This fresh salsa is made with juicy ripe mangos, spicy jalapeño peppers, crisp red onion, lime juice, and more! Mango salsa is the perfect accompaniment to your seafood, chicken, or pork tacos!
This is one of my Salsa recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
In our house, taco night is always a crowd-pleaser! Getting everyone to agree on a meal that sounds good is not an easy feat, so we have tacos quite a bit.
With a good taco, comes a great salsa… and this mango salsa is no exception.
While it could be delicious on beef tacos or turkey tacos, we really love it on fish, shrimp, chicken, or pork tacos (carnitas anyone?)!
Mango salsa is amazingly refreshing and sweet, with a back-note of spice that lingers a bit. It does use fresh produce, but if it’s out of season or you can’t source it, canned/frozen mango will also work well.
How to make mango salsa?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Chop and stir. Chop produce, combine liquid and seasonings and stir well to combine.
- Rest and serve! If possible, I recommend resting this salsa in the refrigerator for up to an hour. All the flavors really come together that way.
Helpful Tip!
If you’re not sure how to cut a fresh mango, don’t worry, you’re not alone! The National Mango Board has a great video with all the details:
How to Cut a Mango – video tutorial by National Mango Board
Variations of this recipe
- Avocado – diced avocado is a great addition to this salsa!
- Hotter – if you love heat, feel free to add more peppers to this salsa. Additional jalapeños, or even some serranos, habaneros, etc are all great options.
- Milder – this salsa is pretty mild, but if you’re sensitive to heat, you can omit the jalapeño pepper, and just use the bell pepper, or try a poblano pepper instead (they’re generally pretty mild).
- Garlic – we love adding some garlic to this salsa, since it adds a depth of flavor. But if you’re not a fan, you can reduce, or even omit it.
- Spices – try adding some ancho chile powder, regular chili powder, and/or some ground cumin.
- Chopping size – feel free to chop the mangos and pineapple as small or large as you’d like
FAQ’s
According to the National Mango Board, the color of the outside of the mango isn’t a good indicator of ripeness. Just like with an avocado, a ripe mango should give a little when gently squeezed, and should smell sweet at the stem end.
Yes, if you can’t find fresh mangos in your area, canned or frozen mango is a great alternative. If using canned, make sure they’re drained well. If using frozen, make sure the mango is completely thawed, and drained.
Making mango salsa ahead of time
Like most salsas and condiments, mango salsa actually tastes better when it’s made ahead of time! But just a little bit ahead.
I like to make this salsa about an hour before we want to serve it, but it can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time.
Much longer than that, and the fruit breaks down to much and it takes on an unappetizing mushiness.
How to prep ahead for this recipe:
- Chop the fruit – the mango and pineapple can be chopped and stored together in the refrigerator. Drain well before using in the salsa.
- Chop the peppers/onion/cilantro – the bell pepper, fresno pepper, red onion, and cilantro can also be chopped and stored together in the refrigerator.
Storage
Leftover salsa should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within 2 days. Technically, the salsa will last longer than that, but the fruit will break down and it’ll end up pretty mushy.
If you’d like to keep the salsa a bit longer, I find that pureeing the salsa (in a food processor or blender) keeps it fresher longer (since there aren’t big pieces of fruit to break down).
The pureed salsa is actually a great sauce to use for seafood, chicken, and pork.
More Salsa Recipes:
My Favorite Mixing Bowls!
I love these mixing bowls for two main reasons: the non-slip bottoms make mixing easier, and the airtight lids mean you don’t have to transfer the contents to another container to refrigerate!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 large fresh mango diced
- 1/2 – 2/3 of a medium sized red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 – 2 medium sized jalapeños seeded and diced (or leave the seeds in for more heat)
- 1/3 – 1/2 medium red onion diced
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
- 1 medium lime zested and juiced
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Prepare
- Wash and pat dry any fresh produce. Chop as directed above in the ingredients section.
Make salsa
- To a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients, then stir well until thoroughly combined.
Chill
- Cover tightly and refrigerate for about an hour before serving (this helps the flavors combine and come together better).
Serve
- Serve cold or at room temperature, with chips, or as a topping for your favorite tex-mex or mexican-inspired meals!
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- Canned or frozen mangos can be used in place of fresh, just make sure they’re drained and/or thawed.
- I’ve estimated this recipe will serve about 4, however it’s easily doubled or even tripled if you need a larger batch.
- Please feel free to chop your produce as finely as you’d like, and play with the proportions of the ingredients to make this salsa more to your tastes.
- Poblano, serrano, or habanero are all substitutes for the jalapeño if you’d prefer. Just be aware of the heat levels of the pepper you choose!
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Sandra says
So perfect for summer!! I love how refreshing this is!!
Marcy says
Delicious!!!!!!!!
Sandra says
This is a must-make for summer!! I love how refreshing it is!
Erin | Dinners, Dishes and Dessert says
Looks absolutely fantastic! Can’t wait to make this!
Beth says
I love fruit salsas like this one. They’re a great way to get a fresh, light flavor that’s full of natural sweetness and spice. Love this one.