Mango Pico de Gallo
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This homemade Mango Pico de Gallo is bursting with fresh, sweet, bright flavors! It’s the perfect salsa fresca to serve with chips, salmon, chicken, and more. Mix up a batch today in just a few minutes for a quick and healthy snack!
2025 Update: This recipe is still a family favorite and has been updated to simplify the cooking instructions and add extra cooking tips for our readers. We hope you love it as much as we do!
What is Mango Pico de Gallo?
Classic pico de Gallo is a delicious Mexican condiment – a blend of fresh tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro with a splash of citrus juice. When you add some sweet mango into the mix, it becomes addictively good. Like mango guacamole and pineapple salsa, mango pico de Gallo combines sweet and spicy flavors for the win.
While it’s perfect on top of tacos, it’s also so tasty on the side of south-of-the-border mains like Mexican pork chops and Mexican tuna salad. It’s the best use for fresh mangoes during the peak season!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Also known as salsa fresca or fresh mango salsa, this recipe is full of bright, flavorful ingredients. It’s sure to be your new favorite condiment for many different reasons:
- Very easy to make. Simply chop the fresh ingredients, mix them together, season to taste, and you’re done! If you have a food processor to help with the chopping, you’re talking 5 minutes, tops!
- Full of wholesome fruits and vegetables. Homemade mango pico de Gallo is naturally sweetened, so it’s suitable for vegan, Whole30, and gluten-free lifestyles. Mangoes are also a good source of important vitamins and minerals like Vitamins C, A, and B6, plus copper and folate.
- The sweet and spicy flavors pair well with almost any protein.
Ingredients
These fresh ingredients are all that you need to make this colorful salsa. So before you run to the grocery store, make sure to note any of the simple ingredients that you need to pick up:
- mangoes: Choose fruits that are slightly soft, with a little give when you squeeze them. Avoid any that are mushy (overripe) or as hard as an apple (underripe). Mangoes should also be fragrant and have yellow, orange, or red areas on their skin.
- tomatoes: Pico de Gallo shouldn’t have much (if any) liquid, so choose tomatoes that have as few seeds as possible. Plum tomatoes are a great choice.
- lime juice: A little citrus juice adds a boost of tangy flavor.
- cilantro
- sea salt: Avoid using iodized table salt; the iodine in it adds a metallic flavor, especially to fruits.
- red onion: The red onions add crunch and a punch of Tex Mex flavor.
- jalapeño: It isn’t true mango pico de Gallo without a punch of spicy flavor.
Substitutes and Variations
You can omit the jalapeño if you don’t want the salsa to be spicy, or use a milder chile, like Anaheim. When I make this recipe for kids, I leave it out!
Substitute grape tomatoes, or any other tomato you have on hand. I look for tomatoes that aren’t too juicy since it can make the salsa kind of watery.
This is optional, but you can add 1-2 diced avocados if you want it to have a creamy element.
Feel free to use yellow onion or white onion in place of red onion. It won’t have as strong of a flavor as red onion, but will still be tasty!
Fresh garlic would be a delicious addition
How to Make Mango Pico de Gallo
Pico de Gallo is always a crowd pleaser! You’re going to love this recipe for parties. Here’s how to make it:
Scroll to the recipe card for the full step by step instructions! ⬇️
Prep the vegetables: Dice the mango, onion, and tomato and then remove the seeds from the jalapeño and dice it up. Mince the cilantro.
Mix together until thoroughly combined.
Note: It’s important to make this recipe to taste! Take a bite of the salsa, then add more salt, lime juice, jalapeño, or cilantro, if needed, depending on how YOU like it.
Chill in the fridge: Once you have it tasting exactly the way you like it, cover the bowl and set it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it. This allows the flavors to develop.
Storing
For best results, transfer the mango salsa fresca to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. Or, you can just tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Use the pico within 3-4 days.
Note: Make pico de Gallo a day in advance to ensure there’s time for the flavors to meld together.
The acid in the lime juice will mellow out the onion flavor over time as well. Store the pico covered in the refrigerator, then give it a toss before serving.
Ways to Serve Mango Pico de Gallo
This juicy and flavorful salsa pairs well with so many different dishes. It’s perfect for shrimp tacos, chicken tinga tacos, and fish tacos, and would be incredible with chipotle barbacoa too. Add it on top of salsa chicken or loaded shredded pork fries.
Fresh salads like this spicy chicken fajita salad have so much flavor added with this yummy pico de gallo!
Swap the peach pico in this salmon recipe for mango pico! You can even serve it on top of simple ground beef tacos too!
Tips for Success
The most important thing to remember about this recipe is to season it to taste. Everyone’s preferences will be different! But here’s a few other tips to make sure this pico de Gallo is a success:
- For best flavor, use freshly squeezed lime juice instead of bottled lime juice.
- The bigger the dice, the chunkier the pico! Personally, I like to finely dice the mango so I can get a tortilla chip full. The smaller pieces tend to be much easier to scoop.
- Learn how to to properly cut a mango. For safety reasons, don’t hold the mango halves in your palm while cutting. It would be very easy to accidentally cut your hand. Instead, place it on a cutting board.
Mango Pico de Gallo FAQ
Pico de Gallo and salsa can usually be used interchangeably as a condiment in most recipes. However, they are also somewhat different. The main ingredients in pico de Gallo are usually fresh and uncooked, while the main ingredients in salsa are usually roasted, charred, or otherwise cooked in some way.
Frozen mangoes are a great option when making pico de Gallo. Simply allow them to defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then drain any excess liquid.
Other Delicious Homemade Condiments
I’d love to hear about your experience making this recipe! Please leave a comment and rating below!
Fresh Mango Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 4 mangos
- 2 medium roma tomatoes
- 1/2 small red onion about 1/4 cup
- 1/4 cup cilantro minced
- 2 juiced limes about 3 tablespoons
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1-2 jalapeño optional
Video
Instructions
- Dice the mango, onion, and tomato. De-seed and dice the jalapeño. Mince the cilantro. Juice the limes.
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together until thoroughly combined.
- Season to taste and add more salt, lime juice, jalapeño, or cilantro, if needed, depending on how you like it.
- Cover the bowl and set it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it. Use within 3-4 days, per USDA.
Notes
- Ripe mangos are slightly soft, with a little give when you squeeze them. Avoid mangos that are mushy (overripe) or as hard as an apple (underripe).
- Omit the jalapeño if you don’t want the salsa to be spicy.
- You can substitute cherry tomatoes or any other tomato you have on hand.
- To avoid cutting your hand accidentally, don’t hold the mango halves in your palm while cutting. Instead, place it on a cutting board.
- Dice the vegetables as small or large as you prefer. The bigger the dice, the chunkier the salsa.
- Make the salsa a day in advance to allow the flavors to meld together.
