Caribbean

Serving

Mango Chutney

Name: Mango Chutney
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 4 firm green mangoes, peeled and diced; 1 1/2 cups brown sugar; 3/4 cup white vinegar; 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon mustard seeds; 1 cinnamon stick; 4 whole cloves; 1/2 cup raisins; 1 scotch bonnet pepper, pricked whole; 1/2 teaspoon salt

Green mangoes simmered down with sugar and warm spices into a sweet-tart Caribbean condiment.

60 minutes

Serves 4

Condiment

21 min prep

33 min cook

Contains common allergens

mustard

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Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

7 steps

1
Combine the diced green mango, brown sugar, and vinegar in a heavy-bottomed pot and let sit for 15 minutes to draw out juice.
2
Set the pot over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
3
Add the ginger, garlic, mustard seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, raisins, whole scotch bonnet, and salt.
4
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 45 to 50 minutes, until the mango softens and the mixture thickens to a jammy consistency.
5
Remove the scotch bonnet pepper and cinnamon stick partway through if you want less heat, or leave them in for a fuller flavor.
6
Mash some of the mango pieces against the side of the pot with a spoon to help thicken the chutney.
7
Cool completely, then transfer to sterilized jars; the chutney will keep refrigerated for several weeks.

Mango Chutney — plated and served — Serving moment. How Mango Chutney looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

62/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 90

Kid-friendly 27

Weeknight-easy 53

Budget-friendly 70

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 45

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

255

Calories

1 g

Protein

66 g

Carbs

0 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Mango Chutney came to the Caribbean with indentured South Asian laborers, especially in Trinidad and Guyana, and became a staple condiment across the islands. Made from unripe green mangoes, it is tart and sharp rather than sweet, cooked down with sugar and spices into a jammy preserve. It serves as a bright, acidic counterpoint to curries, roti, and fried snacks.

Listahan note

This version uses firm green mangoes for their tartness and simmers them low with sugar and spices until the fruit breaks down to a glossy, jam-like set that spreads and keeps.

Technique cues

Green, unripe mangoes are essential because their firmness and high acidity hold up to the long simmer and give chutney its signature tartness over sweetness.
The mixture is cooked low and slow until it reaches a jam-like set, the point where the natural pectin and reduced sugar thicken it enough to mound on a spoon.
Blooming whole spices in the early simmer, rather than adding ground spice at the end, lets their flavor infuse the syrup as the mango softens.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Measure the spices and sugar while the chopped mango begins to soften so additions go in on cue.
Make-ahead: Chutney is built to be made ahead; its flavor deepens after a few days resting in the fridge.
Leftover move: Stir a spoonful into a vinaigrette or glaze a roast with it to use up the last of the jar.
Cleanup rhythm: Soak the sticky pot in hot water immediately, since reduced sugar hardens to a shell as it cools.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Green mangoes

Main fruit

Purpose: Their tartness and firm flesh are what make chutney sharp and able to hold a jammy texture.

Handling: Peel and chop into even pieces so they break down at the same rate.

Adaptation: Firm slightly underripe mango works in a pinch, but a sweeter, riper fruit needs more acid added back.

sugar

Sweetener and preservative

Purpose: Sugar balances the sour mango and helps the chutney set and keep as a preserve.

Handling: Add it once the mango begins to soften so it dissolves into a syrup before reducing.

Adaptation: Brown sugar deepens the color and adds molasses notes; honey works but sets softer.

spices

Flavor backbone

Purpose: Warm spices like cumin, mustard seed, ginger, and chili give the chutney its layered, savory-hot complexity.

Handling: Bloom whole spices early in the cook so they infuse the simmering syrup fully.

Adaptation: A curry or garam masala blend is a fine shortcut, though you lose control over the heat and balance.

vinegar

Acid and preservative

Purpose: A splash of vinegar sharpens the chutney's tang and helps it keep, which matters when green mango alone is not sour enough.

Handling: Stir it in toward the end of the simmer so the brightness is not all cooked off.

Adaptation: Lime juice gives a fresher acidity; cane or apple cider vinegar each shift the background note slightly.

Technique notes

Simmer low and stir often near the end, because the sugary mango catches and scorches quickly once it thickens.
Test the set by dragging a spoon across the pot bottom; the chutney is ready when it parts and slowly closes.
Pack into a clean jar while hot and seal so it keeps longer in the fridge.

Ingredient swaps

Lower-sugar direction: Cut the sugar by a third and add a splash of vinegar for tang, accepting a softer set and shorter shelf life.
Milder direction: Leave out the chili for a kid-friendly sweet-tart chutney that keeps all the spice aroma without the heat.
Weeknight shortcut: Use frozen green mango chunks to skip peeling, simmering them straight from frozen with a bit more cook time.

Serve alongside

Roti
Curry chicken
Pholourie
Aged cheddar
Masala chai
Cold mango lassi
Ginger beer

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate in a sealed jar for up to 3 weeks; the flavor improves over the first few days.
Serve at room temperature or gently warmed; it needs no real reheating.
Freeze in small portions for up to 6 months and thaw in the fridge before use.

Equipment

Heavy-bottomed saucepan
Wooden spoon
Clean glass jars
Sharp paring knife

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