How to Cut a Mango—Without Buying a One-Use Gadget

Eat More Art by SonalUpdated: May 26, 2023

about to cut a mango on a slate cutting board

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Learn how to cut a mango easily without a mango slicer. This guide explains how to cut a mango into cubes, slice a mango into strips and even make a mango rose!

The juicy mango is arguably one of the sweetest fruits the tropics have to offer, but freeing the soft fruit from its thick skin can be tough. The deliciousness of the mango is worth every effort, though!

Here’s a simple hack on how to cut a mango, and the best part is you won’t need any kitchen gadgets to get the job done! You can use the juicy fruit in salads, salsa and all kinds of mango desserts.

How to Clean a Mango

Hold the whole fruit under cool running tap water. Rub it gently with your hands as you rinse it. You may also use a clean vegetable brush to scrub the surface of the mango. Don’t be overly concerned, since you won’t be eating the skin—you just want to remove any dirt that might dirty your cutting surface and the fruit inside.

How to Cut a Mango Without a Slicer

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Before learning how to cut a mango, you’ll need to note that there are four sides to a mango—two wider sides (called the cheeks) and two narrower sides—with a pit/seed in the middle.

Directions

Step 1: Cut the mango in half

Hold the mango vertically on a cutting board with the two mango cheeks facing to the left and right. Using a chef’s knife, make a lengthwise cut as close to the long, flat seed as possible to remove each side of the fruit.

If you hit the pit of the mango, simply move the knife slightly off-center and then slice through.

For the remaining two sides, slice carefully around the pit. Then, discard the pit or set it aside to grow in your garden.

Step 2: Make “hedgehog” cuts

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Score each side of the fruit lengthwise and widthwise, being careful not to cut through the skin. You want to form a grid.

Step 3: Scoop out the cubes of mango

Using your hand, push the skin up, turning the fruit out. Cut the fruit off of the skin with a knife. You should end up with perfect cubes of mango. It’s that easy!

5 Different Ways to Cut Up a Mango

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Hedgehog cuts: This is the method mentioned above, where you form a grid on the mango cheek using a knife, then invert the skin until the cubes stand out—like quills on a hedgehog.
Cubes: The flesh from the “hedgehog” is carefully cut out. You can eat the cubes as-is.
Diced: Take a slice of mango, cut it vertically and then horizontally, forming a small dice. This is the perfect size for making mango salsa.
Strips: You can also julienne mango. Cut and peel a slice of mango. Then, cut thin matchstick-like strips. Use mango strips to garnish green salads.
Rose: Peel a mango cheek. Put it horizontally on a cutting board and slice thinly. Gently separate out the slices, forming a line. The slices should still be overlapped with each other. Then, start rolling it inwards from one end. Once done, it will resemble a rose. Use this delicate mango rose to garnish salads or top a pastry, like a mango tiramisu.

The Best Recipes to Make with Fresh Mango

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Mangoes are the most widely consumed fruit in the world! This sweet fruit has been cultivated in India and South Asia for 4,000 years, and is now common in grocery stores across America. Not only is this juicy fruit delicious, it's loaded with vitamins C, A and B6, and is good for your heart, eyes and even helps your complexion. Keep clicking for some amazing ways to eat mango!

Taste of Home

Grilled Chicken and Mango SkewersThe inspiration for this recipe came from the charbroiled chicken skewers I used to enjoy while strolling along Calle Ocho in Miami on Sunday afternoons. Feel free to garnish them with sesame seeds or spritz them with fresh lime juice. —Wolfgang Hanau, West Palm Beach, Florida