Mango Pico de Gallo Recipe
Mango pico de gallo is a sweet and spicy salsa made with diced mangoes, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, cilantro, and lime juice. It takes just 30 minutes and creates a flavor explosion perfect for topping tacos, grilled meats, or just scooping up with tortilla chips.
Whether you’re a salsa aficionado or just looking to mix things up in the kitchen, give this mango pico de gallo a try. I promise you’re going to fall in love!
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- Fresh, seasonal ingredients.
- All the taste sensations – sweet, spicy, salty, and sour or bitter.
- Simple to make in 30 minutes!
The inspiration
The inspiration for this recipe was our abundant cherry tomato harvest in 2021. This is the same harvest that led to this pink pasta sauce recipe and these dehydrated cherry tomatoes.
About pico de gallo
Pico de gallo (salsa fresca, or salsa mexicana according to Diana Kennedy’s The Art of Mexican Cooking) is a classic tomato and onion relish served throughout Mexico. There is no single, traditional recipe.
Ingredients
Most pico de gallo variations start with relatively equal amounts of tomatoes and onions. Most include lime, cilantro, and salt. Some add chili peppers for heat. This mango pico de gallo adds mango to the classic ingredients of cherry tomatoes, red onion, chili pepper, cilantro, lime, and salt.
Variations and substitutions
- Use peach or pineapple in place of the mango for a pineapple pico de gallo.
- Use a shallot or green onion in place of the red onion.
- Add corn, chopped cucumber, or bell pepper for additional color, flavor, and texture.
- Use a spicier chili pepper with a higher Scoville heat index.
Tips and tricks
If you can, try to cut the tomato and onions into pieces about the same size as the mango.
How to cut a mango
Like bagels, cutting a mango is one of the more common ways that people injure themselves with knives. If you’re interested in this sort of thing, you can read more about other surprising hazards in the kitchen.
There are several ways to cut a mango safely. But I find this way, shown in the panels below, to be the easiest.
Separate the two sides from the large flat pit of the mango (panels #1 and #2). Insert a paring knife just under the peel to cut all the way around the mango half (panels #3 and #4).
Use your finger to separate the peel from the flesh (panels #5-8). The peel should come off a ripe mango quite easily.
Chop the mango half into half inch cubes (Panel #9). Then repeat with the other side.
The pit will have a small amount of flesh attached to it. Use your paring knife to cut the peel off, and then it’s the chef’s treat!
Preparing the other ingredients
Chop the onion and tomatoes about the same size as the mango. Then finely chop the cilantro and chili pepper.
Tip from the wise quacker: remember don’t touch your eyes after cutting chili peppers, especially if you wear contact lenses! You can always wear clean kitchen gloves or use a plastic bag to hold the pepper as you cut it
What to serve with mango pico de gallo
Here are a few ideas for what to serve with this recipe:
- Tortilla chips are an obvious answer.
- Tacos made with a simple pan-roasted chicken breast or other meat with an easy guacamole and spicy pickled onions.
- It would be perfect with taco meatloaf.
- For a beverage, reach for this spicy margarita or spicy skinny margarita, if you want fewer calories. Or go for a variation of a modern bramble with this spicy raspberry bramble.
Recipe FAQs
It means “rooster beak” in Spanish, for unclear reasons.
Yes, if frozen mango is all you have, it will work in this recipe. Just chop it into small bite-sized pieces.
Pico de gallo is best when eaten the same day, although it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. It definitely does not freeze well.
Other side dish recipes
Check out some other fruit and vegetable forward side dishes like:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Recipe
Mango Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 1 large mango, chopped into half inch cubes
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes (about 30), cut into eighths
- ½ red onion, chopped
- ¼ jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped or more to taste
- ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- juice of one lime
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
Instructions
- Combine the mango, tomatoes, red onion. and chili pepper in a medium sized bowl.1 large mango, chopped into half inch cubes, ½ red onion, chopped, 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes (about 30), cut into eighths, ¼ jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
- Add the chopped cilantro, lime juice, and salt and stir gently to mix. Taste and adjust salt as necessary.¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped, juice of one lime, ½ teaspoon salt
- If possible, let the pico de gallo stand at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This mango pico de gallo recipe was first shared on September 22, 2021. It was last updated on April 3, 2023.
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