even use any whatsoever.
- Mango – Choose a ripe mango that is soft to the touch. If you’re using smaller, Ataulfo mangos (my preference because the flesh is not fibrous and the pit is smaller), you may need to use two.
- Lime juice – Fresh lime juice is best, don’t use the stuff from the plastic lime container (gross). For extra zesty flavor use the zest from the lime too.
- Sweetener – Honey or maple syrup can be used. Just a touch is needed to complement the natural sweetness of the mango.
- Olive oil – This emulsifies into the sauce when blended turning it into a sauce versus just a fruit puree.
- Flavor – Fresh garlic, chili pepper or flakes (optional) and salt bring the savory and spicy elements to the mango sauce.
- Cilantro – Don’t skip the cilantro. This brightens everything up with its fresh flavor. In fact, I usually add more than called for in the recipe as I love it so much.
How to Make Mango Sauce
The full details with exact ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview with visuals.
- Add all the ingredients for the mango sauce to a food processor or blender.
- Blend until smooth and creamy. Texture is up to your preference though and easily varied by how long you blend.
- Adjust the thickness as needed for your intended use with a teaspoon of water at a time. Season to taste then transfer to a jar for storage in the refrigerator.
My Pro Tips
Storage Tips
- The mango sauce will keep refrigerated for up to 5-7 days.
- Stir or whisk before using after being stored if the oil has started to separate from the sauce.
- This does not freeze well and is best made fresh. The texture changes after freezing and thawing.
Serving Ideas
I’ve sung the praises a lot of sauces and spreads before from salsa verde to many different pestos and chutney, but mango sauce rises straight to the top of the list. Mainly because it’s probably the most versatile of them all.
In the summer, it’s perfect on top of almost any grilled meat. Whether that’s a ham steak or venison backstrap and everything in between.
I think my favorite pairing though is on top of pretty much any seafood. It’s wonderful over everything from baked salmon to tilapia and the Mexican flair works amazingly with blackened cod or mahi mahi.
If you love the simplicity of air fryer meals, try it spooned over a simple air fryer frozen chicken breast or air fried chicken drumsticks. It’s a great way to level up some air fried brats or sausage too.
Try These Other Mango Condiments Too
Check out this tutorial on how to cut a mango so you can make all these wonderfully sweet and savory mango recipes:
- Mango jam – a sweet, jammy option perfect on toast, dolloped into oatmeal or yogurt bowls.
- Spicy mango jam – a savory and spicy mango jam that’s perfect on a charcuterie board with some crackers, cheese and assorted meats.
- Mango habanero salsa – sweet, spicy and chunky – perfect for a fruity salsa craving and great used as a pico for tacos, nachos and quesadillas.
Mango Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced, about 1 cup
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- ½ small red chili or pinch of chili flakes, optional, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon minced cilantro
Instructions
- Add mango, lime juice, honey, olive oil, garlic, chili and salt to a blender or food processor.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning or sweetness if needed.
- Drizzle immediately over salad, or store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
- Add water by the teaspoon if the sauce is too thick.
- Include zest of the lime too for a brighter, more zesty sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
