This Mango Salsa Recipe is a fresh, juicy, and outrageously delicious accompaniment for grilled salmon, fish tacos, grilled chicken breast, or a basket of scoopable chips.
Be sure to check out this mango slaw and strawberry mango salsa.
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This mango salsa recipe is absolutely one of my favorite kinds of salsa recipes to make! Mangoes are juicy, sweet, affordable, and available year-round, which means I can pretty much make it any time.
It’s a great topping for things like grilled fish tacos and when you’re serving a crowd, it makes a great appetizer alongside an array of tortilla chips, crackers, and crusty bread.
What is Mango Salsa?
Salsa is the Spanish word for sauce, which is traditionally made with a little heat, chopped tomatoes, and a blend of herbs and spices.
Mango salsa isn’t at all saucy in the traditional sense, but the chunky texture and combination of incredible fresh flavors give us permission to call it what it is. Salsa!
Ingredients for Mango Salsa Recipe
This mango salsa recipe consists only of 5 simple ingredients and comes together in minutes.
- Mango: Choose mangos that are medium-soft. These ones need to be used within 1-2 days. Harder ones can be kept longer. Ataulfo (champagne) or “regular” Tommy Atkins mango works. (See below for tips on how to pick the best mangos).
- Red onion: Red onion is a mild and sweet onion. If you don’t have any, use green onion or chives instead. White onions would be too harsh.
- Cilantro: Traditionally used in Mexican cooking, cilantro goes so well with sweet fruit and berries. Can also use fresh parsley.
- Jalapeno: It is the seeds that add the heat. You can control how hot your mango salsa will turn out by how many seeds you add. I often buy a few at a time and freeze minced for later.
- Lime juice: I recommend squeezing fresh limes or lemons, not from a bottle. So good! Out? A splash of white/red wine vinegar will do.
How to Pick Ripe Mangoes?
Since mangoes come in a variety of shapes, colours, and sizes, depending on the type and where they originate from, it’s not a good idea to base your choice on colour alone.
When you squeeze it, it should give just a little. Too much is too ripe, and not enough is not ripe enough. Ripe and ready to use mangos will have a pleasant aroma when you put your nose to it (wait until you get home for this!).
If you happen to have picked up mangos that are not quite ripe enough yet, place them on the counter at room temperature in a darker area of your kitchen. Over time they will become nice and sweet and a bit softer. To speed this up a little, you could place them in a brown paper bag.
How to Make Mango Salsa Recipe
Here is a quick overview how to make mango salsa recipe. Full recipe card is located below.
- Chop mango and veggies: I like to peel the fruit first, cut around the pit and then dice. For more tips, check out this how to cut a mango tutorial. Add all the ingredients to a medium bowl.
- Squeeze lime juice: Roll lime on a cutting board to help its juices flow. Then cut and squeeze, using a citrus squeezer. Lemons are much softer than limes, normally, so they can be squeezed with your hands.
- Combine and stir: Stir mango salsa ingredients very gently. I find a metal spoon works better than a wooden one because it doesn’t make the fruit mushy.
Variations
Here are my top tips for the best mango salsa recipe that is a combination of sweet, spicy, salty, and zesty!
- Not a fan of cilantro? You can completely omit it or use fresh parsley instead. Don’t skimp on the red onion if that’s the case!
- Control the heat: If you’re not a fan of spice at all, you can leave out the jalapeno. It does give it amazing flavor and adds a nice balance to the sweet. For very mild heat, scrape out all of the seeds. For medium, leave some. For hot, leave a lot. You get the idea!
- Red pepper flakes: If you don’t have any jalapeno peppers on hand, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes instead.
- Diced red pepper: To give this mango salsa recipe some added crunch and a pop of red, throw in some diced red peppers.
- Corn: Speaking of color-popping, a few canned corn niblets would be worth adding in!
- Grilled mango: If you have the time, or your grill is already on for the amazing BBQ you’re about to have, take a few minutes to grill your mango before dicing it. Grilled mango with a beautiful char brings out even more juices.
- Chili powder: Sprinkle in some chili powder for an added kick. The flavor combination of mango and chili works so well.
What to Serve Mango Salsa with?
There are so many ways to serve mango salsa with fish, chicken, chips and you name it:
- Chicken: It works alongside any protein like this chili lime chicken or grilled chicken thighs.
- Seafood: Mango salsa with fish is a match made in heaven! It elevates marinated and simply seasoned grilled shrimp skewers or baked cod and brings it to the next level.
- Tacos: Replace your traditional coleslaw with mango salsa in shrimp taco recipe.
- Burgers: Skip mango slaw in these healthy salmon burgers and pile up with mango salsa.
- Chips: With tortilla chips, of course!
- Salad: And lastly, if you feel like adding black beans, just make my mango black bean salad.
FAQs
You bet it is! Mangos themselves are highly nutritious, but when you add in the nutrients of raw red onion, the vitamins in lemons and limes, and the antioxidants in jalapenos, you’ve got a bowl of delicious healthy salsa! This pure and simple salsa uses fresh ingredients and no added sugars!
If you prefer a warm sauce version, or a cooked down version of mango salsa, you can absolutely heat it up on the stove top. Typically people who plan on canning their salsa to extend its shelf life, will cook it with sugars to preserve it. If you’re just heating it up to serve it warm, you don’t need to add anything to it.
It can. If you are making a big batch, or you have tons of leftovers, go ahead and freeze it for up to 2 months in an airtight container. If you only have a bit, it might not be worth freezing, because I’m sure you’ll find a way to use it up over a few extra days.
Can I Make It Ahead of Time?
Make ahead: Add all mango salsa recipe ingredients to a bowl except the salt. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Add salt and stir mango salsa right before serving.
As soon as you stir salt with other ingredients, they start “leaking.” The salt brings out the juices and marries everything together, which is great when you’re eating it. Just not before!
Leftovers: Refrigerate mango salsa leftovers for up to 24 hours.
More Fresh Salsa Recipes to Try
- Pineapple jalapeno salsa
- Pico de gallo
- Fresh peach salsa
- Strawberry mango salsa
- Black bean salsa
- Shrimp ceviche
Fresh Mango Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large mangoes peeled & diced
- 1/3 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 small bunch cilantro finely chopped
- 1 lime or lemon juice of
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp jalapeños minced
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add mango, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and jalapenos.
- Stir to combine.
- Serve with chips, grilled salmon, grilled chicken breast or pork. Really anything!
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.
- Make ahead: Add all ingredients to a bowl except salt. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Add salt and stir mango salsa right before serving. As soon as you stir salt with other ingredients, they start “leaking”.
- To chop mango, I peel it, cut of the sides and then dice.Check out this tutorial how to cut a mango more traditional way.
- Pick ripe mangoes that are a bit soft to the touch, not too hard and not too soft. I used ataulfo mangoes.
- I freeze chopped jalapeños to avoid food waste and always have some on hand.
- What makes jalapenos spicy are the seeds – add or omit as many as you like.
- Frozen mango would not be good in this recipe.
Can you freeze this? I know when your blueberry strawberry salsa you have agave nectar is there something I can substitute for that? Thank you
This Mango Salsa was really refreshing, had it with some salmon and my kids asked for seconds! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Love hearing that the kids asked for seconds…sounds like a win!
Made this to go with cilantro lime chicken. Was a delicious accompaniment! Wonderful flavour.
Love how easy this mango salsa recipe was!