This West African-inspired tangy mango yassa sauce is zesty and flavorful, with luscious notes of mango, lemon, mustard, onion, chili peppers, and more! When added to your favorite dishes, it'll make them even more tantalizing! It's thick and creamy, with crunch and just the right amount of heat. I know you'll love this Tangy Mango Yassa Sauce for drizzling, dipping, or adding to salads and sandwiches!
Jump to:
💕Why this recipe is special
A Senegalese tradition
I was inspired to make this sauce when reading about the yassa dish and blend of flavors that has roots in Senegal. I love to explore and pay tribute to exciting foods from all over the world, and my interpretation of this dish is no exception. The traditional yassa dish is prepared with chicken, and includes onions, mustard, and lemon juice. And scotch bonnet peppers are generally added as well for a spicy kick.
Below is a photo of some scotch bonnet peppers from my garden that were so fulfilling to grow. it's such a great feeling to have found a way to make this dish even more authentic with this special traditional pepper.
In this post, however, I've used habanero peppers in place of scotch bonnets, as they're similar in heat level (about 100,000-350,000 Scoville units) and much more commonly found in grocery stores. But if you grow your own scotch bonnet peppers, by all means, include them in this dish!
Vegan and fresh
I wanted to make a version of yassa that is vegan, and still pays homage to the original flavors. Generally, the onions in a yassa dish are caramelized. I thought I'd create a fun and vibrant tribute where the onions are fresh with a nice crunch, in a sweet and tangy sauce with mango as a base.
Fragrant and enticing
The rest of the flavor-packed traditional yassa ingredients are included here: lemon juice; mustard, which can be added either powdered or prepared (such as Dijon); chili peppers, which are traditionally scotch bonnets, but can be substituted with others, and other aromatic flavors such as fresh garlic, ginger, thyme, parsley, and paprika. Our tasters of this sauce adored this sauce and kept coming back for more!
There are endless ways in which you can use this sauce, and I'm so excited to share the recipe with you!
📓Ingredient notes
- Mangoes: These add a sweet, refreshing, and creamy base to the sauce.
- Lemon juice: This is a delightful sour counterpoint to partner with the sweetness from the mango.
- Peanut oil: I've chosen this one as it's more typical of West African cuisine. And it has a mild, neutral taste. You can substitute a cooking oil of your choice if you'd like.
- Red onion: I love the crunch that this lends to the sauce. And onion is a traditional component of yassa.
- Fresh garlic: This adds a wonderful savory note to the sauce.
- Fresh ginger: Ginger pairs perfectly with garlic to form a flavorful dish.
- Paprika: I use sweet paprika, and you could also used the smoked version.
- Fresh thyme: This adds an aromatic vegetal note to the sauce.
- Fresh parsley: I love the bright green flavor that this lends to the dish.
- Chili peppers: Scotch bonnet peppers are traditional in a yassa dish, and can be hard to find. But you can easily grow them in your garden. Otherwise, habaneros are an easy-to-find substitute with a similar heat profile. You can customize the level of spice from very mild to an eye-watering kick!
- Mustard: Both the powdered and the prepared Dijon versions work well here. Just make sure to adjust the quantities (as mentioned in the recipe card), as the powdered type is much stronger in flavor.
- Maple syrup: This gives a deep note of sweetness to even out the flavors. You can adjust the level to your liking.
- Salt: Salt really makes a difference in this sauce to bring out and marry together all of the flavors.
- Freshly-ground black pepper: You can adjust the quantity to your preferences. Pepper also really enhances the flavors in the sauce.
📒Step-by-step instructions
Peel and chop the mango, and squeeze some fresh lemon juice. Add to a blender.
Blend until smooth and creamy.
Add the blended mangoes and lemon juice to a bowl. Chop and add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir. Adjust seasonings as needed. Serve immediately, or refrigerate to use later.
💡Tips for success
- Make sure your ingredients are fresh for this recipe. This will make the sauce extra vibrant.
- This dish is easy to make ahead and stays fresh in the fridge if you'd like to make it the night before you need it.
🍶Variations and substitutions
- Onions: If you'd like, you can substitute caramelized onions for the fresh chopped ones. This will add a deep earthy note to the sauce, and is in line with the traditional yassa preparation.
- Chili peppers: Scotch bonnet peppers are the traditional ones for this dish. You may be able to find them frozen at African and Caribbean markets. But they're also easy to grow in the garden or in a sunny spot on your balcony. Otherwise, you can easily substitute habanero peppers, which are easier to find in stores. And they have a very similar heat profile to scotch bonnet peppers. Feel free to swap any chili pepper that you'd like to add your preferred amount of spice to this dish. Even mild peppers such as jalapeños would work well.
- Mustard: You can use either powdered or prepared (like Dijon) mustard to this dish. Please see the recipe card for how to adjust the quantities when choosing which version to use.
- Paprika: Both sweet and smoked paprika will taste great in this dish. Use whichever is to your liking.
- Peanut oil: If you're allergic to peanuts, or and/or would like to use another oil instead, feel free to use olive oil, vegetable oil, or whichever one you prefer.
⏲Make ahead and storage
- You can serve this sauce immediately, or you can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. If it becomes too thick for your needs upon chilling, just thin it out with a little water or lemon juice until it reaches the consistency that you need.
- If you're going to be serving after chilling, you may want to add some additional finely chopped onion, thyme, parsley, and/or chili peppers to the dish after you've brought it out and stirred it. This is totally optional, and can brighten the look of the sauce when you serve it.
🍲Serving suggestions
- Add to your favorite wraps or sandwiches: Try this tangy mango yassa sauce in these satisfying Kale, Sweet Potato, and Fonio Wraps! This is a gorgeously-tasty pairing. The fonio grain is another exciting traditional food from West Africa, like the yassa inspiration for this sauce.
- Serve atop roasted vegetables: I've used this sauce with delicious success spooned over roasted or grilled sweet potatoes, eggplant, and onions.
- Use as a salad dressing: Using this tangy, unique sauce atop a beautiful salad will dazzle your friends and family!
- Serve as a dip: This would be fabulous with bread, crackers, or raw veggies.
❓Frequently asked questions
Yes! Frozen mangoes should also work well. Just make sure to defrost them before adding to the blender with the lemon juice.
You can, but the sauce won't be as flavorful or fresh. I encourage you to add both of these herbs fresh if you can. They're both readily available in grocery stores, and easy to grow in the garden!
Yes, this sauce is naturally gluten-free. But just make sure to check your labels to make sure there isn't any hidden gluten in ingredients such as the powdered or prepared mustard.
Yes, you can, and I've tested this. It'll still taste great, but it won't have the brightness and crunch that lend so much character to this sauce.
✨More herbs and recipes you'll love
Looking for other garden posts and recipes like this? Try these:
✏️Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know your thoughts in the comments and reviews below!
Tangy Mango Yassa Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 small ripe mangoes, about 400g unpeeled, 360 g peeled, peeled and chopped into large pieces
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, about 1 large or 2 small lemons
- ¼ cup 60 mL peanut oil
- ½ cup 60 g finely chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder or 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1-2 fresh, 1 tablespoon chili peppers (like Scotch bonnet or habanero), minced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly-ground pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Blend the mango and lemon juice: Add the mango pieces and lemon juice to a blender. Blend until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
- Stir the ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, stir the blended mango and lemon juice together with the remaining ingredients until well combined.
- Adjust seasoning as needed: Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed, adding salt and pepper to taste. You can also adjust the sweetness by adding more maple syrup if desired.
- Chill and Serve: Serve the sauce immediately or refrigerate to serve later. Stir well before serving. Makes about 2 ¼ cups (532 ml).
Notes
- You can puree the sauce in a blender if you'd like it to be completely smooth. Our testers preferred the brightness and crunch that result from leaving the chopped and minced ingredients in their original texture. Please make the texture of the sauce however you'd prefer.
- Adjust the amount and type of chili peppers according to your preference for heat. If available, use scotch bonnet peppers, which are a pepper commonly used in West African cooking. Start with one pepper and add more if you 'd like to have more spice.
- This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. If the dressing thickens when chilled, you can thin it out with a little water or additional lemon juice before serving.
Leave a Reply