Mango salsa just got even better thanks to charred shishito peppers! The two combine for a sweet, smoky salsa that’s ready to elevate your tortilla chips, tacos, bowls, roasted plantains, and so much more.
Just 8 ingredients and 25 minutes required for this easy flavor bomb. Let’s make salsa!
How to Make Mango Shishito Pepper Salsa
This salsa begins with one of our favorite methods for cooking shishitos: pan searing until charred and smoky! We use the same method for the green onions, which brings out their sweet (vs. pungent) notes.
Then we finely chop and add to a bowl with mango for sweetness, avocado for richness, cilantro and lime for bright herby flavor, and salt to bring it all together. Depending on the sweetness of your mango, a little maple syrup (or honey) can help take things to the next level!
One final stir and it’s SALSA o’clock!
We can’t WAIT for you to try this shishito pepper salsa! It’s:
Smoky
Subtly spicy
Naturally sweet
Bright
Balanced
Fresh
& SO delicious!
It’s a versatile dish perfect for dipping tortilla chips or adding to tacos, bowls, grilled fish, or roasted plantains or making a bowl with quinoa, black beans, and cabbage slaw.
More Homemade Salsa Recipes
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Charred Shishito Mango Salsa
Ingredients
- 8 oz. shishito peppers, rinsed and patted dry with a clean kitchen towel
- 1/2 Tbsp avocado oil (or other neutral, high-heat oil)
- 3 stalks green onion, ends trimmed, cut into 5- to 6-inch-long pieces
- 1/2 cup ripe mango, cut into small cubes (1/2 mango yields ~1/2 cup or 115 g)
- 1/2 medium avocado, diced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro, large stems removed
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (1 lime yields ~2 Tbsp or 30 ml juice)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup (or honey if not vegan // optional, depending on the sweetness of your mango)
Instructions
- Rinse and thoroughly dry the peppers with a clean kitchen towel to prevent splattering.
- Turn your exhaust fan on to its highest setting and, if possible, open a window (cooking shishitos can get a bit smoky!).
- Heat a large (preferably cast iron) skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and peppers and sprinkle with a healthy pinch of sea salt (work in batches if using a smaller pan or cooking a larger amount of peppers). Cook the peppers in a single layer (it’s okay if a few aren’t touching the bottom of the pan), undisturbed, until charred in places — about 2-3 minutes. Then toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until charred on all sides and shriveled, about 6-7 minutes more. Transfer peppers to a bowl to cool.
- Return the skillet to the heat and add the green onions. Cook, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides — about 5-6 minutes. Transfer charred green onions to the bowl with the peppers.
- When cool enough to handle, remove the stems from the peppers and discard. Roughly chop the peppers and green onions.
- Add the chopped peppers and green onions to a medium bowl along with the mango, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Stir well. Taste and adjust as needed, adding more lime juice for brightness, maple syrup (or honey) if your mango isn’t adding enough sweetness, or salt for overall flavor.
- Delicious served with tortilla chips, grilled fish, and roasted plantains, in fish tacos, or with quinoa, black beans, and cabbage slaw.
- Best when fresh. Leftover salsa will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, but the avocado will begin to brown. Not freezer friendly.
Liz says
What an interesting salad! I’ve never seen a shishito pepper, but they look a bit like a longer version of pimientos del padrón here in Spain so I might try it with them!
Thanks :-)
Hi Liz, yes! They are similar to padron peppers, so that should work great! xo
Elaine says
I didn’t see where you said what to do with the seeds of the peppers nor did I see them in the picture of your dish. Are they supposed to be removed or what?
We leave them in! They aren’t spicy in our experience.
Elaine says
Thank you very much. My peppers are red in the garden but I expect that will be okay to use.
Yes, they should be fine to use!