Homemade Mango Habanero Hot Sauce
This homemade Mango Habanero Hot Sauce has that classic balance of sweet heat, making it perfect for marinating chicken wings or drizzling wherever you like some spice. This Caribbean style sauce is made in the blender with fresh mango, habanero peppers, vinegar, spices, and a carrot for a boost in that signature bright orange color.
My friends and I first tried a homemade version of mango habanero at a local BBQ spot in Anguilla and I haven’t been the same since.
The owner of the barbecue joint’s wife made and bottled the stuff herself, and it had that epic flavor that only a homemade sauce has.
This version of the classic sweet and spicy hot sauce comes pretty close to hers, if I say so myself. We’re leaning on spices popular in the Caribbean like allspice, cumin, and turmeric, as well as lime juice, vinegar, and a carrot (more on that later) to achieve maximum flavor.
It’s one of those hot sauces that’s good on just about anything. But especially, these baked mango habanero chicken wings.
This recipe is super quick to make (kind of like this Puerto Rican Pique) and can be enjoyed the same day you make it as it isn’t fermented. Perfect for showing off to your friends and family at your next BBQ!
Grocery List
Step by Step Instructions
Tip: Taste your sauce while it’s simmering to see if you’d like to add more sugar, vinegar, or spices to get the flavor just right for your preferences!
Mango Habanero Chicken Wings
If you’re a fan of this particular kind of hot sauce, chances are you’ve had it on chicken of some sort.
Whether it’s bbq chicken straight off the grill, or chicken wings out of the oven, chicken + mango habanero sauce = a match made in heaven.
Quick Recipe: I recommend roasting the chicken wings (or whatever cut you prefer) in the oven or on the grill with some spices until cooked through before tossing or basting with this sauce. From there you can put them back in the oven or grill until the sauce begins to caramelize.
Adding A Carrot
Adding a carrot is a trick I’ve seen used in many different kinds of brighter hot sauce recipes.
It may seem unconventional, but it adds a natural sweetness and a creamy smooth texture to sauces.
In this hot sauce in particular, I especially love the bright orange color it provides, while also amping up the flavors of the mango and peppers.
After all, we eat with our eyes! And having a dull muted yellow mango habanero sauce just feels wrong.
Tips for the Best DIY Hot Sauce
- Blend it up! I recommend keeping your finger on the blender button longer than you’d think, as it helps to result in a silky smooth, clump free sauce.
- Don’t skip the simmer: this step allows the spices to bloom into the sauce and helps to dissolve the sugar.
Enjoy,
Homemade Mango Habanero Hot Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Dip, marinade, Sauce
- Method: Simmered
- Cuisine: Caribbean, Jamaican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This homemade Mango Habanero Hot Sauce has that classic balance of sweet heat, making it perfect for marinating chicken wings or drizzling wherever you like some spice. This Caribbean style sauce is made in the blender with fresh mango, habanero peppers, vinegar, spices, and a carrot for a boost in that signature bright orange color.
Ingredients
- 1 small carrot, peeled
- 5 cups water
- 1 ripe mango, diced
- 2–3 habanero peppers, seeds and stems removed
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 small yellow onion
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar or honey
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Boil the carrot. Bring the water to a boil before adding the carrot and boiling until fork tender. Strain the water the set the carrot aside to cool.
- Blend everything except the spices and sugar. In a small blender combine the diced mango, habanero peppers, garlic, onion, boiled carrot, vinegar, and lime juice. Blend until smooth and consistent.
- Simmer remaining ingredients. In the empty saucepan, combine the blended mixture with the sugar, turmeric, cumin, and allspice. Simmer over medium low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add a splash of water if you’d like a thinner sauce. Add salt to taste.
- Cool and bottle. Cool the sauce before pouring into a bottle and storing in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Notes
Spice levels: If you prefer a spicier sauce, add anywhere from 3-4 habaneros, if you’d like it more on the mild side, use only 1.
Mango Habanero Chicken Wings: Season chicken with spices of choice before cooking in the oven or on the grill until it reaches 165°F. Toss or bast with this mango habanero sauce before returning to the oven or grill and cooking until the sauce becomes caramelized.