Let’s get two things straight right off the bat:
- There are a lot of fairly delicious store-bought salsas available these days.
- I value your time.
So in order for me to ask you to make salsa from scratch, that salsa would have to be rock-your-world good and a downright cinch to throw together.
Friends, meet my Easy Mango Avocado Salsa.
Table of contents:
1. Effortlessly Divine Mango Salsa
2. Ingredient notes
3. How to serve this salsa
4. Tips for making this recipe
5. Recipe card with notes
Effortlessly Divine Mango Salsa
This mango salsa takes just 20 minutes to make and the only work involved is dicing the ingredients, which makes the stunning, balanced, flavor-packed final product even more impressive.
It’s as low-maintenance and high-impact as they come, like the person you know who rolls out of bed, splashes water on their face, and arrives at the group hang radiant, relaxed, and with a fun party game for everyone to play.
The power of this salsa is in its simplicity–it’s a gorgeous combination of vibrant ingredients whose flavors and textures combine to make a salsa that is far greater than the sum of its parts. Every bite is sweet, spicy, tangy and fresh, and the textural blend of crunch and creaminess is hard to top.
Listen, we can’t all be The Effortlessly Fun Friend. But with this recipe, you can be known by a title that is, in my opinion, even better: The Maker Of Effortlessly Divine Mango Salsa.
Ingredient notes
Mangos
Make no mistake–mangos are the star of the show, here. We want–no, need–ripe, juicy, standing-ovation-caliber mangos so this salsa can shine–no, bring the house down.
Showstopping mangos: varieties
If you can find Ataulfo mangos (aka honey or champagne mangos), those are increasingly widely available and work wonderfully here (they’re in season February – August).
And if you have access to Indian mango varieties, those are even tastier! If all you can get your hands on are Tommy Atkins mangos (the large, widely-available ones with green-red skin), no worries–just pick ripe ones (see below)!
Check out this guide for more on mango varieties and seasonality.
Showstopping mangos: ripeness
Color is not a reliable indicator of mango ripeness, so gently squeeze the mango–if it gives a bit, it’s ripe and soft (similar to the process of testing an avcoado’s ripeness)!
If your mangos aren’t ripe, you must store them at room temperature. You can expedite the process by placing them in a brown paper bag or wrapping them in newspaper and leaving them on the counter.
On the other hand, if your mangos are ripe but you’re not ready to make the salsa yet, pop them in the fridge to significantly slow down the ripening process.
Avocado
Creamy, buttery, luxurious–you’d be hard-pressed to find me objecting to avocado in any context. But there’s something particularly harmonious about the combination of mango and avocado. They’re a lusciously tropical pairing. Take care to only add the avocado to the salsa just before serving to prevent browning!
Cherry tomatoes
Using cherry tomatoes means this is a delicious-year-round recipe, rather than one you can only make during peak tomato season. Another bonus? Smaller tomatoes don’t have any of the watery flesh, making them perfect for adding sweetness without watering down the salsa.
Substitute: It’s tomato season, and you have gorgeous ripe tomatoes to use up, feel free to use those. Just dice or finely chop.
Oranges
Orange juice is less common in salsa than lime juice, but it’s key in this recipe. It works in harmony with the sweetness of the mango to balance the salsa’s heat and acidity.
Step-by-step instructions
Dice the mango, cucumbers, jalapeños, and red onion. Quarter the cherry tomatoes. Finely chop the cilantro.
Add the above ingredients to a bowl.
Add orange juice, lime juice, salt, and pepper; mix well.
Gently fold in the avocado and mix again, seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
How to serve mango avocado salsa
With tortilla chips
Obviously. And if I were to declare one chip the soulmate of this mango salsa (…why not?), it would be lime & sea salt tortilla chips, if you can find them! Otherwise, any lightly salted tortilla chip is a win in my book.
Taco topper
Yes, another obvious application of this magnificent salsa. If you’re looking for specific taco recipes that pair beautifully with this mango avocado salsa, try my ultimate vegan tacos or my meaty lentil tacos.
Salad base
This salsa is just a few ingredients away from becoming a satisfying, main-dish salad–add some black beans or chickpeas, corn, and quinoa, and voila! Wholesome summer cookout salad!
Lettuce wraps
If you gravitate towards lighter meals in the summer, try making lettuce cups with your favorite protein and top them with this salsa!
Any Mexican-inspired dish
Enjoying some beans and rice? Jazz it up with this salsa! Got a favorite ceviche recipe? Serve it with this salsa! Making my better-than-Chipotle burrito bowls? Say it with me: Add. This. Salsa.
Tips for making this recipe
Bite-sized pieces
Real talk: the only real work involved in this recipe is chopping, so be intentional about it and dice everything into bite-sized pieces. It makes the salsa a joy to eat!
Tailor to your spice preference
When it comes to heat, choose your own adventure:
- “Go easy on me, please.” → Use 1 or 2 jalapeños and remove the seeds and membranes before chopping.
- “I can take the heat.” → Use 2 to 3 jalapeño peppers and keep those membranes and seeds in
- “Bring it on!” → Use 1 or 2 serrano peppers ( spicier than jalapeños)
- “I worship at the altar of spice.” → Use a habanero pepper. We love a spice fiend.
Wait to add the avocado
The avocado gets special treatment here and is added absolutely last, after all the other ingredients are well-combined and you’ve seasoned to taste with salt and pepper. Be gentle and toss lightly to incorporate it–don’t mash it up or you’ll end up with mango guacamole (probably tasty, but not what we’re going for).
Making this salsa ahead of time?
Good for you, planning ahead!
But wait to (1) dress it with the orange juice, lime juice, and salt/pepper; (2) add the avocado right before serving to prevent browning. By the same logic, if you plan to keep leftovers, add avocado only to the amount of salsa you plan to eat that day; store the rest of the salsa in the fridge without the avocado.
Did this mango avocado salsa rock your world? Be sure to leave a rating and review–I’d love to hear from you (and it helps me better understand which recipes y’all love).
Big Vegan Flavor
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Easy Mango Avocado Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 cups peeled and diced ripe mango (~ 11 oz / 320g diced mango, see Note 1)
- ½ cup (70g) diced red onion
- ½ cup (70g) diced Persian or English cucumber
- 6 oz (170g) cherry tomatoes, quartered (see Note 2)
- 2 to 3 jalapeños, finely chopped (see Note 3)
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) freshly squeezed orange juice
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 ½ limes)
- ½ cup (8g) fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 large ripe avocado, diced
Instructions
- In a medium to large bowl, combine the diced mango, red onion, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, jalapeños, orange juice, lime juice, and cilantro. Mix to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- If possible, allow the salsa to rest at room temperature (or in the fridge) for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to deepen.
- Before serving, add the diced avocado and gently mix to combine, taking care to not smash the avocado. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
Notes
- This is about 3 medium ataulfo/honey mangos.
- If using larger tomatoes, dice or finely chop them about the same size as the cucumbers.
- For mild heat, use 1 and remove membranes/seeds before chopping. For spicy, use 2 to 3 and keep in the membranes/seeds.
soooo fresh & good!