Mango Salsa

Whether scooping up this mango salsa recipe with homemade tortilla chips or adding a spoonful to crispy fish tacos, we can never get enough of its sweet and spicy taste. If you’re a fan of making homemade tomato salsa or tomatillo-based salsa verde, mango salsa is an essential variation to add to your repertoire. While other salsa recipes require either cooking or a food processor or both to prepare, this fruit-based salsa is a quick, no-cook recipe you can whip up in less than 15 minutes with nothing more than a sharp knife.

Our favorite time of the year to enjoy mango salsa is during summer when mangoes are at their peak, and the grill is often fired up in the backyard. Some of our favorite recipes to serve with mango salsa involve seafood, like grilled salmon in foil and mahi-mahi or citrus-marinated chicken over a bed of colorful greens and vegetables.

Mango Salsa Ingredients

• Mango: If you love recipes with mango, then this recipe for mango salsa will become a fast favorite. To get the 2 cups of mango needed for this recipe, you’ll need two to three medium-sized mangoes.
• Red pepper: Sweet red bell peppers marry nicely with the fruity mango and offer an eye-catching color contrast in fresh salsas made with fruit.
• Red onion: Red onion works nicely in this salsa because it tends to have a milder, cleaner flavor than other onion types that are more likely to overpower the mango.
• Jalapeno: Jalapenos give this mango salsa recipe some fire. We suggest removing the seeds to keep things mild, but you may include them if you don’t mind their extra heat.
• Cilantro: Cilantro adds freshness and color. If you think cilantro tastes like soap, you can reduce the amount or omit it altogether. Parsley can be used instead if you still want some green color in the salsa.
• Lime juice: Lime brightens everything up and adds vital acidity to contrast the sweetness of the mango. Lime is also often added to spicy recipes because it can help tone down the heat of the hot peppers.
• Salt: Balance the acidity of the lime juice with salt. It will also draw water out of the produce to make a flavorful, saucy base for the salsa.

Directions

Step 1: Combine the ingredients

Christine Ma for Taste of Home

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix them well. Serve the homemade salsa as desired, whether that’s with chips or spooned over grilled proteins.

Editor’s Tip: Taste it before serving and adjust it to suit your taste preferences. Add extra jalapeno for more heat or extra lime juice for more acidity.

Christine Ma for Taste of Home

Mango Salsas Variations

• Use frozen mango: If you don’t have access to fresh mango, you can swap for thawed frozen mango instead. (Psst: Here are more recipes that take advantage of frozen fruit.)
• Add corn and avocado: Add bulk and color to the recipe with 1/2 cup of fresh corn kernels and one diced avocado.
• Mix in pineapple: If you love pineapple salsa, consider adding 1 cup of finely chopped pineapple to the recipe for a sweet and tart mashup.
• Spice it up: For extra heat, swap the jalapeno for a hotter chile pepper. Habanero or serranos are two types of peppers that pack a little extra punch.

How to Store Mango Salsa

This mango salsa should be refrigerated in an airtight food storage container.

How long does mango salsa last?

Mango salsa will stay fresh for three to four days in the refrigerator. Give it a good stir before serving it again.

Mango Salsa Tips

Christine Ma for Taste of Home

What’s the best way to cut a mango?

If you’re new to cooking with mangoes or are still trying to find the best way to peel and cut a mango, follow the stone. Mangoes have a flat, oblong stone that runs through them, so they can be tricky to cut for first-timers. While handy mango slicers exist, they are not necessary. All you need is a sharp knife to get the job done. For all of our best tips, check out our guide on how to cut a mango.

How do you tell if a mango is ripe?

A perfectly ripe mango should have a sweet scent near the stem and give a little when squeezed gently with your fingers. Mushy mangoes are overripe and won’t work well for mango salsa recipes (but you can toss them into a mango-ginger smoothie). As far as color goes, mangoes change color from green to yellow, orange and/or red depending on the variety. However, color alone isn’t the best indicator of ripeness and should always be considered along with the scent and softness of the fruit.

How can you use mango salsa?

Mango salsa can be enjoyed with tortilla chips or fried wonton chips (like those from this crab rangoon dip). Fish, shellfish and chicken are also natural partners for mango salsa. These grilled shrimp would be a perfect pairing along with this grilled citrus salmon. If you prefer chicken, try this mango salsa with some easy chicken tostadas.