Mango season is here! I’m celebrating with a guide to preparing mango, whether you want it sliced or diced. Mango is one of the most popular fruits in the world, but I didn’t grow up eating it and had to learn how to prepare it. I’ve tried all the different methods, and I’m sharing the best way to cut mango today.
Mango tastes sort of like a juicy tropical peach, with notes of honey. Even when it’s ripe, it typically has a light sourness to it, which keeps me going back for more. I love using mango for a burst of sweetness in salads, salsa, and savory entrées—not to mention snacking on them.
Mangoes are at their peak in the summer, typically available from May through September. I’ve been excited to find Ataulfo mangoes (also known as honey or Champagne) on sale at Whole Foods lately. That’s the variety you see here, and they’re particularly buttery and delicious. My preparation methods will work well on any variety and size of mango!
Mango Preparation Tips
How to Tell if a Mango is Ripe
Look for mangos that yield slightly to a gentle squeeze, like a ripe avocado or peach would. It should have a vibrant color, which varies depending on the variety, and smell sweet on the stem end.
Underripe mangoes will be very hard. Avoid overripe mangoes with wrinkled skin or brown spots—they tend to be extra sweet, but with a more stringy and mushy texture inside.
Watch How to Prepare Mango
You’ll find written instructions in the recipe at the bottom of the post. For visuals, check out this brief video:
Note on Mango Skin
If you’re wondering, “Can I just eat mango skin?” the answer is technically yes, but you might not want to. Mango skin contains fiber and nutrients, though I’ve heard it’s not very tasty.
Mango skin can be irritating to human skin because it contains urushiol, which is the same compound found in poison ivy that can cause contact dermatitis. As someone with sensitive skin, I’m careful not to eat mango right off the skin.
How to Serve Fresh Mango
Ripe mango is a delicious snack on its own. I love it with a sprinkle of chili-lime seasoning like Tajín, which offers some salty spiciness to balance the sweetness.
You can freeze diced mango for smoothies, or simply to preserve a surplus. To prevent the pieces from sticking together, place the mango on a parchment paper-lined pan, freeze until solid, then transfer it to a freezer bag.
Mango goes particularly well with ingredients like black beans, berries, chili peppers, cilantro, coconut, ginger, lime, mint, red onion, peanuts, pineapple and yogurt. Many of those ingredients are incorporated in the recipes below.
Recipes with Fresh Mango
Here are a few recipes featuring mango on Cookie and Kate. You’ll see that I love to combine sweet mango with savory and spicy flavors for balance:
Please let me know how this method works for you in the comments. I love hearing from you.
How to Cut a Mango
Learn how to slice or dice a mango! It’s easy once you know this method. Prepare as many mangos as you need, and see the recipe notes for freezing instructions.
- With one hand, hold the mango upright with the stem on top. Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice off one wide side of the mango, about ½-inch from the center (if you hit something hard or hear a scratching sound, you’re too close to the pit and need to slice further from the center). Then, slice off the other side in the same fashion.
- Working with one piece at a time, gently use your knife to slice through the flesh (don’t press so hard that you cut the skin). To make sliced mango, slice long, narrow vertical cuts. To make diced mango, make wider vertical cuts followed by horizontal cuts to make a grid pattern. You can likely slice more flesh off each side of the pit and score it as well.
- Use a large spoon to scoop the flesh from the skin, then use your slices or cubes as desired. If your mango was large, you might be able to slice a bit more flesh from around the pit, though the pieces won’t be uniform like the rest—they’re good for snacking!
Notes
To freeze leftover mango: Place the mango on a parchment paper-lined pan that will fit into your freezer. Freeze until the mango is solid, then transfer it to a freezer bag.
