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This fresh Mango Salsa recipe is like summer in a bowl! Juicy, sweet, and a little spicy, it’s a great appetizer with chips and guacamole, a vibrant topping for tacos and salads, or a colorful addition to burrito bowls. Simply stir it together, and it’s ready to enjoy!
Few things scream summer more than a big bowl of this bright, incredibly flavorful mango salsa that comes together in minutes. Simply combine sweet, ripe mangos, crunchy bell peppers and red onion, subtly spicy jalapeños, and lime juice in a bowl. That’s it! You can serve this colorful concoction immediately or allow it to sit for the flavors to blend and harmonize.
Since this fruit salsa has a very short ingredient list, the quality of the ingredients really matters! Avoid mangos, peppers, and onions with bruises and soft spots, discard any fresh cilantro leaves that are brown or slimy, and stick to fresh lime juice instead of the bottled kind for the best zing. And for more appetizer recipes, try my air fryer nachos, queso dip, and jalapeño poppers.
Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients needed to make the best mango salsa. You can find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card.
Mangos — ripe mangoes are a must for the sweet element of this homemade salsa. Larger red mangos are my preference for this salsa. They tend to have juicier flesh and are thick enough to cut the flesh easily into small cubes. You can use honey mangos (also known as Ataulfo mangos) as well. Since they are smaller, you will need about 6 of them.
Bell pepper — a red bell pepper adds even more sweetness and a lovely crunch to contrast the softer texture of the mango.
Red onion — red onion introduces a slightly sharp flavor and more crunchy texture. You can also use a sweet onion, green onions, or shallots.
Jalapeños — seeded, diced jalapeno peppers add a very subtle spice that pairs wonderfully with the sweet ingredients. While I don’t find this recipe overwhelmingly spicy at all, you can skip the peppers if you don’t like spicy salsa and use more red bell pepper instead.
Lime juice — the acidity in lime juice brightens the salsa and adds a tang that balances the sweetness of the mango.
Mango Salsa Recipe
Equipment
- Medium bowl
- Knife
Ingredients
- 3 ripe mangoes diced (600g)
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced (120g)
- ½ medium red onion peeled and diced (130g)
- 2 jalapeños seeded and diced (56g)
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup lime juice (60mL)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Combine the mango, red bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Stir gently to combine.
- Season to taste with salt and more lime juice if you like. Serve immediately or let sit for about 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Notes
- You will likely need three large, ripe mangos. Usually, one large red mango makes 1 to 1½ cups of diced mango, so three should leave you with a little bit extra!
- If you like spicy salsa, you can add more jalapeño or leave in the jalapeño seeds and ribs before dicing it.
Nutrition
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How To Make Mango Salsa
1. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, cilantro, and fresh mangos to a bowl.
2. Pour in the lime juice and add the salt.
3. Stir gently, making sure all of the ingredients are well combined and coated with the lime juice.
4. Taste and more salt and lime juice if desired.
Can I Make This With Frozen Mango?
Fresh mango is the best option here. The texture of the frozen mango will probably be soft but fibrous when defrosted, making it less desirable for this mango salsa recipe.
Ways To Use Mango Salsa
Juicy mango salsa is a really versatile side dish! Here are a few ideas for how to use it to jazz up a variety of foods:
- Try it as a topping for fish tacos, salmon tacos, and turkey burgers.
- It makes a vibrant salad topping and also adds complexity when spooned over shrimp ceviche.
- Add mango salsa to burrito bowls with Instant Pot black beans, cilantro lime rice, and cilantro lime chicken. Top it all off with a few slices of creamy avocado.
- Serve it with chips alongside other popular dips like guacamole and classic tomato salsa.
Variations
There are countless ways to make this homemade mango salsa your own! Feel free to adjust the ingredient quantities to suit your taste buds or include some of the following ingredients for a twist:
- Add corn or black beans. This is a great option to bulk up the salsa for a large crowd. If you use canned beans, be sure to drain and rinse them first.
- Add cubed avocado. Cut it and stir it into the salsa right before serving so it doesn’t turn brown.
- Use pickled red onions instead of fresh ones! Finely chop the slivers of pickled onion before adding them to the salsa.
- Swap some of the mango for pineapple or fresh ripe peach.
- Stir in diced tomato or quartered cherry tomatoes.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Select the best mangos. Look for red or orange skin and ensure the mangos are still firm. If they’re soft at the grocery store, chances are they’re bruised. Buy them a few days in advance so they can ripen on the counter without any damage.
- Do this easy test to tell if your mangos are ripe. Do the mango sniff test! Give them a whiff — they should be very fragrant, with a sweet, slightly floral smell. You can also squeeze the mango gently or press on it near the stem end. A ripe mango will give slightly with pressure.
- Cut everything to be similar in size. This helps you get a bit of everything in every bite of this easy mango salsa recipe.
- Fresh lime juice is best. Lemon juice will work, too, if you don’t have limes.
- Leftover mango salsa will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cutting a mango might seem difficult, but it’s simple once you get the hang of it! Cut the 4 sides away from the pit with a sharp knife. Then, slice a grid into each piece of mango with enough pressure to reach the skin but not enough to cut right through it. Push the mango skin inside out so the mango squares are sticking out, then cut them away from the peel or scoop them out with a spoon. For a smaller dice, simply make the grid-style cuts closer together. See my detailed tutorial for how to cut a mango for more information and instruction images.
To reduce waste, you can carefully trim the flesh off the seed. Or eat it straight off the pit, as I sometimes do!
While you can serve mango salsa immediately, I like to let it sit for about 30 minutes so the flavors have a chance to meld. And since it keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of days, you can even make it a night ahead of time!
If you have the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap or simply don’t like cilantro, feel free to leave it out or swap it for fresh flat-leaf parsley instead. If you want some added herbal flavor, you can add a bit of minced chives, basil, or Mexican tarragon, which has a slightly licorice-like flavor.
If you’ve tried this mango salsa recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
