Fresh Mango Salsa

Enjoy this fresh mango salsa recipe with chips, salmon, fish, chicken, or use in tacos! You can make it with or without cilantro/avocado/tomato for an easy dinner.

Have you ever gone out for dinner and had something that was so good, you couldn’t help but want to lick your plate?

That’s how I feel about mango salsa. Long after the homemade tortillas and shredded chicken is gone, I’m still spooning mango salsa on my plate.

Yes, it’s that good!

My Favorite Fresh Salsa Recipe: Mango Salsa

Aside from the fact that it’s DELICIOUS, here’s why I love mango salsa so much:

• Make-ahead. In fact, it tastes BETTER when you make it ahead of time.
• Easy. Other than chopping, no special skills required.
• So many uses! Whether its fish or tacos or a bowl of tortilla chips (these are our favorite!), mango salsa works with anything.
• Versatile. Don’t like mango? Use peaches. Or pineapple (here’s how to cut a pineapple). Or even apples.

How to Make Mango Salsa

1. Mango. Obviously. Here’s how you cut a mango.
2. Onion. The recipe calls for red onion, but white or yellow onion will work in a pinch.
3. Bell Pepper. I like to use red because it’s mild in flavor, but orange and yellow would work well too.
4. Cilantro. Can you even make salsa without cilantro? I think not.
5. Salt & Pepper & Garlic. Salsa’s best buds.
6. Lime. (See note about cilantro.)
7. Orange Juice. The teeniest splash adds a bit of acid and sweet, without actually having to use sugar.
8. Jalapeno. Totally optional, but one finely diced up adds a nice kick.

What types of mangoes should I use?

There are seven different types of mangoes: honey, Francis, Haden, Keitt, Kent, Tommy Atkins, and Palmer.

I don’t expect you to identify each one of these, but know this:

• Honey is golden, no green or red.
• Francis is spotted yellow and green.
• Palmer is deep red and oblong.

Personally, I don’t like honey, Francis, or Palmer mangoes. I find them to be dull in flavor and there’s not a lot of flesh on the fruit. I recommend choosing any other variety than these.

That means when you’re shopping, look for mangoes that are:

• Medium to large
• Oblong or oval
• Red and/or green and/or yellow
• Give just slightly when you squeeze them – that’s how you know they’re ripe.

What can I eat mango salsa with?

Tacos, tacos, and more tacos. Preferably on homemade corn tortillas, homemade flour tortillas or even homemade cassava flour tortillas.

Don’t like tacos? Fish would be good (baked, grilled, or fried), as would chicken (here’s all-purpose chicken you can shred) or even pork chops.

Ooh! What if you made maple-glazed pork chops with mango salsa? THAT would be good!

Can I make pineapple salsa instead? Or peach mango salsa?

HECK YES! You do you. And do whatever is in season.

Mangos grow in only a few states, and while you can likely find them year-round thanks to Ecuador and Puerto Rico, you definitely want to buy them when they’re on sale.

I aim to pay less than $1 per mango. If they’re less than 75¢, I stock up!

Can I freeze mango salsa?

No. Both onions and bell peppers lose their crunchiness when you freeze them, which means you’ll get a soggy salsa.

You CAN though, freeze mango. Follow the same tutorial that I wrote for how to freeze strawberries. Let the frozen mango thaw completely before making the salsa!

How long does mango salsa last?

You definitely have 3-5 days in the fridge thanks to the acid from both the lime juice and orange juice. The fruit MIGHT start to ferment after that, so use the smell test to gauge whether or not it’s still good!

Need more fresh, homemade salsa recipes?

• Homemade Restaurant-style Salsa
• Salsa Verde
• Homemade Chunky Salsa

 

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