If you aren't putting your fresh mango on the grill, you are missing out. This incredibly easy recipe makes for the most delicious mango with amazing caramelized grill marks, tons of sweetness, and just a hint of smokiness from the grill. It's delicious as a dessert with a dollop of ice cream or yogurt, it makes an amazing side dish with a touch of lime juice and chili powder, or chop it up for a salad or salsa.
Lately, I have been grilling all the fruit and this mango is high on the list as a favorite. The combination of the sweet mango with just a touch of smoke from the grill is really something special. Plus there is almost nothing easier than grilling mango. It takes under ten minutes.
The other thing I love about this recipe is that there are so many different ways to season it and serve it. Grilled mangoes pair so well with all kinds of spices - chili powder, curry powder, and herbs. Or you could take it in a sweeter direction with notes of cinnamon, cardamom, or ginger. Then there are all the ways you can serve it. Believe me, you will want to make some shrimp tacos with grilled mango salsa as soon as possible.
How to Grill Mango
Grilling mangoes is as simple as it is delicious. Start with a ripe mango and cut off the cheeks. Then brush the mangoes with coconut oil. You can also add honey if you want this to be a bit of a sweeter dish, if that’s your fancy!
Lay your mangoes face down on the grill for a minute or two, then rotate them 90 degrees and place them back down for another minute or two – let that delicious crosshatching criss-cross form. It’s that quick and simple!
Seasoning Ideas
- Add Some Heat to Your Sweet: Dust some chili or cayenne powder on those bad boys before grilling – spicy sweet is always a sure bet.
- Make it Curry: Add curry powder to the mango to give it a bit of an exotic taste. The creaminess of the mango goes perfectly with the bite of the curry powder.
- Sriracha Goes on Everything: Or at least some people say so. Does it go on grilled mango? Yes, it does!
- Make it Mexican: After you’ve grilled the mango drizzle lime juice on top along with sea salt and ancho powder.
- The Sweet Life: Really amp up that natural sweetness and add a little more honey or maple syrup on top after grilling!
Serving Ideas
Grilled mangoes are fantastic on their own, but there are many different ways to prepare and serve them. These are just a few ways you can mix them up.
- Slice and mix into a bowl of cottage cheese for a fantastic post-workout snack. A perfect end to a satisfying exercise.
- Dust with chili powder and a squeeze of lime juice for a healthy midday snack.
- Combine your grilled mango with cucumbers and avocados with lime juice, olive oil, and black sesame seeds for a refreshing side salad to go with anything you’ve put on the BBQ.
- Take some of your lovely grilled mango, a red onion, lime juice, and jalapenos (seed or no seed is up to you!), dice them up together and enjoy your fresh mango salsa on top of some tacos!
- For dessert serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of maple syrup.
How to Shop for Mango
Shopping for a ripe mango is incredibly easy, once you know what you’re looking for. So, when you go shopping for mangoes keep these things in mind.
- Look for mangoes with blemish-free, smooth skin.
- The color of the skin won’t necessarily tell you if it is ripe or not as different varieties have different colors.
- Smell near the stem of the mango, it will have a strong fruity smell if it is ripe.
- When handling the mango, feel it's weight; if the fruit feels heavy for its, you're holding a ripe fruit.
- Finally, squeeze the mango gently - you're looking for fruit that is firm but gives slightly under your grip.
How to Store Mango
Buy your mangoes unripe if you don't intend on using them immediately. Leave them out on the counter to ripen over a few days. Putting them into a paper bag can help them to ripen if you need them more quickly. Again, you can smell near the stem and do the squeeze test to see if they are ripe.
If you’ve bought your mangoes already ripe then you should store your mangoes in the fridge. It will keep them from over-ripening or spoiling. The fridge will keep them for 3 to 4 days before they go bad.
Freezing mango is an option, but it isn’t really one I recommend if you’re going to grill your mango. While freezing does a fantastic job of preserving all those healthy nutrients in the fruit, it does slightly change the texture which makes it less pleasant to eat when it is grilled.
How to Cut Mango for Grilling
Mangoes have a hard pit that nearly cuts the fruit in half, making it easy to tell when you've hit it (it's nearly impossible to cut through).
To cut your mango for grilling you simply need to cut your fruit in half as close to the pit as you can manage. Then repeat the process on the side left with the pit. You end up with three pieces of mango, 2 cheeks, and the pit. The two cheeks, with the skin are perfect for grilling just like that.
Once the mango is cut you will find that there is still some fruit attached to the pit. You can store it in an airtight container for up to 5 days. What is left won’t be very much but the mangos can also be put in a resealable plastic bag in portions to be used in recipes later like in smoothies or a delicious salsa.
Can I Make Mango Skewers?
Mangos are great on skewers. Cut your mangoes into roughly inch cubes, and then put those chunks onto a skewer. Grill them on each side for 2-3 minutes or until the mango has those delicious grill marks.
You can also add other fruits to the skewer to add some variety. Just make sure that all of the fruit is cut to be roughly the same size, otherwise, you will get some fruit that doesn’t touch the grill.
More Grilled Fruit Recipes
- Grilled Pineapples
- Grilled Apples
- Grilled Watermelon
- Grilled Watermelon Salad
- Grilled Bananas
- Grilled Avocados
More Mango Recipes
- Mango Salsa
- Mango Shrimp Tostadas
- Grilled Soy Ginger Chicken with Mango Salsa
- Ultimate Chia Seed Pudding