Mango Salad
Warmer weather means fresh ingredients and lighter meals! Mango Salad with ripe mangos will be your new go-to recipe for sweet potato street tacos, chicken taquitos or even just as a yummy salsa with tortilla chips.
This 10-minute, easy mango salsa can be made right at home and you'll feel like you are at a fancy taqueria! Serve it up with my Mason Jar Margaritas and you are all set. Add jalapeños if you're craving a little heat, or keep it mild and let the flavors of this colorful salad shine.
I've included optional add-ins, variations, FAQ and tips for making it more of a mango salsa rather than a salad. It's all a little further down in this post! Use this helpful jump-to tool to find the information you need and skip what you don't!
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Ingredients for Mango Salad
​I love using whatever fresh from the garden produce I have on hand, but this is the basic fresh mango salad recipe we are going to start with. Everything we are adding brings out the flavor of juicy mangos and will make your guests (and tastebuds!) super happy.
- Ripe mango, diced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup strawberries, diced
- ½ a red onion, diced
- Avocado, diced
- Lime, juiced & zested or substitute lemon juice
- Honey
- optional: 1 jalapeño, diced
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Mango Salad at Home
First you'll need to decide if this is going to be mango salsa or mango salad. It's either a chunky, chopped salsa that comes together very quickly and can be served with many different Mexican dishes or a side dish. Your call! The only difference is how small we chop the fruit and avocado pieces.
- Finely chop all ingredients.
2. Mix in a large mixing bowl with a pinch of salt, pepper, and lime juice.
3. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 10-30 minutes for the best flavor!
Recipe
Mango Salad
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- cutting board and knife
Ingredients
- 1 mango chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 cup strawberries diced
- ½ onion chopped
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 lime zested & juiced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 jalepeno diced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Coarsely chop all ingredients for mango salad or finely chop for a mango salsa.
- Mix in a large mixing bowl with a pinch of salt, pepper, and lime juice.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for 10-30 minutes for the best flavor!
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
When you're headed to the grocery store to pick up some perfectly ripe mangoes, look for one that gives slightly when you gently squeeze it. It's color should be vibrant and it will have a sweet, fruity aroma at the stem end.Â
Avoid mangoes that have bruises, blemishes, or overly soft spots. Also, steer clear of ones with wrinkled skin or a strong fermented smell. These are signs they're past their prime.
Mango season varies depending on the region, but it's generally during the late spring to early fall months. If you are having trouble finding juicy mangos at the store, you can absolutely use frozen mangos for maximum freshness in this recipe. I do it all the time!
Pin this to save the recipe for later!
Variations
Spicy Mango Salsa: Oh, you like heat, do you? You and my husband should be friends. For a spicy dressing, let's add in 1-2 chopped jalapeño peppers and one chopped red bell pepper. If you have any mystery peppers growing in your garden and are feeling a little crazy, throw'em in the bowl! Why not? Cooking is supposed to be fun and adventurous, and who doesn't love a spicy salad every once in a while!
Garden party mango salad: This is more of a kitchen sink version, meaning we are loading this salad up with whatever seasonal produce we have growing that sounds tasty. My favorites are a chopped English cucumber, cherry tomatoes or green onions. Fresh herbs that go well in this salad are optional fresh herbs: fresh mint, fresh basil, lemon balm and parsley. I try to keep the flavors balanced and pay attention to anything that could highjack the original flavor profile of this refreshing salad.
Thai-inspired mango salad: Add 1 tablespoon of tamari or soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce and a loose ½ cup (before chopping) of fresh thai basil leaves. Juice the lime and whisk it with a pinch of chili powder in a small bowl before pouring over the salad. I also like to add in a dash of red pepper flakes to kick it up a bit. This is a simple Thai mango salad recipe that is really easy to whip up!
Other Fresh Salad Recipes You'll Love
Cranberry Salsa was the most popular recipe on both this site as well as my instagram account during the holiday season. The tart flavors, fresh herbs and jalapeño pepper make this a perfect appetizer that has it all!
When your cucumber vines are producing like crazy, you have everything you need to make a really great salad! If you've been searching high and low for a cucumbers onion vinegar sugar recipe just like grandma used to make, definitely hang on to this one!
​Thanks for reading!
Just a quick recap, here's how to make mango salad. Start by selecting the perfect mangoes—look for juicy, ripe fruit with vibrant colors and a sweet aroma. Combine additional veggies like crisp vegetables like cool cucumber, crunchy bell peppers, and thinly sliced Persian cucumber for a variety of textures.
Serve as a main dish or a side alongside your favorite savory dishes. For the best results, chill the salad ingredients beforehand and allow the flavors to meld together.
Next time you're looking for a simple salad, remember this one! And use these tips to pick the perfect mango for your salad, too. Whether you're making it for a refreshing side dish or a light meal, a ripe mango can take your recipe to the next level.
Don't forget to save this recipe on Pinterest for later, share it with a friend who loves fresh flavors, or drop a comment below to let me know how your mango salad turns out! I love to hear from you.
Happy cooking!
- Meg
More simple salad recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pair this salad with
These are my favorite dishes to serve with mango salad:
This is our favorite salsa to put on tacos, especially fish tacos! It is so light and refreshing, sweet with a spicy kick not mention its fantastic on its own with tortilla chips or even churro chips! Highly recommend!
Yay! I'm so glad you loved this recipe! I agree, fish tacos are super delish with a heaping pile of mango salsa on top. Thanks for the review!
- Meg
This is one of our favorite salsas to bring to summer cookouts! With tortilla chips this is delicious!
NICE!! I have to be careful when eating this as a mango salsa... the bowl gets empty FAST!! Thanks for leaving a review!
- Meg