Mango Pico de Gallo

Why you'll love this recipe

• This delicious mango pico de gallo recipe is a tropical twist on traditional Mexican pico de gallo that uses tomatoes and onions
• Made with fresh mangoes and ready in minutes. Just dice everything up into small pieces, squeeze in fresh lime juice and mix together in a large bowl.
• A perfect balance of sweet, sour and spicy flavors
• Homemade pico is way better than anything you can find jarred at your local supermarket
• It's nutritious, low calorie and full of vitamin C
• This salsa is part of my epic list of 20 Best Sides for Shrimp Tacos where you can find more awesome taco topping ideas!

Ingredient notes

• Mangos: use regular or Ataulfo mangos. You can also use both varieties, as long as they are ripe
• Red Bell Pepper: it goes very well with the mango and complements its flavor
• Jalapeno Peppers: for a spicy zing. You can use the whole pepper or only half, if you’d like your salsa to be milder
• Red onion: you can swap for sweet, yellow or white onion but I like red best
• Fresh Cilantro: to add freshness to the dish
• Lime juice: adds tanginess to the salsa
• Salt: to balance out the flavors

How to make mango pico de gallo

1. Peel and dice the mangos. This part is probably the most time consuming. The easiest way to cut mangos is cutting off the sides (unpeeled), making a grid on the flesh side using a paring knife without cutting through the skin and scooping out the diced flesh out with a spoon or a knife. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube if you’d like a visual. You can also peel the whole mango, cut off the sides and dice, whatever works better!

2. Chop up the vegetables. Finely dice red bell pepper and red onion. Chop up cilantro leaves.

3. Cut the jalapeno pepper in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and discard, then chop small.

4. Combine all the ingredients. Add the mangos, both peppers, red onion and cilantro into a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with salt and pour in fresh lime juice. Give everything a stir and your salsa is ready!

5. Serve chilled or at room temperature with salty tortilla chips or your favorite Mexican dishes.

Storage tips

• This colorful salsa is best freshly made or the next day
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days
• If made ahead, there may be some excess moisture on the bottom - just drain it before serving

What to serve it with

Unlike a blended salsa that has a runny texture, this chunky salsa is almost like a salad and it goes well with most Mexican meat and seafood dishes, especially grilled. Try it on chicken, fish or Shrimp Tacos, quesadillas, fajitas or burritos.

Another great option is to add it to any Mexican inspired bowls, such as chicken burrito bowl, taco salad or as a topping for my easy and quick Shrimp Fajita Bowl. It's also amazing on these Loaded Mini Pepper Nachos.

You can also enjoy mango salsa on its own as a dip with plain tortilla chips. My favorite way to eat it is with grainless cassava flour tortilla chips by Siete.

Substitutions and variations

• For a more classic pico de gallo vibe, add some diced up fresh tomatoes such as roma, plum or heirloom tomatoes. Quartered cherry tomatoes will also work
• If you don’t want it to be spicy, you can reduce the amount of jalapeño peppers or skip them all together.
• If you prefer saltier dishes, increase salt amount to ½ teaspoon.
• Red bell pepper works best because of its sweet flavor but you can also use orange or green bell pepper.
• If you don’t like cilantro, substitute with parsley or thinly sliced scallions.
• For extra-spicy salsa, add whatever spicy peppers you like: serrano peppers or habanero pepper are both great!
• Don’t worry if you don’t have the exact amounts of ingredients. This type of dish is pretty forgiving. You can use more mango, less red pepper, skip cilantro etc. Adjust to your preferences.

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