Mango Salsa

Juicy, sweet Mango Salsa is great added to tacos – like our Air Fried Avocado Tacos – or served simply with lots of crispy tortilla chips. It’s a vibrant blend of lightly spiced fruit that’s finished with lime juice, cilantro, and crunchy bell pepper.

Easy Mango Salsa Recipe

When ripe mangos are on sale at the grocery store I can’t resist snapping up a big bunch. I love putting mangoes in smoothie bowls, or eating them peeled up and cut into long slices. However, my favorite thing to do with mangos is to turn them into fresh mango salsa!

You may think of salsa as being mainly tomato-based, but a fruit-based salsa is equally as good (if not better!). I like to swap in mango salsa in place of a more classic salsa to bring an unexpected burst of fruit flavor. I also love how this recipe is saved by being too sweet by mixing in jalapeño pepper and raw red onion. These two additions balance out the fruit’s natural sweetness, keeping the salsa both savory and sweet. I add crunchy chopped bell peppers for texture and finish with a handful of chopped cilantro leaves.

Try this salsa in tacos, especially shrimp tacos! The juicy shrimp and juicy mangos just seem made for each other. But I also love it eaten straight from a bowl and scooped up with salty tortilla chips.

Why You’ll Love This Mango Salsa

• Unexpected flavors. You may never have had a fruit salsa before, and making a mango salsa is a great way to try one out. While you may think of fruit as having a place only in dessert recipes, with enough spicy heat it works perfectly in a salsa.
• Quick and easy. No cooking required! The hardest part is having to chop all the fruit and vegetables!
• Versatile. As mentioned, mango salsa tastes so good in tacos. You could also use it to top a homemade quesadilla or to finish off a 7-layer dip with a bright burst of color and flavor.

What You’ll Need to Make Mango Salsa

Mango salsa needs, you guessed it, plenty of mangos plus a few other simple ingredients. Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need. Be sure to scroll down the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts.

• Mangos: See the tips below for how to choose a ripe mango and how to cut a mango.
• Red Onion: I use a small onion.
• Red Bell Pepper: You can use any color of bell pepper you wish. Keep in mind that green bell peppers are much stronger in flavor, while yellow/red/orange bell peppers are sweeter and milder.
• Jalapeño Pepper: You can leave this out if you don’t like a lot of spice. If you love spicy heat, you can swap the jalapeño for a serrano pepper to pump up the heat.
• Cilantro
• Lime Juice: From a freshly squeezed lime if possible.
• Salt and Pepper

How to Make Mango Salsa

Here’s the easiest way to make a fragrant and colorful mango salsa. There are a lot of the colors of the rainbow in this dish.

• Combine the ingredients. In a medium bowl, toss to combine the mango, onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste

• Rest the salsa. Let the salsa sit for 5 minutes before serving. If you don’t plan to serve this salsa immediately, do not add the cilantro until right before you serve it.

Tips for Success

It’s not hard to make this salsa, but these tips are sure to help.

• Pick a mango that is soft to the touch. If the mango is too ripe it will not cut into chunks very well. A ripe avocado is the same feel you are looking for with a ripe mango.
• Use your favorite bell pepper. You can use any color of bell pepper you like, but I love the flavor and color that a red bell pepper brings. Keep in mind that a green bell pepper has a much stronger flavor than a yellow, orange, or red bell pepper and can affect the overall taste of the salsa. 
• Remove the seeds from the jalapeño pepper. If you like things extra spicy you can leave in the seeds, but doing so will triple the amount of heat. I always remove the jalapeño seeds.
• Top with tajin. When serving this salsa, I love to top it with some tajin seasoning for a little extra flavor.
• Add cilantro just before serving. As outlined in the directions, if you are making the salsa in advance, add the cilantro leaves when serving. Cilantro does not hold up well once it is tossed in the salsa. If you store the salsa mixed with cilantro in the refrigerator it won’t be as pretty when serving and the cilantro will wilt and brown. 

What Is Tajin Seasoning?

Tajin seasoning is a Mexican seasoning mix made from dried and ground red chilies, sea salt, and dehydrated lime juice. Tajin can be used to add extra flavor to salsas, cooked meats, roasted corn and vegetables, mixed drinks like a Bloody Mary, and much more. You can find it in the spice aisle in many supermarkets.

How to Choose a Ripe Mango

Don’t worry, it’s not hard to find a ripe mango. You’ll be able to tell that a mango is ripe by using these simple tips:

• Check the color. When ripe, a mango’s color will turn from green to orange, red, or slightly pink.
• The skin will be slightly soft. The mango’s skin should give a little when lightly pressed. Similar to an avocado, you’ll know if a mango is too ripe if the skin feels mushy when pressed.
• Give it a sniff. A ripe mango gives off a sweet fragrance.

How to Cut a Mango

It’s easy to cut a mango once you get the hang of it. Here’s my preferred method:

• Rinse and pat dry. Place the mango on a sturdy cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut down the side of the mango. The mango seed is long and shaped like the mango. You can usually feel the seed when cutting.
• Cut into the mango. You will make 4 cuts on the mango. Two of the slices will have the most mango and the other two will have less mango because of the way the seed grows.
• Remove the skin. Once you have your 4 slices of mango use a pairing knife to remove the skin from the mango. 
• Take off any remaining meat. Use the paring knife around the seed to get any remaining meat left on the seed.

Serving Suggestions

Mango salsa can be swapped for tomato salsa anytime you like! Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Try it with tacos. Swap in mango salsa in my Easy Shrimp Tacos with Slaw recipe. The juicy mango will taste so good with the crispy shrimp.
• On top of grilled chicken breast. A simple grilled chicken, like my Grilled Chicken Breast method, would taste amazing with a dollop of mango salsa on top. When the chicken is cooked to perfection, serve each piece with a generous spoon of mango salsa.
• With shrimp. You could make one of my easy shrimp recipes like Grilled Shrimp or Coconut Shrimp, a pot of Cilantro Lime Rice, and serve it all with lots of mango salsa for a fresh, flavorful dinner.
• As an appetizer. The easiest way to serve mango salsa! Place it in a big bowl with plenty of fresh, crispy tortilla chips and get to dipping.
• During cocktail hour! You definitely will thrill your guests if you serve mango salsa along with margaritas for happy hour.

How to Store Leftover Salsa

Here’s how to store any leftover salsa:

• Fridge – Store leftover mango salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve straight from the fridge.
• Freezer – You can freeze leftover salsa but the texture of the fruit and vegetables will change a bit when they defrost. Place leftover salsa in an air-tight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.

More Homemade Condiments and Sauces

• Easy Chili Con Queso
• Homemade Marinara Sauce
• Fresh Basil Pesto
• Homemade Tartar Sauce
• Homemade Pico de Gallo