Here you are going to find all our favorite Mango recipes. With mango season upon us, we wanted to share everything we know about our favorite fruit with you. From finding them, to slicing them, and making them into delicious dishes we have you covered.
When is Mango Season
While it is true that you can find a mango almost any time of the year in the market, the truth is they are best in the summer.
From June through October the tropical fruit takes over and we couldn’t love them anymore. There are different varieties of mangoes.The Kent mango is one of the most popular and a great option for cooking because it’s sweet and very juicy. The Alphonso mango is also a sweeter option. Another favorite type of mango is the Ataulfo or champagne mango. It’s small, yelllow and the flesh has sweet and slightly tart. The flesh has almost no fibrous pieces which makes it great for eating straight up or cooking with it.
First Things First: How to Cut a Mango
Before you delve into any of our recipes check out Our Instagram Video HERE of how to cut up a mango properly.Mangos have a large pit in the middle. You want to cut along that pit. Stand the mango up with the most pointed part looking up. Using a sharp knife and cut down along the pit. Repeat the same process on the other side. Set aside the part of the pit but don’t throw out.Make slices or crosswise slits along the two pieces that you cut off. Then run a spoon between the flesh of the mango and the skin and the pieces will pop right out.Using a small sharp knife, remove the skin around the pit and cut the flesh around the pit. Whatever is left stuck on the pit is fair game to suck and enjoy every last drop
Some of our other favorite Mango Recipes
Mango Marmalade
As soon as mangos are in season, this is our go to! We make a big batch of the marmalade as the mangos become ripe. The best part of marmalade – you can freeze it in plastic baggies. You can have marmalade whenever you want it, even after the season is over. It’s the recipe that we grew up eating. My mom always had a pot of mermelada de mango bubbling away in the summer.
We highly recommend eating it with crackers and cream cheese or over ice cream, it’s very versatile. You can also use the marmalade to drizzle over some of our delicious desserts to give them that summery feel.
Think Bread pudding, Panetela, Rum cake or our French toast casserole.
Mango Salsa
Another favorite thing to make is a simple recipe you can easily enjoy with chips. We love this recipe, it’s one of those easy to do things that brings big flavor. Great for a party or just for hanging with your friends or family at home.
Like the marmalade it can be used to enhance another recipe like the following to add another layer of flavor and some Caribbean flare; Chipotle lime salmon, Pork tenderloin, Pork chops, Enfrijoladas.
Mango Granizado
Granizado is a semi-frozen dessert made from fruit that is pureed, slightly sweetened, then scraped off to resemble shaved ice. It screams summer-time because of its freshness and simplicity. You can make a granizado from almost any puree, but mango granizado is one of our favorites. The mangos are naturally sweet so you don’t need a lot to make this treat taste delicious. Using different types of mangos for that perfect balance between ripe and tart is ideal.
Mango Pastelitos
We love the idea of making homemade pastelitos. It’s such a fun and easy thing to do, and brings the little ventanita right to your house. Mango pastelitos are the perfect vehicle for our Mango Marmalade. It’s not easy to find Mango Pastelitos especially when not in season, so if you have a little marmalade leftover, this is a great way to use it! However you can use a store bought marmalade or jam if you prefer.
Mango Crisp with Almond Crust
Think of this one as a modern take on a pretty classic Cuban staple. There is something about the balance of the fresh mango with the light crispy oat just screams summer. The dessert is simple to prepare and allows the amazing mango to shine through. We love easy and amazing.
Other Ideas for Your Mangoes
The reality is, that you can add a mango to almost anything to bring a little extra yum. These are some dishes that we feel the mangoes just elevate.
Tropical Ceviche: chopped mango is a natural fit into this delicious ceviche
Fruit Salad: any fruit salad can use a little punch up with mango
Summer Chopped Salad: another great place to drop a little sliced mango
Shrimp Salad: we love a little mango salsa added to this shrimp salad
Pargo Frito: imagine this with a little mango salsa, another great place to use it
