Mexican Mango with chili and lime juice

An easy recipe for Mexican mango with chili powder and lime juice

Mexicans offer up an unexpected appetizer for the margarita lover in all of us.

Take a walk along a Mexican beach and you’re likely to find carts of mangoes being peeled and cut into elaborate flowers and wands. Mango carving is not unique to Mexico – the art can be found wherever the fruit is grown – but Mexican mango flowers smack of lime juice with puffs of chili powder and salt.

Just look at this video:

I planned to make a mango flower for you today. How could I not?

Real Talk: When I tried to replicate his mango carving technique I ran into trouble.

My first problem was that the ripe mango slid down any stick I put it on (I tried chopsticks and skewers). And, without the proper handle, carving the flower became a slippery, dangerous mess. By the end of the afternoon I’d hobbled together a few cranky looking flowers but, as I had nothing to stand them on, I’ll leave their appearance to your imagination.

An easy recipe for Mexican mango with chili powder and lime juice

The happy solution?

A ridiculously simple approach that will add a festive touch to any appetizer buffet:

Fill a glass container several inches deep with raw black beans. Add cubes of spiced mango to forks and stick in the beans. If the forks topple you simply need more beans.

Since this appetizer only includes three ingredients (four if you count salt), each ingredient must be of the highest possible quality.

Mangoes require patience.

: Closeup view of mango tree flowers, Cardwell. QLD. Date26 July 2007 Sourcehttp://www.scienceimage.csiro.au/image/3706 AuthorWillem van Aken, CSIRO

Closeup view of mango tree flowers. Photo by Willem van Aken.

I’m not just talking about from flower to fruit. This is about after the grocery store.

For a long time I ate firm, pale-fleshed sour mangoes. My problem? I was cutting into them too soon (the crime was all the worse since mangoes are one of my favorite fruits). But if you can resist carving up your mangoes right away you will be rewarded with deep orange flesh so sweet it rivals honey.

To enjoy the sweetest possible mango:

Cut into a mango when fragrant, soft, and the skin is just beginning to wrinkle.

Not all Chili Powder is equal

An easy recipe for Mexican mango with chili powder and lime juice

Chili powder ranges from mostly sweet to screaming hot, even in Mexico. This means cayenne pepper is a great option for those who like to sweat. A sweet, smoky chili powder works for those with milder sensibilities. Whichever variety you prefer, make sure the spice is fresh for maximum flavor.

Tip: To find the perfect chili powder purchase small samples from the bulk spice bin at the grocery store. You can even set out a variety in small bowls and let your guests dust their own mangoes!

Get real with Lime Juice

Can we all agree to use fresh lime juice? From an actual lime?

Really.

There’s no substitute for the pucker it creates.

100% Kid approved

That’s right. Fork over fork, Ava made these nibbles disappear!

An easy recipe for Mexican mango with chili powder and lime juice

mango-chili-recipe-05

An easy recipe for Mexican mango with chili powder and lime juice

She’d fit right in at a fancy cocktail party, don’t ya think?

Enjoy this sweet and spicy bite of Mexico.

Perhaps with a sweet and spicy view.

"Volcan de Colima Sept 2009" by Universidad de Colima - http://www.ucol.mx. Licensed under GFDL via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Volcan_de_Colima_Sept_2009.JPG#/media/File:Volcan_de_Colima_Sept_2009.JPG

Volcan de Colima in Sept 2009. Photo by Universidad de Colima

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Mexican Mango with chili and lime juice
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Print Recipe
Spiced mangoes are an easy and fun appetizer or snack. Also great served at the end of a meal.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Mexican Mango with chili and lime juice
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Spiced mangoes are an easy and fun appetizer or snack. Also great served at the end of a meal.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 mango , peeled and cubed
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1/2-1 tsp chili powder -OR-
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • salt
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
  1. Fill a glass container several inches deep with raw black beans.
  2. Season cubed mango with lime juice, chili powder and salt (all to taste).
  3. Add cubes of spiced mango to forks and stick in the beans. If the forks topple you simply need more beans.

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