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Homemade Fresh Mango Salsa with ripe mango, red peppers, cilantro, red onion, jalapeno, lime juice, salt, and a touch of honey. The freshest and best mango salsa recipe!
It is summertime and we love any fresh foods we can get our hands on. We recently returned home from over two weeks in California and we tried to hit as many farmer’s markets as possible. We would stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables and plan our meals around them. We tried a fresh mango salsa at a farmer’s market and I couldn’t wait to get home to my test kitchen to recreate it.
WHAT DOES MANGO SALSA TASTE LIKE?
What I love about mango salsa is that it has so many elements — the sweetness from the mango, the crunchiness from the onion and red pepper, and the spiciness from the jalapeno. It has it all!
You can pair a homemade mango salsa with tortilla chips, pita chips, or top shrimp or chicken tacos with it. I love to put it in my grilled chicken bowls for a touch of natural sweetness.
I love to drizzle a touch of honey in my mango salsa and it not only gives it some shine but a touch of sweetness as well.
WHAT IS MANGO SALSA MADE OF?
- Fresh Mango: Sweet and juicy mango is the glue of this salsa. High in vitamin C it can help in immunity and heart disease prevention.
- Red Pepper: Red pepper gives this salsa an incredible crunch! Red peppers are high in vitamin A and beta-carotene, which helps your vision and skin.
- Cilantro: Cilantro is a must-have in most salsas because it really makes the whole salsa taste fresher. Cilantro sometimes gets the title of a “superfood” because it aids in detoxification.
- Jalapeno: Even if you aren’t a fan of spice, jalapeño is a great addition to any salsa because of its vibrant and strong flavor. To avoid a spicy salsa, leave out the seeds and the rims of the jalapeño, those are the spiciest parts! The green outside layer should provide enough flavor without too much spice.
- Red Onion: A strong flavor and beautiful color to balance the sweet mango. It can protect the body from cancers, ulcers, or infections.
- Lime Juice: Lime juice keeps the salsa physically fresh for a longer amount of time, but it also adds a fresh and zesty flavor to the sweet salsa.
- Salt: As it does in any recipe, salt brings out the flavors of the salsa.
- Touch of Honey: Honey makes this salsa shine and brings out the sweetness of the mangoes.
The key to the best mango salsa recipe is to use ripe fresh mangoes! Since mangoes are the star ingredient, it makes such a difference if the mangoes are ripe, since they are much sweeter.
POPULAR SALSA RECIPES:
- Sweet Salsa Verde (Sweet Green Salsa) — Made with a tomatillo base, this sweet salsa is addicting!
- Blender Salsa — This smooth and flavorful salsa is quickly made in the blender.
- Restaurant-Style Salsa — The freshest salsa made with all of the classic ingredients plus a special secret ingredient that makes it taste just like the salsa from your favorite Mexican restaurant!
- Peach Salsa — Another sweet and fruity salsa that pairs well with chips, tacos, bowls, or whatever you want!
- Watermelon Mango Salsa — A popular salsa on my site because it is so fresh and perfect for the summertime.
WHAT DO YOU EAT MANGO SALSA WITH?
Mango salsa is the best because it is so versatile! We love eating it as a topping on our favorite tacos. It works well with all meats, but we especially love it with fish tacos.
It makes a great addition to salads or burrito bowls as well. Or, as a snack, you can’t go wrong with some of your favorite tortilla chips and mango salsa! Below I have linked some of my favorite dishes to eat with this easy mango salsa. Enjoy!
TOP TIP: Homemade Tortilla Chips
This salsa pairs well with a variety of main dishes, but it’s also an incredible appetizer with some homemade tortilla chips. Sweet salsa with the salty, crunchy chips? Absolute perfection! I have a post all about how to make homemade tortilla chips linked here, give them a try! It’s seriously one of the simplest recipes on my site.
FAQ
Use your senses! First, gently pick up and touch the mango. I would suggest slightly pressing on the mango to see if it slightly gives. If it doesn’t give it at all and is hard as a rock, it is not ripe. Try to find softer mangoes where their flesh is ripe and sweet.
Also, use your sense of smell by picking up the mango and smelling it at the stem to see if you can pick up on its fruity notes. A ripe mango definitely has a beautiful fruity fragrance.
Mangoes can ripen so leave them out on your counter at room temperature for a few days and keep checking them.
The easiest way to cut a mango when making homemade mango salsa, is to cut it alongside the center of the pit. You don’t even need to peel the mango. Just run a sharp knife lengthwise down the mango. You will feel the hard pit in the center.
Cut each side of the mango and then take a small pairing knife and score the fresh mango by carefully running the knife in a grid-type pattern to make mango cubes. You don’t want to cut all the way through the mango skin, just the flesh part. Now, take a spoon and scoop out the scored mangoes.
Yes, mango salsa can be made ahead of time. If you want to, you can make the mango salsa as instructed and keep in in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The additional time will make the juices and flavors absorb a little more than if served fresh.
If you prefer, you can also dice and cut all of the ingredients ahead of time but keep them in separate containers. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix right before serving.
You can store the salsa in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
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Fresh Mango Salsa
Ingredients
- 3 Fresh Mangoes (cut into chunks)
- 1 Red Pepper (diced)
- 1/4 cup Red Onion (finely diced)
- 1/3 cup Fresh Cilantro (chopped)
- 1 Jalapeno (finely diced)
- 1 Lime (juiced)
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- Drizzle of Honey
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, place cubed fresh mango. See the notes section on how to cut a mango. Add red pepper, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and salt. Drizzle with honey and toss together.
- Taste for seasonings and add more salt if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, or place it on top of shrimp or chicken tacos.
Notes
How do I know if a mango is ripe?
Use your senses! First, gently pick up and touch the mango. I would suggest slightly pressing on the mango to see if it slightly gives. If it doesn’t give it at all and is hard as a rock, it is not ripe. Try to find softer mangoes where their flesh is ripe and sweet. Also, use your sense of smell by picking up the mango and smelling it at the stem to see if you can pick up on its fruity notes. A ripe mango definitely has a beautiful fruity fragrance. Mangoes can ripen so leave them out on your counter at room temperature for a few days and keep checking them.How do you cut a mango:
The easiest way to cut a mango when making homemade mango salsa, is to cut it alongside the center of the pit. You don’t even need to peel the mango. Just run a sharp knife lengthwise down the mango. You will feel the hard pit in the center. Cut each side of the mango and then take a small pairing knife and score the fresh mango by carefully running the knife in a grid-type pattern to make mango cubes. You don’t want to cut all the way through the mango skin, just the flesh part. Now, take a spoon and scoop out the scored mangoes.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Fish tacos this weekend and we topped them with this mango salsa. Incredible recipe, Melissa!! Could’ve eaten it with a spoon.
I put this on top of my homemade burrito bowls and it was SO good! So fresh and delicious.
This Mango Salsa looks so delicious. Looks like you could eat with a spoon, like a bowl of Cereal. I love all the fresh ingredients in this recipe.
I would love it on some grilled Chicken, I think it would be amazing.
Thank you for the recipe.