Mango Dressing

Mango dressing is a quick and easy salad dressing recipe that is great for salads as well as a marinade, chutney, or to drizzle on top of chicken or fish. It’s made with fresh ingredients and sweet, in-season mangoes.

this recipe

Perfectly sweet, tangy, and spiced mango salad dressing is made from scratch in just 10 minutes with mangoes, cilantro, green onions, garlic, jalapenos, cumin, and lime juice.

It’s perfect for a backyard barbeque or weeknight meal at home. You’ll want to spoon it over everything! 

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients to make this healthy mango dressing: 

• Mango: Fresh, in-season mangoes work best for this recipe.  
• Cilantro: There’s no need to mince the cilantro since it gets blended with the other ingredients. 
• Green onion: This adds contrast and flavor to the sweet mangoes.  
• Garlic: A clove of garlic is a delicious addition to this dressing. 
• Jalapeno: Jalapenos give this dressing a kick! 
• Cumin: Powdered cumin adds a smoky flavor. 
• Lime juice: Bright lime juice gives a wonderful balance point. 
• Avocado oil: Smooth avocado oil blends nicely with these ingredients.  
• Kosher salt and black pepper: A touch of salt and pepper enhances the flavors of this dressing.  

How to Cut a Mango 

Fresh ripe but still slightly firm mangoes work best for this dressing. Always wash mangoes before cutting.

Here’s a step-by-step visual on how to cut a mango. You’ll need a cutting board, sharp knife, and a spoon.

How to make mango dressing 

The key to making a creamy and silky mango dressing recipe is emulsifying the oil and the lime juice. If added all together, oil will separate but if you add the oil in a slow, steady, stream, it creates a velvety thick dressing.

To make the dressing, simply add all ingredients into a food-processor except for the avocado oil. Puree until smooth. While the food processor is running, gradually add oil, in a slow, steady stream. The dressing should turn thick, creamy, and light lime color.

Recipe Tips

Here are some tips that will help you make the best mango dressing you’ve ever tried: 

• Use fresh mangoes for the best flavor and texture. 
• Make a mango chutney salad dressing by roughly chopping the ingredients and adding the oil to gently coat. 
• You will need ¾ cup chopped mango, which equals to be about 1 large mango.
• Fully ripe mangoes work the best, but frozen mangoes can also be used. Thaw the frozen mango first.
• This dressing is not spicy. Feel free to add more jalapeno if you want it spicy. Be sure to taste a piece of the jalapeno before adding it to the dressing to make sure the spice level is what you want. 
• You can substitute the diced jalapeno for red pepper flakes if you prefer. 
• The lime juice can be replaced with apple cider vinegar if you don’t have fresh limes. 
• Exchange the avocado oil for extra virgin olive oil. 

Ways to use mango dressing

This mango cilantro dressing can be used in more than just salads! It’s perfect for so many other amazing uses.

• Marinade: Use the puree as a marinade for beef, pork, or chicken to make incredibly tender and flavorful meat.  
• Seafood: Spoon this flavorful sauce over cooked seafood like Blackened Salmon Lettuce Wraps, Baked Fish in Foil, or Shrimp Lettuce Wraps.  
• Bowl: Jazz up your chicken, grain, or veggie bowl with this excellent dressing.
• Chutney: Make a thick chutney and eat right from the bowl!  
• Salads: Change up any of these salads with this dressing instead: Shrimp Avocado Salad, Berry Spinach Salad, or Thai Chicken Salad.

How can you make this dressing creamy? 

To make this dressing creamy, add ripe avocados which will keep it vegan and dairy-free. 

Or you can add whole-fat plain Greek yogurt to the blender to get a deliciously creamy texture and tangy flavor.   

What other flavors can you add? 

This sweet mango salad dressing can be adjusted by adding different ingredients and flavors. Try these options:  

• Honey or maple syrup
• Fresno chiles
• Orange juice (fresh or in a bottle)
• Shallots
• Dijon mustard

How can I blend this dressing? 

There are a few different ways to blend this salad dressing into a smooth puree. The options include a food processor, blender, or even a mortar and pestle. 

If you use a mortar and pestle grind in batches or use a large enough mortar to grind it all at the same time. 

The dressing should emulsify when you add oil in a slow, steady stream. If you add the oil too fast it will separate.

FAQs:

Got Leftover Mango?

Turn leftover mango into these delicious recipes:

• Power Smoothie
• Mango Shrimp Salad
• Pineapple Mango Salsa
• Mango Guacamole
• Shrimp with Mango Salsa