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This mango sweet chili sauce is the perfect sweet and spicy sauce. It combines the flavors of mango, sweet chili, garlic, and lime for a delicious and versatile mango dipping sauce!
I love the tropical, sweet flavor of mango and it’s vibrant, rich color. This mango chilli dip perfectly combines the sweetness of mango with the tang of lime juice and spice of chili for a perfectly balanced dip to target all your taste buds. And, all you need to make this dip is just six ingredients and a few minutes of your time!
I originally posted this recipe as part of a Pick n’ Mix summer rice paper rolls post, but since this is dip is incredibly versatile, I think it deserves a post of its’ own. In fact, with just a couple ingredient omissions/swap, this dip can be used for savory and sweet uses. I include a list of some of the favorite serving suggestions below.
Plus – this dip is gluten-free, vegan, and can be tweaked to fit different tastebuds! It’s also a lot healthier than many store-bought dips, and you can adjust the amount of sweetener used, as you prefer.
Oh, and can I just repeat how simple it is to pull this recipe together! In fact, the entire recipe is made up of only three steps. The hardest part is probably choosing and preparing the mango, and I have some tips and tricks to help make that as easy as possible too.
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How To Cut A Mango
To Find A Ripe One
When looking for a ripe mango to use, the color isn’t actually always the best indicator of what is ripe. Your best bet is to squeeze the mango gently and see if it has a little give. Ripe mangos can also smell super sweet and fruity – near their stem end.
Once you’ve chosen the perfect mango, it’s time to chop it up. For those who have never sliced open a mango before, or have and have found it a nightmare to cut the flesh away from the pit – I’ve been there! I think that many of us who are preparing mangos for the first time tend to make the same mistake. That is, trying to chop the mango the ‘wrong way’ – trying to slice the sides where the pit is rather than the fleshy cheeks.
When preparing a mango, your first job is to cut the sides (or ‘cheeks’) away from the pit inside. The pit is relatively flat and oblong and runs through almost the entirety of the center of the mango. So, you need to make sure that you’re trying to cut off the fatter ‘cheek’ parts on either side.
To Cut It
First, hold mango on its end with the stem facing down. The narrower, long part of the mango is the center, meanwhile the rounder, fatter bits are the cheeks.
Imagining where the pit is, cut about 1/2-1″ in from the center of the mango straight down the length of the mango, and then repeat on the other side.
At this point, you should have two cheeks and a middle piece, which contains the pit.
Next, it’s time to gather then mango flesh. Do this by sliding the mango over the edge of a glass (or thin-walled cup). The inside of the glass will catch the flesh while the peel will remain on the outside (refer to image below).
At this point, it’s easy to scrape out any left over flesh in the skin using a spoon. In any case, after 1 or 2 tries, I am sure you will get the hand of this easy peeling method. You will be left only with the thin mango peel with no flesh in it.
Now you can just slice or chop the mango flesh or even just mash it in the glass, depending on what you need it for.
Finally, remove all remaining flesh from the pit section. I’ve found the easiest way to do this is simply place it flat on a table and cut away the out skin. Then, using my small knife, I just cut away at the remaining flesh to get as much as possible.
Many people discard the entire middle section, but you may be surprised at just how much mango flesh there is in that bit too. Plus, since we’re blending this up into a smooth mango sweet chili sauce, we’re not worried about it looking amazing or anything.
The Method
What’s Needed
- Mango
- Chili paste (or crushed red chili). If you like to make it extra hot, you can use habanero peppers.
- Maple syrup – or another liquid sweetener
- Garlic
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Coconut Sugar
- Pinch of salt (or salt and pepper)
The Steps
First, prepare the mango according to the instruction above. Then juice your lime.
Place all of the ingredients into a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth. I suggest using half of the sweetener and chili recommended, to begin with. Once blended, taste, and adjust the amounts as needed. Alternatively, you can just whisk them.
To thin the sauce to your desired consistency, you have a couple of options. If you plan on eating immediately (or within a day), then you can add a little warm water by the spoonful. Alternatively, you can mix in a little neutral oil like vegetable oil.
And that’s it – your mango hot sauce is ready to use!
How To Store
This mango and chili sauce is best used immediately. However, any leftovers will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days if you’ve added water to it. Usually slightly longer (3-4 days), if you’ve added oil.
I would imagine that this sauce is also freezer-friendly, although that isn’t something that I’ve tried to do, so I can’t guarantee results.
How To Serve
Now is the fun part – how to use your spicy mango chilli sauce! My favorite method is to serve it along with veggie-stuffed rice paper spring rolls. For all the meat-eaters, this tropical sauce pairs wonderfully with shrimp and fish and BBQ dishes. For those who are meat-free, it pairs equally as well with meat-alternative and tofu.
If you omit the garlic, then you can even use this sauce (with and without the chili) for sweet dishes too. For example, pouring over homemade Ice-cream, oatmeal, cheesecake, or spooning into Yogurt Bowls. I’ve also found that it’s quite a simple but delicious dip for serving alongside chips and toasted pita.
I love to have this chili mango sauce on the table with nibbles and other dips when family and friends come over. Like these Fall Leaves Healthy Crackers or Seeded Crackers.
If you give this mango sweet chili sauce recipe a go, then let me know your thoughts and any questions in the comments. Also, feel free to tag me in your recreations @AlphaFoodie.
Sweet Chili Mango Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cups mango chunks
- 1 Tbsp lime juice or lemon juice
- 1/4 Tbps coconut sugar
- 1-1.5 tsp chilli paste to taste or roughly chopped red chili
- 1/2-1 tsp liquid sweetener such as maple syrup, agave, etc.
- 1/3 clove garlic minced (optional)
- Pinch salt
- a little olive oil or warm water (optional) for thinning the sauce
Instructions
How To Cut A Mango
- Hold mango on its end with the stem facing down. The narrower, long part of the mango is the center, meanwhile the rounder, fatter bits are the cheeks.
- Imagining where the pit is, cut about 1/2-1" in from the center of the mango straight down the length of the mango and then repeat on the other side. You should now have two cheeks and a middle piece, which contains the pit.
- It's time to gather then mango flesh. Do this by sliding the mango over the edge of a glass (or thin-walled cup). The inside of the glass will catch the flesh while the peel will remain on the outside (refer to image below).
- Scrape out any left over flesh in the skin using a spoon.
- Remove all remaining flesh from the pit section. I've found the easiest way to do this is simple place it flat on a table and cut away the out skin. Then, using my small knife, I just cut away at the remaining flesh to get as much as possible.
- You can just slice or chop the mango flesh or even just mash it in the glass.
For The Sauce
- First, prepare the mango according to the instruction above. Then juice your lime.
- Place all of the ingredients into a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth. I suggest using half of the sweetener and chili suggested, to begin with. Once blended, taste, and adjust the amounts as needed.
- To thin the sauce to your desired consistency you have a couple of options. If you plan on eating immediately (or within a day), then you can add a little warm water by the spoonful. Alternatively, you can mix in a little neutral oil like vegetable oil.
- And that’s it – your mango sauce is ready to use!
How To Store
- This mango sweet chili sauce is best used immediately. However, any leftovers will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days if you've added water to it and usually slightly longer (3-4 days), if you've added oil.
- I would imagine that this sauce is also freezer-friendly although that isn’t something that I’ve tried to do, so I can’t guarantee results.
Video
Notes
- If you’re unable to find fresh mango then you can use frozen mango. Leave it to thaw completely and drain any excess liquid then follow the recipe as normal.
- You could also use canned mango. Although you likely won’t need any further sweetener then so start without any and taste and adjust as needed.
- This mango and chili sauce can be easily customized to your preferred sweetness and heat levels. Start by adding half the amount I’ve suggested of sweetener and chili. blend and taste, then add more, as required.
- If you decide to use fresh chilis instead of paste then feel free to experiment with heat levels. Habanero peppers are a great combination with mango or simple red chili’s.
- Feel free to use lemon juice instead of lime juice. I prefer to use fresh juice, but you can also use bottled if that’s all you have.
- Add oil to the mango hot sauce to quickly and easily transform it into a tropical mango salad dressing.
- If wanting to keep some in the fridge for a few days then it may be best thinning it with oil (such as olive oil) instead of water.
- You could also add a little homemade coconut milk to coconut cream to thin the sauce and add even more of a tropical twist.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Soo good
Thank you so much for your comment, Shruty