Mango Chutney Recipe: Add Tropical Flavor to Your Next Meal

This mango chutney recipe can be processed in a water bath canner for a shelf stable pantry item or be savored fresh.

If you’ve got mangoes aplenty, make up a batch of this delicious mango jam, too.

mango chutney in several jars.

The Handcrafted Pantry

Ready to DIY your pantry with more wholesome ingredients? Check out my ebook, The Handcrafted Pantry! Filled with delicious recipes for some of your favorite condiments, snacks, and toppings, it’s the guide you need to start skipping packaged products and embrace homemade.

Sweet and savory mango chutney recipe

The making of this mango chutney recipe is simple. It’s mostly a lot of chopping and a little simmering on the stove. You’ll need to stir occasionally during the cooking time, but it doesn’t demand a lot of attention.

Once cooked, serve it warm with roasted chicken or allow it to cool and add it to a sandwich. It’s good served alongside soft cheese and crackers, too. Store this mango chutney in the fridge for several weeks.

White bowl full of mango chutney

Ingredients

Fresh mangoes The variety of mango you use is dependent upon what’s available to you. I’ve used foraged fruit, picked up from the side of the road and beautiful fruit harvested from a cultivated tree. This is a good place to use fruit that’s not the best for eating!

Onion I like sweet red onion for this recipe, but you can use any kind of bulb onion you have on hand.

Red bell pepper The sweetness of the red bell pepper is perfectly suited to this recipe. Don’t try it with a green pepper. 

Raisins I opt for organic raisins, as grapes (the fresh form of raisins) show up regularly on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list.  

Apple cider vinegar This ingredient gives the chutney a little tang, plus it’s crucial for keep the pH in the safe zone for water bath canning. 

Honey Use your favorite brand of honey to sweeten this recipe. 

Seasonings — Fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt round out the flavor here. The pepper flakes give a nice mellow heat used as measured. If you like your chutney hotter, it’s safe to increase the quantity. 

Make the chutney

You’ll start by heating the vinegar and honey in a large stock pot. Meanwhile, prepare the produce. Dice the onion and red pepper into 1/4″ pieces. 

mango ready to eat.

Prepare the mango by cutting off the “cheeks” on each side of the pit. Cut across the flesh in two directions, then push the skin toward the flesh. The kind of pops the mango flesh out and you can use your fingers to release the cubes from the skin. Cut as much flesh as you can from the seed, too. 

Add red peppers, raisins, and onion to the hot liquid and cook until boiling; stir in mango and cook further.

peppers and onion in a pot.

🍅 Safety First!

Canning is an excellent way to preserve food for the pantry, but there are some important safety considerations to keep in mind. The recipes on this site have been made following safe canning procedures by a certified Master Food Preserver.

  • Know the difference between water bath canning and pressure canning. Low acid items must be pressure canned for safety. 
  • Altering ingredients may change the recipe’s pH, posing a safety issue. I highly recommend investing in pH paper to test your products for acidity level when canning. Note: For safe water bath canning, the Hawaii Master Food Preservers suggest a pH of 4.2 or lower in the tropics. In other regions, the recommended pH is 4.6 or lower.
  • Use the proper jars and lids. Never reuse lids, with the exception of the Tattler or Harvest Right hard plastic lids that are intended for such a purpose.
  • For more on canning equipment, please go here
  • Want to learn more? The National Center for Home Food Preservation is the go-to resource for safe canning information.

Prepare the canning pot

Fill a large canner with water. Just how much takes a little bit of guesswork. You’ll want the water level to sit about an inch above the full jars during processing.

Adding the full jars to the water will cause the water level to rise; how much depends on how many jars you’re processing at once. Most canners will hold seven jars at a time, but you can process fewer than that if you don’t have a full load.

Hot tip: Boil some extra water in a saucepan or electric kettle as you’re working. If you need to top off the water in the canner, you won’t cool down the water too much.

mango chutney canning label.

Making gifts? Grab a FREE download of these cute printable canning labels — complete with a gentle reminder to return the jar!

Water bath canning mango chutney

Once the ingredients are chopped and cooked, you’ll ladle the chutney into pint jars. Fill jars leaving a 1/2″ headspace. I have a canning funnel for this purpose, that makes it easier to transfer the chutney into the jars without a lot of mess. 

canning funnel on a jar filled with chutney.

Use a damp cloth to wipe the rim of each jar; a little bit of food on the jar rim can prevent the lids from sealing properly. Set the lids in place and screw the bands on firmly tight (but not too tight). Use a jar lifter to transfer jars into the gently boiling water. The water in the pot should cover the jars by 2″-3″. If necessary add more water to the canner.

green measuring tool checking headspace.Hot tip: Boil some extra water in a saucepan or electric kettle as you’re working. If you need to top off the water in the canner, you won’t cool down the water too much.

Process jars for the recommended time. When time is up, use the jar lifter to transfer jars to a flat surface that’s padded with a kitchen towel. Allow jars to cool completely. As they cool, you’ll begin to hear a canner’s favorite sound: That lovely little tink! that indicates a successful seal.

Once jars are thoroughly cooled, check the seal on all of the jars. The lid should be concave and solid. If it flexes at all, it’s not sealed. (Place any jars that didn’t seal in the refrigerator and use them first. They are not shelf stable.)

Remove bands from cooled jars and rinse the jars. Store jars without the bands.

Do you have questions about home canning? First time canner? Check out this list of 101 frequently asked canning questions!

White bowl full of mango chutney

★ Did you make this mango chutney recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

canned mango chutney.

Mango Chutney Recipe

Yield: 5 pints
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Process Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

This mango chutney hits the right sweet and spicy notes to accompany both sweet and savory dishes.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 1-1/2 cups red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 pepper)
  • 1-1/2 cups red onion, diced (about 1 medium onion)
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 7  cups mango, peeled, pitted and sliced into 1" chunks (about 10 mangoes)

Instructions

Prepare for Canning

  1. Wash the jars you'll use, making sure each is clean and free of nicks in the rim, which could impede sealing.
  2. Wash the lids and rings in hot soapy water. (If you're using non-Ball brand lids, prepare as suggested by manufacturer.)
  3. Place empty jars in a canning pot or large stock pot with enough water to cover by an inch or two, cover pot, and set on high heat. It can take awhile for the water to heat, so get it started before you begin making the recipe.

Making the chutney:

  1. Combine vinegar and honey in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. 
  2. Stir in the bell pepper, onion, raisins, chili pepper flakes, garlic, and salt; simmer 10 minutes. 
  3. Add the mango pieces and simmer an additional 10 minutes.

Canning the chutney:

  1. Remove the empty jars from the canner, draining the water back into the pot.
  2. Ladle hot chutney into pint or half-pint jars, leaving 1/2" head space. A canning funnel makes this easy.
  3. Wipe jar rims to remove any chutney that may have spilled. A clean rim is essential to a good seal.
  4. Set jar lids in place. Screw bands on finger tight, firmly, but don't crank the rings on.
  5. Use a jar lifter to gently submerge jars into boiling water in canning pot. Water should cover the top of the jars by an inch. The water will cool somewhat in reaction to the addition of the jars. Return the water to a low boil and set the timer.
  6. Process for 15 minutes, 0-1,000 feet altitude; 20 minutes, 1,001-6,000 feet altitude; 25 minutes, above 6,000 feet.
  7. Allow jars to cool overnight.
  8. Check for seal: the lids should feel solid and slightly indented. If they flex, they are not shelf stable and should be refrigerated and used first.
  9. Wash jars, remove rings, and store in a cool, dry place for up to a year.

Notes

Makes 5 pint jars.

This recipe as made tested at 3.5 pH, making it safe for water bath canning.

Boiling lids or heating above 180°F as once recommended can damage the sealing compound.

Hot tip: Boil some extra water in a saucepan or electric kettle as you’re working. If you need to top off the water in the canner, you won’t cool down the water too much.

The pepper flakes give a nice mellow heat used as measured. If you like your chutney hotter, it's safe to increase the quantity. 

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 32 Serving Size: 1/4 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 61Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 1g

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White bowl full of mango chutney, plus a canning jar full

Originally published June 2015; this post has been updated. 

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About the author: Kris Bordessa is an award-winning National Geographic author and a certified Master Food Preserver. Read more about Kris and how she got started with this site here. If you want to send Kris a quick message, you can get in touch here.

5 comments… add one
  • Natalie Aug 18, 2022 @ 8:47

    Could I skip the raisins?

    • Kris Bordessa Aug 21, 2022 @ 7:50

      Absolutely; that won’t impact the canning safety.

  • Megan Apr 9, 2018 @ 20:10

    This is sooooo good

    • Kris Bordessa Jun 27, 2019 @ 15:36

      Yay! I’m glad you like it!

  • Neyssa | Latina Mom Meals Feb 8, 2018 @ 4:52

    You are so blessed to live somewhere where you can just pull over for fresh fallen fruit! How wonderful that must be. 🙂 Can’t wait to try this recipe out.

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