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Rice with Mango and Chile

Name: Rice with Mango and Chile
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 Ripe mango; 700 ml Vegetable stock; 1.5 cups Long-grain rice; 2 Dried árbol chile; 0.25 bunch Cilantro; 0.5 Onion; 1 Lime; 1 clove Garlic

35 min (10 prep + 25 cook) Easy 4 servings Veracruz

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: Mar 24, 2026 · Updated: May 13, 2026

Sweet-sour rice with ripe mango, árbol chile and fresh tropical herbs.

About this recipe

Long-grain rice with ripe mango, dried árbol chile and fresh herbs. A sweet-sour dish celebrating the tropical flavours of Mexico's Pacific and Gulf coasts.

History & Origin

Mango arrived in Mexico in the 17th century, brought by the Portuguese via Goa, India. It adapted brilliantly to the Pacific and Gulf coasts, and Mexicans quickly incorporated it into both sweet and savoury cooking. The tradition of combining fruit with chile is ancient in Mexico: chamoy, fruits with piquín chile, dried-fruit pastes with dried chile. Rice with mango and chile follows the same logic, contrasting ripe mango's sweetness with the heat of árbol chile and the fragrance of cilantro and mint. In Veracruz there is a long tradition of rice flavoured with tropical fruits, linked to the Cuban and Caribbean influence that arrived through the port. This dish represents that confluence: Spanish sofrito technique, New World tropical fruit and indigenous chile, united in a single plate that now appears in contemporary Mexican kitchens as a prime example of the country's culinary mestizaje.

Estimated cost

$4.40

Total cost

$1.10

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on US supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

310

Calories

Protein

60g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fiber

290mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Peel and dice 2 ripe mangoes into 1.5cm cubes. Set half aside to garnish when serving.
💡 Use Ataulfo or Manila mango for the best sweetness and texture.
2
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Fry 1.5 cups washed and drained rice over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden, 4–5 minutes.
3
Add half a finely diced onion and 1 minced garlic clove. Fry 2 more minutes.
4
Add half the diced mango and 2 crumbled dried árbol chiles. Mix well and pour in 2.75 cups hot vegetable stock. Season with salt.
💡 Hot stock speeds cooking and prevents the rice from going hard.
5
When boiling, cover, reduce to minimum heat and cook 18 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from heat, rest 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve garnished with the reserved fresh mango, chopped cilantro and lime juice.