Mandarin recipes have long been overlooked by the citrus’ more popular cousin, the humble orange. But if you’ve never thought of mandarins as much more than a tasty snack, these delicious mandarin recipes will open your eyes to a world of brilliant flavour! From sweet to savoury, welcome to the surprisingly versatile life of the mandarin.
Looking for a mandarin cake? Or a mandarin marmalade or mandarin jam? You’ll find them below, plus so much more.
All about mandarins
Mandarins, a citrus fruit looking like smaller, flattened oranges, are nearly always eaten fresh. This is partly because they are so conveniently designed for it, having easy-to-peel skin and easily separated segments, and partly because their sweet flavour, lacking the acid edge of oranges, does not always come through well in cooking. That’s why mandarin rind is a common ingredient in many of the below recipes, as it helps the mandarin flavour cut through.
Mandarin varieties
There are three main mandarin varieties available in Australia.
Imperial: an early season mandarin available from autumn to mid-winter.
Ellendale: a mid-season mandarin available from mid-winter to spring. It is actually a cross between a mandarin and an orange.
Honey murcott: a late-season mandarin available from late winter into spring. They are a naturally occurring mandarin hybrid, sometimes classified as a tangerine.
Buying, storing and preparing mandarins for these recipes
Preparing: Mandaring are sometimes waxed to avoid drying out, so if you are using the skin, wash the fruit in warm water, rubbing with a cloth, before using.
Buying: Mandarins should be brightly coloured and glossy. While some varieties are naturally loose-skinned, avoid any that are puffy or have soft spots.
Storing: Mandarins will keep in good condition in a bowl at room temperature for up to a week. For longer storage, store in the refrigerator crisper for up to 2 weeks.
Mandarin recipes to try
St Clement’s citrus cake
Mandarin and almond cake
Mandarin almond cakes with candied mandarin
Mandarin marmalade
Citrus and ginger bundt cake
Crisp-skin barramundi with mandarin salsa
Mandarin and chai souffles
Chocolate caramel semifreddo with honeycomb and mandarin
Mandarin and cardamom gluten-free muesli
Mandarin and poppy seed friands
Mandarin cake
Upside-down mandarin polenta yoghurt cake
Avocado and mandarin chicken noodle salad
Smoked duck breast and mandarin relish
Duck salad with mandarin and pomegranate
Soba salad with rocket and mandarin
Warm pork and mandarin salad with honey dressing
Gluten-free mandarin, polenta and macadamia cake
Mandarin almond cake
Mandarin polenta biscuits
Mandarin and apricot jam
Mandarin jelly
More citrus recipes
Looking for more citrus desserts or orange cake recipes?
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