Mango Salsa Recipe
My easy mango salsa runs on ripe mango, red bell pepper, and jalapeno dressed with fresh lime. I have it on a plate in 15 minutes, ready for tacos, grilled fish, or chips.
Ingredients
- 1 peeled, seeded, and medium-diced fresh large mango
- ½ seeded and small diced red bell pepper
- ½ peeled and small diced red onion
- 1 seeded and small diced jalapeño
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a large bowl.
- Squeeze in the juice of 1 fresh lime.
- Season well with salt and pepper.
- Using a spoon, mix the ingredients until combined. Store or serve.
Notes
After making this mango salsa countless times, I can tell you that three things matter most: the size of the dice, the ripeness of the mango, and when you add the lime. I highly recommend following the recipe as written so you get the best texture, balance, and flavor every time.
Watch the Mango Timing: Since mangos have bromelain, they will break down the fibers in the protein, turning it into mush of whatever you are serving if left there for too long. I recommend not leaving it on longer than 2 hours.
Mango ripeness check: Press the fruit at the stem end, not the round bottom. A ripe mango gives slightly under your thumb. If it has give in the middle but not at the stem, leave it on the counter another day.
Cool the dice before serving: Ten minutes in the fridge tightens the salsa and sharpens the lime. Longer than thirty and the mango starts to break down.
Drain off the juice if it pools: A spoonful of liquid in the bowl is fine; a puddle means it sat too long. Tilt the bowl, pour off the liquid, taste, re-season.
No tomato: Mango is the fruit on the plate. Tomato thins the perfume and turns it into a different dish, which is fine, but that dish is pico de gallo, not this.
Make-Ahead: I cut every ingredient up to four hours ahead and hold the dice covered in the fridge in one flat container or in separate piles. I do not dress with lime, salt, or cilantro until 30 minutes before serving. The acid starts pulling water out of the fruit immediately, so dressing early turns the salsa soft.
How to Store: I pour leftovers, juice and all, into an airtight container and refrigerate. Best inside 24 hours. After that, the mango softens and the bite fades.
How to Freeze: Skip the freezer for this one. Mango cubes turn to mush on thaw and the herbs go black. If you have extra mango on the counter, freeze the diced fruit on a sheet tray for smoothies, but make a fresh salsa.