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Delicious and super easy this Mango Salad Dressing is the antidote for boring salads! Try it on salmon, shrimp and chicken too!
Have you noticed? Mangoes are starting to show up here, there and everywhere. I'm excited to share this delicious. Sweet and Spicy Mango Salad Dressing as a way to herald in the mango season. To me, it's the perfect time of year to pizzaz up the winter menu with something deliciously fresh!
When is mango season?
Although you can generally find some type of mango at your local grocery store year round, mango season really starts in February and goes through September. Different varieties peak at different times and have varying shapes and colors. Here's a rundown of the different types of mangos that are available in the U.S. and their peak season, according to The National Mango Board:
- Honey Mangos - mid-February through mid-August.
- Francis Mangos - mid-April through mid-August.
- Hoden - mid-February through July.
- Keitt - mid-July through mid-October.
- Kent - January through August.
- Tommy Adkins - January through December.
I don't know about you, but I feel like it's easy to get in a rut during these dreary winter months. But it doesn't have to be that way. If it seems that you're eating the same things over and over again, it's time to change things up a little. Or a lot. Actually, that's my job - to help you think "outside the box" of your culinary world, so here we go!
If you haven't noticed, we're crazy about salads here at The Café. If you're bored with your salad life, I suggest you check out our salad archives. One of my favorite things to do is to create fresh, delicious salads with the unending array of delightful, seasonal ingredients. It was even a surprise to me when I took a peek at the archives and saw how many salads and salad dressings there are! There are green salads, pasta salads, quinoa salads, noodle salads. black bean salads, Mexican salads, Greek salads and on and on it goes. Whew! Yes indeed, we do enjoy salads!
This super easy Sweet and Spicy Mango Salad Dressing is a recent favorite of ours. I've used it with lots of different types of salads, and have also drizzled it over pan-seared salmon (like this Mexican Sugar Seared Salmon) and grilled chicken. The dressing transforms a simple green salad into a magically delicious accompaniment to just about any meal.
The ingredients for this Sweet and Spicy Mango Salad Dressing include fresh mango, honey, cumin, garlic, cilantro and hot chili pepper. A splash of lime juice adds lots of vibrant flavor and pairs nicely with the sweet and spicy ingredients. I used a Fresno pepper which is a small red pepper, about the size of an average jalapeño and with similar medium heat. I love the little specks of red, but if you can't find Fresno peppers (I usually buy them at Super Target) a jalapeño will substitute nicely.
This dressing takes around 10 minutes to throw together and keeps well for a week in the fridge. Most of it's done in the blender, making it super simple. It's decently healthy too with only â…“ cup olive oil and honey and fresh mango as the sweeteners.
So, if you're tired of the same old salads, switch things up a bit and whip up a batch of this beautiful-hued, Sweet and Spicy Mango Salad Dressing. It will add a bit of delicious panache to any meal!
Café Tips for making this Sweet and Spicy Mango Salad Dressing...
- You might be wondering why not just put everything in the blender? I tried that and the color gets kind of murky. It's much prettier if you chop the cilantro and pepper fine and add them on their own. If you're in a huge hurry, the flavor will be the same. Just drizzle in the oil from the opening in the top of the blender cap. I like to use a small funnel for this which prevents spattering.
- 1 large mango will yield about 1 ÂĽ cups diced or chopped fruit. If you have a little more or a little less, it's fine.
- Here's a great video on how to peel a mango.
- If you don't have a fresh orange, the "not from concentrate" juice at your local store is fine.
- Measure your oil first and let the oil run over your measuring spoon as you pour it into the measuring cup. When you get ready to measure the honey, it will release from the spoon like magic and make the job much easier.
- If you're in the market for a blender, I have this KitchenAid Blender. I love it and use it multiple times a week (sometimes a day!). It's super well made, along the lines of a Vitamix, and can do everything a Vitamix does (and more). It's not cheap, but like a KitchenAid mixer, it's made to last for years.
This Sweet and Spicy Mango Salad Dressing was first published in 2015. We've refreshed to pictures and post and are reposting it for your salad eating pleasure!
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Sweet and Spicy Mango Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and roughly chopped
- ÂĽ cup fresh lime juice, (2 medium size limes will yield approximately ÂĽ cup, although yield does vary as some limes are much juicier than others.)
- ÂĽ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- â…“ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped, medium heat chili pepper (I used a Fresno but jalapeño will also work well)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- ÂĽ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine mango, lime juice, orange juice, honey, cumin, garlic and salt in a blender container. Puree on medium speed until smooth. Transfer to a medium size jar.
- Add oil to the mixture in the jar in a slow, steady stream while stirring continuously with a fork or small whisk.
- Add finely chopped chili pepper, cilantro and black pepper. Taste and add a bit more salt, if needed.
- Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Shake well before using.
Notes
Nutrition
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Can you refer us to recipes on your site that use this dressing? I am no good at (translate: hate to make) combining salad ingredients. Once I get lettuce and say, salmon or shrimp, in the bowl, I'm stumped about what else to add before adding this dressing that sounds amazing! Thanks...
Hi Ellen, While you can certainly serve this dressing on a simple green salad, if you're looking to add more elements, you might cucumbers, strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries. For texture, try adding some nuts for crunch and/or dried cranberries.
Enjoy!
What is cilantro, I'm in Western Australia
Hi Marlene, it's fresh coriander. Here in the States, we call the seed coriander and the fresh leaves cilantro. Sorry if that was confusing!
This sounds perfectly delightful and I intend to make it soon for use of your strawberry spinach salad. I'd hoped to look at the article on peeling mangoes "Here's a great article on how to peel a mango" as well as the KitchenAid Proline Blender, but there don't seem to be an links that I can find to get me to those pages. Thanks for the terrific recipes!
Thanks for letting me know John. I will check those links and make they’re working properly.
Deliciously flavorful recipe!!
I am trying to eat healthier, and I like salads, but the store bought dressings just don't make me want to spend the time to chop up everything. I tried this recipe last night exactly as is (except I used wholefoods mango chunks after I had carefully picked out a ripe mango - LOL). It was wonderful!!! I sliced up the remaining mango and tossed it in with spring mix and some spiced pecans with the dressing. Sooooo goood!!! And easy to make too. Tonight I'll add some other veggies but it was delightful just with lettuce mango and nuts. Thank you!!!
Awesome! Thanks for the review, Vicki!
Yummm! I live on a small farm and pick fresh veggies for my salads every day....this is my new favorite dressing. Please send the labels so I can share this dressing with friends.
That's great, Marygene! We do not have labels for this recipe at this time.
My 2 year old is always begging me to serve him tortilla chips that he dips in this. "Chips and mango, mommy, I want chips and mango."
That's so sweet, Nunu!
love the mango dressing recipe
Thanks, John!
This recipe sounds amazing! I don’t use oil is there any substitute that you can suggest?
Hi Susan, hmmm, you could try it without oil but I'm not sure, since I haven't tested it, if that would work.
I've used aqua phaba in place of oil in similar recipes and it's worked well 🙂 I'm thinking I'll do the same with this!
Thanks, Monique!
Can you substitute canned Alfonso mango puree for the fresh mango? If so, what would be the amount of puree needled? Love this dressing idea.
Hi Donna, I haven't ever used canned mango puree so I can't say if it would work. It's fabulous with fresh mangoes!
Will try both!
Would mango that Ive frozen work for this recipe?
Yes, that will work, IS. Enjoy!
This is delicious! I used avocado oil instead of olive oil and I used some type of hot pepper we had grown in the garden (hotter than jalapeno). It had a wonderful kick which complimented the sweetness beautifully. Thank you for a great recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Marti!
I just made this dressing and all I can say is " WOW"! I've never ventured this far into the " fruity" salad dressings and I am not leaving any time soon.
Love that! Glad you enjoyed it, Emily!
We made this in no time last night. Had it on a green salad this afternoon, and as a sauce for roasted duck this evening. Absolutely delicious! It’s so bright and citrusy!
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it!
This dressing is delicious and easy to make.
Thanks, Petra! We love this dressing too!
(forgot the stars)!
Thanks, Amanda! đź’•
Hi Chris - could you substitue frozen mango when making this dressing?
Hi Ruth, you definitely can use frozen mango! Enjoy!
This is the most delicious dressing I have ever made. I could drink it, like a smoothie, it’s that good.
Thanks so much, Kathleen! I'm so happy you enjoyed this dressing! đź’•
Hi, Love this dressing, made it and it tastes sublime. But can you suggest what greens i can use this in and which type of salad goes with this dressing.
Love your salads page, its should be kept in the Salad National Treasure with your name in it. If ever i were to open a restaurant someday i would want you to come and inaugurate it.
Hi Nikhil, thanks for your very kind words đź’•đź’•đź’•
Regarding this salad dressing, it is great with simple greens like arugula, baby spinach or butter lettuce. You can also pair it with cucumbers, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
Looks great! I’m going to make it soon! Can I ask where you purchased you cruet? It is so cute, I’d love to have one like it.
Hi Megan, hope you enjoy the dressing! I'm always on the lookout for pretty cruets at thrift shops, consignment stores, antique shops, etc. This one I happened to pick up several years ago at a flea market in Paris. I wish I had a better answer to where you could buy one but maybe that's a good excuse for a trip to Paris!
Allergy to orange juice, would pineapple or apple juice work?
Hi Kate, pineapple juice would work well!
I finally tried this dressing and enjoyed it. I did use jalapeno peppers instead of chili.
I made this today and it was a huge HIT!! Thanks!
I made couple of modifications - i skipped garlic and honey (since it was already sweet with mango). I added 1/2 tsp of parika to give a little color.
Thanks for sharing your results, Sunita, so happy you enjoyed this dressing as much as we have!
I would like to use this with a simple green salad, perhaps with goat cheese, arugula, spicy pecans? Any other suggestions? I don't want to use meat in the salad.
Hi Brianne, that sounds wonderful. A few dried cranberries might be nice for color and a bit of sweet here and there.Enjoy!
Perfect change of pace from my usual balsamic vinaigrette! It's like sunshine on a plate!
Love this recipe this has given me a different way to change things iwant to try this with red apples blended with the mangos
Thanks, Estes. Let us know how the apple version turns out.
I used this last Christmas over my chicken mango salad, it was such a hit I will certainly be making it again this year makes a somewhat simple salad into something special
Thanks for taking the time to share your results, Irene. Have a wonderful Christmas!
Love this dressing! A local restaurant used to have a Pasta salad I absolutely loved with cilantro mango dressing. It was bow tie pasta, kiwi, strawberries, mandarin oranges and grilled shrimp on top. They no longer serve it, but now I create it at home with your dressing...spot on! Thank you!!
Oh, that salad sounds wonderful, Patti. I'm going to have to try that combination. Thanks for sharing!
This is a crowd favorite and a constant request to every gathering we go to, thanks for sharing!
That's awesome, I love it!
I would like to make this can you you use crushed red peppers flakes instead of the fresh chillies?
Yes, you definitely could!
Hello, absolutely loved the sound of this recipe. I was wondering if I can make it and refrigerate it for the season (2 to 3 months). Have you tried that? How long will it stay?
Hi Pallavi, I think you'll love this recipe. I don't think I would keep it that long though. Perhaps, a week, at the longest because there is fresh fruit in it. The lime juice will help preserve the mango - but not that long. You could freeze some mangoes and then make a batch every week. It's pretty easy and quick to put together.
We made this in no time last night. Had it on a green salad this afternoon, and as a sauce for roasted duck this evening. Absolutely delicious! It's so bright and citrusy!
What are your thoughts on freezing it?
So happy you enjoyed this, Amanda. Sounds wonderful on roasted duck! Thanks so much for sharing your review! đź’•
Love it so much you geniuses. Do you mean antidote?
Yes!! I did mean antidote! Thanks so much 🙂 I need all those extra "eyes" out there!!
Everyone who has tasted it so far has loved it and raved over it. Thank You so much!
Thanks so much for taking the time to give us feedback Meera, so happy you have enjoyed it!
hai
the dressing is really good........ but can u tell me on which salad will it taste goood ..........................pls reply
Thanks for your comment. It's delicious with any type of lettuce and great on just a simple green salad.
I just made this dressing and it’s so good! I’ve found it tastes great over mixed greens with avocado, strawberries, and sliced almonds. Hope that helps!
Yum! That sounds wonderful!
Ok...Ramella again...so I didn't wait for the flavors to meld. I had grilled boneless jerk Chicken breast. The dressing was absolutely fabulous. I had just a tad left so today, Monday, June 19th, 2016 made your dressing again...my mangos were very ripe. I changed my olive oil to Bertolli EVOO. I also purchased Fresco Red Peppers...while it was still slightly thick it was better than the one I made yesterday...Oh my...I can't wait to serve this to my guest. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Ramella, so happy you enjoyed this. You could always thin this with a little extra orange juice if it's too thick for you. I'm glad you tried it with a different oil too. It can make a big difference! Hope your guests enjoy it!
I just made your dressing. I did not have Fresno peppers so I used jalapeño. I find that the dressing is slightly thick and carries the taste of olive oil (Colavital Extra Verging Olive Oil). I'm going to let it sit for a day or so to allow the flavors to meld. Why would the dressing be slightly thick? It smells awesome.
This is the recipe that led me to your site. I'm now a subscriber, after seeing all the recipes you have to offer.
Can't wait to get cooking!
So glad you came by Eileen! And thanks for joining us here at The Café!
I Love this! I've started a Reboot program for my health and part of it is eating a healthy lunch and dinner so I'm gathering up lots of salad and salad dressing ideas and this is a winner!
Good for you! Enjoy!
This dressing is such a pretty color and looks sooo good! I love the pitcher too - may I ask where you got it?
A Paris flea market, of all places Teresa! Scott and I are always on the prowl for fun, unique props for TCSF!
Hi Chris. I would definitely like to try this recipe. May I know if I can substitute lemon juice for lime juice since lime is not an easy find in my area. Thanks.
Hi Tess, I think lemon would work although the flavor will be different. It will still be nice. 🙂
You are the Queen of Salads and this dressing is a beauty. I can only imagine how great it would be to have this in the middle of winter.
This dressing looks amazing! I could just drink it. And I love how it could go on pretty much any salad I make. YUM!
I'm not sure whether I'd eat it or just want to look at how beautiful it is! Such a gorgeous color and those flecks of cilantro and chili peppers are so beautiful. When we overeat on the weekends, salad dinners are always on the menu for Monday night (and sometimes Tuesday too if we've really over indulged!). Gorgeous, Chris!
This is a winning recipe. I love the combination of sweet, spicy, and citrus, that you've put together in the recipe. Wonderful!
Thanks Nancy!
Mango salad dressing??? I'd be pouring this winner over everything, too!!! And it's gorgeous, too.
What a colorful, beautiful, delicious dressing, Chris.
Dear Chris, you are certainly an expert at creating the most exiting salad dressings ever - just look at that color and the wonderful ingredients. You managed to combine so many delightful flavor components - a certain hard-to-resist recipe indeed!
Hope you are spending a wonderful Sunday,
Andrea
I love mangoes, what an incredible dressing!
Wow Chris - I just had one of the best mangoes I've ever eaten and now I want to run out and buy another so I can make this. The color is gorgeous. Thank you! Pinning 🙂
I love mango in salads and have been going overboard with it..what's one more time righ?:)Thank you..GORGEOUS.
Love the sound of this salad dressing and I agree that it's always great to add new flavours in to the mix. Sweet and spicy is always perfect 🙂
I love mango dressing. This is so fruity, fresh and tasty. I probably would drink whole pitcher :-))
Have a lovely weekend, Chris!
Angie
Love the ingredients in this dressing. Will definitely try this out.
Hi Chris, I think I would be able to drink this in the mornings to get me going , Wow! love everything about this! I can see this dressing on a salad and fruit salad.
Chris I love the sound of this dressing. Not only is it beautiful but the combination of ingredients sounds fantastic! I will definitely be making this.
Thanks Vickie, hope you enjoy it as much as we have!
Does this dressing freeze please?
Hi Patricia,
I'm not sure about freezing. I have a feeling it would separate but I've never tried it.
The very thought of this drives me crazy --- the sweet, the spicy, the cilantro --- all my favorites!
Thanks Sue, you and I have the same favorites!