How To Make Mexican Mango Flowers
Mango flowers are a popular Mexican street food snack. Mango is cut into a shape of a flower and drizzled with lime juice and ground chili pepper.
They’re a fun snack to make and eat, plus a great way to cool down on a hot day. Learn how to make Mexican mango flowers.
Sometimes I think I’ll turn into a mango because of the huge amounts I eat when they are in season. It’s okay, no guilty feelings because better to eat naturally sweet fruit than sweet cakes or processed sweets. Right?
Mexican Mango on a Stick
Today I’m sharing a really cute way of eating mangos. It’s how a lot of Mexicans grow up eating it.
Fresh, juicy mangos are placed on a thick wooden skewer (or palito). Then peeled and cut into a form that resembles flowers.
You can drizzle lime juice over them and dust with Tajin or ground chile and salt. Some people also like to add a sweet and spicy sauce called chamoy.
Mango Preparado
If you’ve ever been to Mexico you’ll have surely seen street vendors selling this mango snack. The vendors make the flowers look so pretty and it takes lots and lots of practice to archive that look. But it’s a really fun way of eating this fruit.
This makes a really great treat for kids and adults.
For children you could skip the chile powder and chamoy if they don’t eat spicy. Simply drizzle with some lime juice and a little bit of salt. Or even just on it’s own, they’ll love it.
Mexican Mango Flowers
As you know mangos can be a bit messy when eating in its original form. But because of the way the fruit is sliced in this pretty method, it makes it so much easier to just take a bite and not worry about the mess.
I promise you’re going to love the taste of the sweet tropical mango flavors combined with a touch of heat.
I prefer to use Tajin sauce (not being paid to say this) on fruit because it provides the perfect amount of heat, and a touch of salty without overpowering the sweetness of the fruit I happen to be eating.
If you can’t find Tajin then feel free to use ground red chile pepper and a little pinch of salt.
Do watch the video, in the recipe card, for a perfect visual explanation.
How to Make Mexican Mangos on a Stick or Mexican Mango Flowers
How To Make Mexican Mango Flowers | Mango on a Stick
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 mangos preferably large & meaty mangoes, as it’s easier to handle them
- 2 thick wooden skewers with a point
- 1 Tablespoon Tajin chile powder mix or substitute with ground red chile pepper and a pinch of salt
- 1 whole lime juice sliced and optional
Instructions
Instructions
- Slice off a couple of inches off the rounded end of the mango with a sharp knife. Now insert the wooden skewer into the exposed seed centre — work it in by pushing and twisting the skewer back and forth, once you feel it go in a bit you can push it in a little further by holding on to the mango and tapping the wooden skewer onto your work surface.
- Peel the mango with either a knife or a sharp vegetable peeler. Working your way from the bottom up make small slices with the knife working down the flesh and right before cutting off completely angle your knife away from the mango, this creates the "petal". Continue all the way around the mango to finish the first line of petals. For the second line you want to make the first cut so it's above and between two of the first row cuts — do watch the video for a guided visual explanation. Don't worry if you're petals aren't perfect, it takes lots and lots of practice to get it to look like the street vendors in Mexico.
- Once you've cut all the way to the top of the mango drizzle with lime juice, if using, then dust with as much Tajin powder as you'd like. Eat right away.
Video
Nutrition
Try These Mexican Mango Desserts
- Mango Chamoy Margaritas (Mangonada Margaritas)
- How to Make a Mangonada at Home (Chamoyadas or Mangonadas Recipe)
- Mango, Orange and Red Chile Salsa
- 4 Ingredient Mango Ice Cream | Helado de mango (No Churn Ice Cream)
- How to Eat a Mango The Easy & Fun Way
- The Easiest and Fastest Way to Peel a Mango
Nancy Lopez is a food blogger and author of the cookbook Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Born in Mexico, raised in the US, and currently living in Southern Mexico, she has followed a meatless diet for almost 10 years. It is her passion and mission to share all she has learned about vegan Mexican cooking and vegetarian Mexican recipes. Mexican Made Meatless is a blog dedicated to preserving the authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine just without the meat. It’s a place to celebrate Mexican culture and all it’s delightfully delicious traditional foods. Read more…
But what kind of mangoes are used?! Is there a specific one that tastes better than another?
Hi Ry,
You can use whatever is your favourite variety and available to you. Just note that the larger sized mangoes are easier to handle for this recipe. Enjoy!