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Mango-Habanero Wing Sauce

By Bryan Roof

Published on January 21, 2026

Time

40 minutes

Yield

Makes 1⅓ cups (enough to sauce 3½ pounds of wings)

Mango-Habanero Wing Sauce

Ingredients

2½ ounces (heaping ½ cup) frozen mango chunks1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin½ cup cider vinegar ¼ cup water 2 habanero chiles, stemmed1 tablespoon packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon ketchup 1 shallot, sliced thin5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled2 teaspoons white miso 5 sprigs fresh thyme 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon pepper

Before You Begin

For a less spicy sauce, use one habanero chile.

Instructions

  1. Combine 2½ ounces frozen mango chunks, 1 peeled and thinly sliced carrot, ½ cup cider vinegar, ¼ cup water, 2 stemmed habanero chiles, 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ketchup, 1 thinly sliced shallot, 5 smashed and peeled garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons white miso, 5 sprigs thyme, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Toss wings with sauce in large bowl. Serve.
Mango-Habanero Wing Sauce
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Christine Tobin.

Mango-Habanero Wing Sauce

Headshot of Bryan Roof
By Bryan Roof

Published on January 21, 2026

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Time

40 minutes

Yield

Makes 1⅓ cups (enough to sauce 3½ pounds of wings)

Ingredients

2½ ounces (heaping ½ cup) frozen mango chunks
1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup water
2 habanero chiles, stemmed
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 shallot, sliced thin
5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 teaspoons white miso
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Ingredients

2½ ounces (heaping ½ cup) frozen mango chunks
1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup water
2 habanero chiles, stemmed
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 shallot, sliced thin
5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 teaspoons white miso
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Ingredients

2½ ounces (heaping ½ cup) frozen mango chunks
1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup water
2 habanero chiles, stemmed
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 shallot, sliced thin
5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 teaspoons white miso
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Why This Recipe Works

In this tropical, spicy-sweet hot sauce, we tempered the intense heat of habanero chiles with mango and carrot. A combination of brown sugar, ketchup, miso, and garlic also balanced the spiciness and added depth, while cider vinegar lent a clean, sharp brightness. After simmering, we blended the sauce to give it just the right clingy body.

Before You Begin

For a less spicy sauce, use one habanero chile.

Instructions

  1. Combine 2½ ounces frozen mango chunks, 1 peeled and thinly sliced carrot, ½ cup cider vinegar, ¼ cup water, 2 stemmed habanero chiles, 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ketchup, 1 thinly sliced shallot, 5 smashed and peeled garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons white miso, 5 sprigs thyme, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Toss wings with sauce in large bowl. Serve.

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