Mango Chamoy

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This mango chamoy is about to become your new favorite condiment. Salty, sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors are wrapped up into a sauce that screams Mexico in every spoonful! Use it in tacos, on fruit, in drinks, and much more!

📖 About

If you’re looking for an all-purpose sauce you can serve on literally anything, then this is the right recipe for you! And if you’ve never heard of chamoy, you’re about to be pleasantly surprised!

What is chamoy?

Chamoy is a Mexican salsa (sauce) made from the brine of pickled fruits like mangoes, apricots, or plums.

Additional ingredients like chiles, limes, dried fruits, flor de Jamaica, and sugar are often added to create a more unique flavor.

The end result is a flavor-packed condiment that encompasses Mexico — sweet, spicy, salty, and tangy. It’s typically served on fruits and vegetables, in drinks, or candies.

For more information, check out our detailed guide on what chamoy is, how it’s made, and all the nitty-gritty details.

What is mango chamoy?

While a more traditional chamoy includes umeboshi (see our history section), many also incorporate mango as the base. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since mangoes are readily available in Mexico.

So, for a change to our original chamoy recipe, we decided to swap in fresh mangoes. Their sweet, creamy, and floral flavors make this sauce a big hit. We’ve added it to basically all of our meals with delicious success!

Is it vegan?

Since the main ingredients in chamoy are fruit, salt, lime, and chiles, this sauce can be enjoyed by vegetarians and vegans alike.

This mango chamoy recipe incorporates additional mangoes to the mix, making it a bit sweeter but just as plant-based!

History

One of the reasons for the popularity of chamoy in Mexican cuisine is largely due to Asian influences.

• See mui in China.
• Umeboshi in Japan.
• Kiamoy in the Phillippines.

Pickled plums eventually found their way to Mexico on Spanish trade routes from the Philippines. Soon after, the first Mexican versions of chamoy were made.

For more information, check out our detailed guide on chamoy.

Serving

Mango chamoy can be enjoyed in so many different dishes, whether savory or sweet. It’s also commonly added to drinks or used as a dip for fruits and vegetables.

If you’re unsure how to serve this mango chamoy recipe, here are a few ideas to get you started:

• On tacos like al pastor or carnitas
• In drinks like mangonadas
• Mixed with candies
• Drizzled on frozen treats like raspados
• As a dip for fruit and vegetables like mangoes or jicama
• Added on top of chicharrones de harina with lime and Tajin
• Drizzled on tostilocos or pepinos locos

Do you have a favorite way of eating chamoy? We would love to know!

🍲 Ingredients

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

• Ancho, guajillo, arbol chiles: The combination of these dried chiles provide rich, tangy, and spicy flavors, forming a well-rounded mango chamoy.
• Fresh mangoes: Mangoes add a creamy, sweet, and floral flavor, which shines through in this recipe. We use Ataulfo mangoes, but feel free to use whatever is available to you.
• Dried apricots: Fruit-forward, sweet, and a little sour, apricots are often found in chamoy recipes. You can also use dried mango instead (it is mango chamoy afterall).
• Flor de Jamaica: Hibiscus (flor de Jamaica) adds a tart flavor and a beautiful red chamoy color. Did you know hibiscus may also help lower blood pressure?
• Sugar: As a way to balance out the spice and tartness, add a bit of cane sugar. The amount can be adjusted based on your preferences.
• Lime juice: To even out the sweet flavors of the mangoes and sugar.
• Salt: The traditional way chamoy is made is with the brine of pickled fruits, so it’s essential to use an ample amount of salt.

🔪 Instructions

If you have questions about this mango chamoy recipe, don’t forget to check out our FAQ section at the bottom of this post.

Step 1: Peel and cut the mangoes into small chunks. Stem and seed the dried chiles, then add them with the mangoes, dried apricots, flor de Jamaica, cane sugar, salt, and water to a saucepan.

Step 2: Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 35-40 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.

Step 3: Transfer the mixture to your blender and squeeze in the lime juice. Mix everything on high until you reach a smooth consistency, adding more water if it’s too thick for your liking.

Step 4: Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preferences. Add more cane sugar for sweetness, lime juice for tang, cayenne for spice, or salt to emulate a traditional pickled fruit chamoy.

Step 5: Serve your mango chamoy over fruits, vegetables, in drinks, or with chips. Transfer the rest to a mason jar or airtight container for storage. Happy eating!

🌡️ Storage

Everyone should always have a jar of mango chamoy at the ready. Follow these tips to keep yours fresh.

Fridge

As long as mango chamoy is stored in an airtight container (we prefer glass jars), it will last at least 2 months in the fridge.

Frezer

This chamoy freezes for up to 6 months. We often add ours to ice cube trays and just pop out however many we need in smaller portions.

Thaw

Thaw your chamoy overnight in the fridge and it’ll be ready to use the next day.

💭 Tips & variations

We’d like to share some tips and variations we learned while experimenting with this mango chamoy:

• Use different chiles. Try using pasilla or morita chiles for a more earthy and smoky flavor. You can also use ancho chile powder or cayenne powder.
• Keep it mild. If you prefer a low or no-spice chamoy recipe, add powdered spices in at the end (like cayenne) or leave them out all together.
• Adjust the consistency. Chamoy comes in all different consistencies, so you can easily adjust it to what you prefer by adding in or leaving out water.
• Use different mangoes. As we said, we love Ataulfo mangoes. But, you can use other varieties depending on what’s available in your area.

🍴 Tasting notes

Once you try this mango chamoy recipe, you’ll be serving it over all your meals! It’s:

• Sweet
• Sour
• Salty
• Tangy
• Spicy
• Umami

If you try making your own mango chamoy, please rate the recipe and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!

♻️ Similar recipes

For more flavorful Mexican salsas, check out our:

• Chamoy for an equally delicious version of chamoy without the added mango flavors.
• Mango habanero salsa for a sweet and spicy sauce that goes with chips, tacos, enchiladas, and more.
• Mango pico de gallo for a fresh, chunky salsa featuring mangoes. It goes on pretty much everything!
• Guacamole to try a perfectly creamy, slightly spicy, and extra chunky dip that is guaranteed to please a crowd.

💬 FAQ