Home » Recipes » Mango Habanero BBQ Sauce: Sweet Meets Heat

Mango Habanero BBQ Sauce: Sweet Meets Heat

Name: Mango-Habanero BBQ Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon olive oil; 1 small onion (chopped); 4 habanero peppers (diced); 4 cloves garlic chopped; 2-3 cups chopped mango (I used 2 cups for this recipe, but you can use more as desired); 6 ounces tomato paste; 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 3 tablespoons honey; 2 tablespoons spicy chili flakes; 1 tablespoon ground mustard; 1 tablespoon smoked paprika; 1 tablespoon ground ginger; ½ cup brown sugar; Salt and pepper to taste

by Mike Hultquist · Jul 19, 2019 · 52 Comments

Jump to Recipe Save

This mango-habanero bbq sauce recipe is perfect for grilled shrimp, fish, chicken or pork, with just the right amount of sweet and heat.

When you're firing up the grill this summer (or spring or fall or, hey winter!), you need to have a good BBQ sauce around. There are some very good ones out there at the grocery store, and some bad ones, but it's pretty tough to go wrong with a good homemade BBQ sauce.

I enjoy making my own sauces for grilling because they're fresher, and I can control what goes into them. I'm not super crazy about too much added sugar and all those preservatives. And I want awesome FLAVOR.

Like this particular recipe. It's Mango-Habanero BBQ Sauce, and it has everything going for it. It's got a touch of sweet from the mango, a nice level of heat from the habanero peppers, and I've made it slightly thick so it sticks to whatever it is I'm grilling.

YES!

Talk about an awesome bbq sauce. Let's talk about how we make it, shall we?

Mango-Habanero BBQ Sauce Ingredients

Olive Oil.
Onion. Small, chopped.
Habanero Peppers. Diced.
Garlic. Chopped.
Mango. Chopped.
Tomato Paste.
Apple Cider Vinegar.
Honey.
Spicy Chili Flakes.
Ground Mustard.
Smoked Paprika.
Ground Ginger.
Brown Sugar.
Salt and Pepper.

Mango Habanero BBQ Sauce coating a spoon

Mango-Habanero BBQ Sauce - The Recipe Method

First, heat a large saucepan to medium heat and add olive oil with onion and peppers. Cook about 5 minutes, or until everything softens.

Add the garlic and cook another minute, until garlic becomes fragrant.

Add remaining ingredients and stir until everything is combined.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Process until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add a ½ cup of water or more and continue to process to your preferred consistency.

Serve the sauce right away, or let it sit awhile to allow the flavors to more fully develop.

Mango Habanero BBQ Sauce in a bowl, ready to serve

How Long Will This BBQ Sauce Last?

The sauce will last a couple weeks in the refrigerator if stored in a sealed container. You can freeze the sauce for up to 6 months to keep it longer. Just remove it from the freezer, thaw completely, then serve cold. Or, you can heat it gently in a small pot to serve warm.

The Heat Factor

Medium-Hot. You'll get a nice level of heat from the habanero peppers.

Looking for a milder bbq sauce? Cut back on the habanero peppers by replacing some with milder peppers, like serranos or jalapenos, or core them out to remove some of the heat.

Want spicier? You can easily add more habaneros, or go with hotter peppers, like the ghost pepper. YES!

Serving Suggestions

I love this bbq sauce on any cut of chicken or pork, on grilled shrimp, on salmon, and also drizzled onto grilled vegetables. It's wonderfully sweet and spicy. Got another way you use it? Let me know! I'd love to hear.

Recipe Tips & Notes

Wear Gloves. It's a good idea to wear kitchen gloves when handling hot peppers. The oils from the peppers can get on your skin and cause a burning sensation. If this happens, see this page - How to Stop the Chili Pepper Burn.
Thinner BBQ Sauce. If you'd like a thinner, more consistent bbq sauce, swirl in a bit more water to thin it out. You can also use a food processor, blender or immersion blender to process the sauce a bit more to a finer consistency. Or, run it through a sieve.

Try Some of My Other Mango-Habanero Recipes

Try Some of My Other BBQ Sauce Recipes

Mango Habanero BBQ Sauce dripping from a spoon

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Mango-Habanero BBQ Sauce Recipe

This mango-habanero bbq sauce recipe is perfect for grilled shrimp, fish, chicken or pork, with just the right amount of sweet and heat.

Save Recipe

Course: Main Course, sauce

Cuisine: American

Keyword: barbecue, bbq sauce, habanero, mango, recipe, spicy

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 35

Calories: 104kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings: 1/4 cup servings

Tap or hover to scale

5 from 17 votes

Leave a Review

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion chopped
4 habanero peppers diced
4 cloves garlic chopped
2-3 cups chopped mango I used 2 cups for this recipe, but you can use more as desired
6 ounces tomato paste
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons spicy chili flakes
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon ground ginger
½ cup brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat a large saucepan to medium heat and add olive oil with onion and peppers. Cook about 5 minutes, or until everything softens.
Add the garlic and cook another minute, until garlic becomes fragrant.
Add remaining ingredients and stir until everything is combined.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 20-30 minutes.
Process until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add a ½ cup of water or more and continue to process to your preferred consistency. Serve the sauce right away, or let it sit awhile to allow the flavors to more fully develop.

Video

Notes

Heat Factor: Medium-Hot. You'll get a nice level of heat from the habanero peppers. Looking for a milder bbq sauce? Cut back on the habanero peppers by replacing some with milder peppers, or core them out to remove some of the heat. Want spicier? You can easily add more habaneros, or go with hotter peppers, like the ghost pepper. YES!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 104kcal Carbohydrates: 23g Protein: 1g Fat: 1g Sodium: 139mg Potassium: 294mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 19g Vitamin A: 1230IU Vitamin C: 18.9mg Calcium: 30mg Iron: 1.2mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.