Mango Habanero and Avocado Salsa

Life is a fiesta, and all fiestas need a good salsa (or two). Why not go tropical with this delicious mango habanero and avocado salsa? Made with cubes of sweet mango, creamy avocado, crisp bell pepper and red onion, and some chopped cilantro, this salsa is fruity, spicy, and bursting with flavor. Just add margs!

Mangoes and habaneros are bff status. Mangoes bring out the nice fruity flavor of habaneros beneath all the fire. The underlying floral and fruity notes of the habanero and those in mangoes compliment and elevate one another. Thus the numerous mango-habanero flavored products on the market. Adding avocado to the fun gives this salsa some guac vibes, and tames the heat further. I love adding red bell pepper for color and a nice texture contrast with sweet and slightly vegetal flavor.

Use my little trick to distribute the habanero heat evenly throughout the salsa. You could dice the habanero finely and add it in, but not matter how small you cut it, this makes for some really spicy bites and some with little to no habanero bits. By blending the deseeded habaneros with the lime juice, the lime juice not only tempers the heat, but allows the flavor of the habanero to spread to every bite.

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Mango Habanero and Avocado Salsa

Servings: 6 cups

Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 Ataulfo mangos (or 2 red mangos), cut into small cubes
• 2 avocados, cut into small cubes
• 3 tbsp. of chopped cilantro
• 1/3 cup of red onion, diced
• 1/2 of a large red bell pepper, diced
• juice of 4 limes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
• 1-2 habaneros, seeds removed (see note)
• pinch of salt

How-to:

1. Blend the lime juice and deseeded habanero peppers until smooth. 
2. Combine all ingredients, pour over the lime habanero juice, stir, (ideally) let sit for an hour in the fridge so flavors blend, and then serve.

Notes:

• Habaneros are spicy, but they are so good! By taking out the seeds, you remove a lot of the heat, so keep in some or all of the seeds if you want to increase the spice level.
• I think 2 habaneros deseeded is perfect for this salsa, but if you are not as much of a heat fan as I am, feel free to use 1 or even half of a deseeded habanero instead. 
• To try it out before pouring the lime juice over everything, take a little spoon full of the salsa and add a bit of lime-habanero juice. Taste it on a chip and go from there.