This Spicy Mango Salsa is sweet, tangy, bright, fresh and absolutely delicious! Serve it as a salad by itself or a topping for meat, chicken, shrimp, and so much more!
Get ready for a salsa, salad, snack, or treat that you will want to always have on hand!! This Spicy Mango Salsa (which by the way can be as mild or as spicy as you want) is fantastic! It's bursting with flavor and texture... both sweet and savory, soft and crunchy. The mango is sweet and soft. The red peppers are sweet and crunchy. The jalapeño is spicy and crunchy. Then the cilantro and scallions bring oniony and bright herby flavor.
Mangos are in abundance here in Brazil! The warm climate here makes mangos grow exceptionally well, resulting in a Brazilian production of about 2.1 million tons of mangos. The good news through, is you can get them in just about every grocery store in the US too! Some other popular tropical fruits here that we find everywhere are Açaí, coconut, guava, and papaya. There are actually quite a few Brazilian tropical fruits that I had never even heard of until moving here and I'm slowly making my way though trying them all!
Simple Ingredients and Swaps
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- Fresh Mango - If you can get fresh whole ripe fresh mango, that is ideal. See the Tips section below for how to tell if the mango is ripe. If you can only get it pre-sliced, but still fresh, then that works too, but it may not last many days after you've made the salsa. I do not recommend frozen mango, as once it thaws, it will be quite mushy.
- Red Bell Pepper - red pepper is sweet, crisp, and juicy. It pairs wonderfully with the mango. If you don't have or don't like red pepper, you can use green pepper, yellow pepper, or orange pepper. Alternatively, you could use something else crunchy like celery, radishes, or even water chestnuts.
- Jalapeño pepper - Now this is where you need to go with your spice-heat tolerance. If you want mild, just add a quarter or half of the jalapeno pepper. If you like it hot, add the entire diced pepper. Even hotter? Add the seeds too. Even hotter? Try serano or even habanero peppers, just be careful when handling them. I usually wear gloves so that I don't accidentally touch my eyes.
- Scallion or green pepper - scallions give a lovely onion flavor without the harsh bite of a bulb onion. That said, you certainly could substitute with a finely diced red onion or yellow onion or even a shallot. The longer the onion hangs out in the acid from the lime, the mellower it will become. You can also soak it in cold water to take some of the bite out.
- Fresh cilantro leaves – In my personal opinion, there is no substitute for the vibrant flavor of fresh cilantro. However, if you do not have it or like it, you can use parsley for the color or simply leave it out.
- Lime - Fresh lime juice is best in this recipe. Lemon juice is second best. If you don't have it, you can also use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Salt to taste - I used coarse salt, but any salt will do.
Spicy Mango Salsa Recipe Tips
The first tip is how to tell if the Mango is ripe. The color should be orange-red, not green. When you pick it up, you should feel a little give in the skin. Too firm, it's not ripe, too mushy, it's over ripe. And finally, when you smell it, it should smell sweet and yummy.
The salsa can be made in advance. You will want to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 5 days. The acidity from the lime will start to break down the mango and other ingredients, so after 2-3 days it may start to get a bit mushy.
How to Make Spicy Mango Salsa
Dice the mango by first carefully slicing off the sides (or the cheeks) of the mango right along the seed in the center.
Then rather than cutting off the skin, you can take a knife and gently run it along the flesh of the mango, going up against the skin, but not through, scoring the mango into tiny slices.
Then flip and pop the diced pieces right out using the knife to help scrape them off the skin if needed. Add the diced mango to a medium-large mixing bowl.
Dice the red pepper and add to the mango in the bowl. Slice the scallions and add.
Finely dice the jalapeño; add half (or more!) to the bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon of the cilantro and juice of a lime.
Mix. Add salt to taste.
What to Serve with Mango Salsa
This Spicy Mango Salsa goes so well so many things! First, you can eat it by itself with some tortilla chips. You can eat it on some greens as a beautiful salad. It goes great alongside Brazilian Potato Salad with Carrots and Olives.
Try making fish tacos or shrimp tacos with this as a topping! Simply grill shrimp, add Black Bean Puree {Tutu de Feijão} to a tortilla, then the shrimp, then this mango salsa!
Or lighten up a heavy Feijoada: Rice and Beans Brazilian Style with Meat with this as a side salad.
It's also a delicious salsa to eat with any grilled, roasted, or seared beef, pork, or chicken. Try it with Brazilian Picanha Recipe {Best Steak!} or Crusted Parmesan Pork Tenderloin.
Spicy Mango Salsa Recipe FAQs
Yes, if you don't want a spicy salsa, simply eliminate the jalapeño or replace it with green pepper or poblano pepper. You will still get that peppery flavor, but without the heat.
Once you make this recipe, you will want to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 5 days. The acidity from the lime will start to break down the mango and other ingredients, so after 2-3 days it may start to get a bit mushy.
If you are at the store looking at a fresh whole Mango, here is how to tell if it is ripe. The color should be orange-red, not green. When you pick it up, you should feel a little give in the skin. Too firm, it's not ripe, too mushy, it's over ripe. And finally, when you smell it, it should smell sweet and yummy.
Yes, with the ingredients listed, this is a gluten free recipe. Always make sure to check all labels for ingredients to ensure they are gluten free if that is what you require.
Spicy Mango Salsa ~ or Mild Mango Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 Mango, diced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
- ½ -1 Jalapeño
- 1 Scallion
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Cilantro chopped
- 1 Lime, juiced
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Dice the mango by first carefully slicing off the sides (or the cheeks) of the mango right along the seed in the center. Then rather than cutting off the skin, you can take a knife and gently run it along the flesh of the mango, going up against the skin, but not through, scoring the mango into tiny slices. Then flip pop the diced pieces right out using the knife to help scrape them off the skin if needed. Add the diced mango to a medium-large mixing bowl.
- Dice the red pepper and add to the mango in the bowl. Slice the scallions and add.
- Finely dice the jalapeño; add half (or more!) to the bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the cilantro and juice of a lime. Mix. Add salt to taste.
Notes
-
Can I replace the jalapeño in this recipe?
Yes, if you want to make a non-Spicy Mango Salsa, simply eliminate the jalapeño or replace it with green pepper or poblano pepper. You will still get that peppery flavor, but without the heat. -
How long will this Spicy Mango Salsa last?
Once you make this recipe, you will want to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 5 days. The acidity from the lime will start to break down the mango and other ingredients, so after 2-3 days it may start to get a bit mushy. -
How can I tell if a mango is ripe?
If you are at the store looking at a fresh whole Mango, here is how to tell if it is ripe. The color should be orange-red, not green. When you pick it up, you should feel a little give in the skin. Too firm, it's not ripe, too mushy, it's over ripe. And finally, when you smell it, it should smell sweet and yummy.
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