Cinco de Mayo is almost here, the perfect excuse to begin testing out new ways to experiment with tequila in the kitchen.
Building off of the tips from our handy guide to sorbet science, this boozy tequila mango sorbet is sure to wow any margarita-loving crowd. Read on for our simple recipe, to learn how to make this tasty treat at home.
A celebration of indigenous Mexicans’ surprise victory over European invaders in 1862, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the battle that brought hope to the Mexican resistance movement against France.
Though a minor holiday in Mexico, Chicano activists in the 1960s encouraged its celebration in the United States. Today, the holiday serves as a way to honor the vibrant influence of Mexican culture in America.
So, what better way to celebrate than with tequila, one of Mexico’s greatest contributions to the culinary world?
After eating a deliciously grilled carne asada, you’ll need dessert! This tequila mango sorbet is bright and tangy, and it makes a solid end to a spicy meal at any time of year, particular when fresh mangoes are in season. It’s also an especially enjoyable treat when savored alongside delicious mango salsa.
The Recipe
- 5 cups ripe, fresh mango (approximately 8 mangoes)
- 1 cup granulated Sugar plus more as needed
- 3 tablespoons tequila
- Prepare ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Be sure to freeze the bowl ahead of time if required!
- Peel and dice the mango.
- Combine the mango and sugar in a large bowl, and let sit for one hour.
- Blend together the mango-sugar mixture and tequila in a blender or food processor, or with an immersion blender. If the puree is too thick to blend completely smooth, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you achieve the preferred texture.
- Place a clean, dry egg in the base to test the sugar ratio. Because mango is a fibrous fruit, it will likely be viscous enough to stay afloat. If not, blend in additional sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until the egg floats at the top.
- Chill in the refrigerator for two hours or over an ice bath for one hour. For an ice bath, nest your bowl of sorbet base in a bowl of ice and stir every 10 minutes for an hour, to chill the mixture evenly.
- Churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Prepare your ice cream machine
This may be as simple as turning it on, or as complicated as freezing the bowl about 24 hours in advance and attaching the mixing assembly, bowl and dasher to your stand mixer.
To make this batch, I used my KitchenAid KICA0WH ice cream maker attachment, and I froze the bowl in advance. Check out Foodal’s review of this freezer bowl-style ice cream maker here.
Step 2 – Peel and dice the mango
Peel your ripe mangoes, separate the flesh from the pits, and chop or dice. Place in a large bowl.
Step 3 – Combine mango and sugar
Add your sugar to the mixing bowl and stir together, to coat the fruit. Let this mixture sit on the counter for about an hour.
Step 4 – Blend
Using a blender, immersion blender, or food processor, blend the mango-sugar mixture with the tequila until a smooth puree is formed. If it’s too thick to process, add water about a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
To make this batch, I used my Cuisinart 2-speed immersion blender. Check out Foodal’s review of this immersion blender and more of our favorites here.
Step 5 – Perform the egg test
To determine whether you’ve got the right ratio of sugar to liquid in your sorbet base, clean a raw, fresh egg and place it in your base.
If it floats, you’re good to go. If not, continue to blend in some more granulated sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time, and do the test again after each addition. Once it floats, you’ll know that your sugar to water ratio is just right.
Step 6 – Chill
Scoop your mixture back into a large bowl (unless it’s already there!) and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge until completely cool, for about two hours, or place it over an ice bath to speed the process.
If using the ice bath method, remember stir your frozen dessert base occasionally, to ensure that it chills evenly.
Step 7 – Churn it up!
Once your base is chilled, it’s time to churn! Do this according to the manufacturer’s instructions on your machine.
In my case, this meant pouring the mix into the frozen bowl and letting the dasher do its thing for about 40 minutes.
Most ice cream makers will produce a soft-textured sorbet. So firm it up, place it in lidded freezer storage containers, and freeze for 2 to 4 hours, or overnight.
For easy scooping, I like to run my metal ice cream scoop under hot water first.
This quick and simple tequila mango sorbet is the perfect addition to your Cinco de Mayo celebration, a birthday party, or barbecue, or any time that you need a fresh, sweet kick with a bit of a boozy kick.
Bonus tip: You can also try substituting half of the tequila with triple sec and adding the juice of one lime for a tart flavor that’s reminiscent of a margarita.
Looking for another tasty flavor combo? Check out our recipe for cucumber elderflower sorbet, or our grapefruit and honey version.
Tell us in the comments how you plan to celebrate this year, or when you’ll serve this sweet, fruity treat at home!
Photos by Kendall Vanderslice, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details.
About Kendall Vanderslice
Kendall’s love of food has taken her around the world. From baking muffins on a ship in West Africa and milking cows with Tanzanian Maasai, to hunting down the finest apfelstrudel in Austria, she continually seeks to understand the global impact of food. Kendall holds a BA in Anthropology from Wheaton College and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University, and has worked in the pastry departments of many of Boston’s top kitchens. Based in Somerville, Massachusetts, Kendall helps to run a small community supported bread bakery and writes about the intersection of food, faith, and culture on her personal blog, A Vanderslice of the Sweet Life.
I haven’t done tequila in a long while! Due to health reasons, I’ve to quit alcohol. Nevertheless, there’s El Nino in our country now. Thus, it’s SUPER HOT!!! This recipe makes me rethink the tequila, haha! I could definitely enjoy this mango ice cream delight! I’m sure a little dose of tequila won’t do no harm. I will just rationalize that I LOVE MANGOES (of course next to chocolate!), and I can’t refuse any recipe with MANGOES in it! This recipe is pure love, not to mention easy to do for us who aren’t so good in the kitchen! Thank you for sharing!
Advanced Happy CINCO de Mayo!
Mmm, mmm, mmm! This recipe combines two favourites of mine – tequila and sorbet! I’m also partial to mangoes too, but I prefer them as in ice-cream or a sorbet. This would definitely go down well! I may be tempted to add a little extra tequila, though, just to give it an extra kick…
They do make a great pair! Be careful adding extra tequila though, as this lowers the freezing point of the sorbet. Too much and you’ll end up with a melty mess! Check out our guide to sorbet science to read about how alcohol affects the end result: http://ort.sh/0Hai I’d suggest an extra shot on the side 😉
Did someone say tequila? I can vouch that this tastes amazing because I’ve tried it before when I went on vacation. Without the tequila but the mango sorbet was something else. I’m so excited to make this because I luckily have the ingredients at the moment, plus it would be yummy to gulp down with the amount of heat that’s going around. Summer is almost around the corner and I can’t wait to serve this goodie to my friends.
Oh yum! I love fresh mangoes, this looks like a perfect Spring/Summer treat to me! I can wait to start making more frozen treats with all the fresh fruits coming in season now. Also… neat trick with the egg, I’ve never seen this before!
You had me at bright and tangy! After reading your previous post, I was looking forward to some new recipes, to put my newly gained knowdlege to good use. This delicious treat sounds very refreshing and easy to make, and it comes at the right time! I’ll have friends over for dinner tomorrow and I’ll definitely make this. I think I’ll follow your tip and I’ll add the juice of a lime. I’m sure it will be a huge hit with my guests! Thank you!
This is another good recipe for ripe mangoes. We have a tree in the backyard and we always end up with baskets and baskets of ripe mangoes that even if we give away some to the neighbors, there will still be a lot left. I’ve never really thought of making them into anything else other than eating it as it is. We don’t have tequila but I think I can still whip this up for my family.
It looks great. It is certainly true to what Cinco De Mayo is all about. Unfortunately I could never try it because of the Tequila.
Very cool
This sounds just about perfect. It would be nice to add some lime zest and/or chamoy and pico de gallo seasoning to make this into a mangonada style sorbet. I’ll definitely try this recipe out with the mangonada variations to see how it turns out.
That sounds delicious, lebrennan! Be sure to let us know how it turns out!
This blog is seriously making me love mangos, I don’t really like the fruit itself, but when it comes to putting it into desserts and ice creams, the thing changes, lol.
I am a mexican and cinco de mayo is not a big thing here, and I was wondering why it was a festive day there, and it all makes sense now, so thanks for sharing that detail.
Well I really thought that my mango days were done for the year, and the heat is slowly moving away, but I have might have to put a little more effort in getting some now, because this looks delicious. I am usually not a big tequila drinker, but this seems like a pretty non-intense and intimidating way to enjoy some, so that is appreciated. Looks like another winner, and thanks for sharing.
You had me at ‘tequila’! I am super-interested in recipes that use alcohol. I don’t drink much but I don’t mind the recipes that have a bit of ‘oomph’ to them. Thanks for sharing this sorbet recipe. I am going to enjoy making that one.
I made this last night, boy oh boy is it amazing. I’ll be using it tonight to make mangonadas. Thank you!
Yum, that sounds like a delicious idea. Glad you liked it, Steven!