A bright and fresh mango salad with bell peppers, red onion and a delicious homemade zesty lime vinaigrette. Enjoy on its own or as a great Summer side dish.

Mango salad in a serving bowl with spoon for serving.

This delicious mango salad combines ripe mango slices with red bell pepper and red onion and is tossed with fresh basil and cilantro. The zesty mango salad dressing combines lime juice and zest with a pinch of sugar and a pinch of heat from red pepper flakes.

Ingredients and substitutions

A few notes about the key ingredients …

Mangoes – Alphonso mangoes are my favourite mangoes. I love their sweetness, flavour and subtle floral notes. These are the yellow mangoes. If unavailable, use the nicest, ripe mangoes you can find.

Basil – If you don’t have fresh basil to use here, just use more cilantro.

Cilantro – If you don’t like cilantro, substitute flat-leaf parsley. If you don’t have cilantro, more basil or a bit of mint is a nice substitute.

Red Pepper Flakes – The red pepper flakes in the mango salad dressing adds a nice spicy note. Reduce, increase or omit depending on your taste.

Vegetable Oil – Any neutral-tasting oil is fine here. I don’t recommend olive oil, as its flavour is too strong for the delicate mango flavour, in my opinion.

Recipe tips!

  • Not sure how to cut a mango? Mangoes can be a little trick to cut. If you’re not sure how to cut them, head on over to the Mango Board and check out this quick “How to Cut a Mango” page.
  • Be sure to use perfectly ripe mangoes, for the best salad. Sometimes mangoes are sold quite firm, so just leave them on the counter until they ripen and soften before use.
  • Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes in the dressing to your taste.
Mango salad in a serving bowl with spoon for serving.

Serving suggestions

You can enjoy this mango salad on its own or as a side dish. Mango salad is perfect for Summer meals! Mango salad is also great as a topping for fish tacos or spooned on top of BBQ chicken.

Making ahead and storing

You can make both the salad and the dressing several hours ahead of time, but don’t combine the two until just before serving.

Store leftover mango salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

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mango salad in white bowl with spoon

Get the Recipe: Mango Salad

Ripe, sweet mango combined with red bell pepper and red onion, tossed with fresh basil and cilantro and dressed with a a zesty lime vinaigrette.
5 stars from 34 ratings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Mango salad:

  • 3 mangoes, ripe, Alphonso recommended, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Mango Salad Dressing:

  • Zest of 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed (about 2-3 limes)
  • 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, adjust amount to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, or other neutral tasting oil
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Combine all the ingredients for the mango salad in a large bowl. Gently stir to combine. *If making ahead, cover and refrigerate now, before adding the salad dressing. The mango salad can be made several hours ahead and refrigerated.
  • Prepare the mango salad dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisking well to combine. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate the dressing separately for up to 3 days. To use immediately, drizzle over the salad and gently stir to combine.

Notes

Tips!
  • Not sure how to cut a mango? Mangoes can be a little trick to cut. If you’re not sure how to cut them head on over to the Mango Board and check out this quick “How to Cut a Mango” page.
  • Be sure to use perfectly ripe mangoes, for the best mango salad. Sometimes mangoes are sold quite firm, so just leave them on the counter until they ripen and soften before use.
  • Leftover mango salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more helpful tips, substitution suggestions and serving suggestions for this recipe.
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Salad
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 127kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 149mg, Potassium: 298mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 2435IU, Vitamin C: 88.6mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 0.4mg
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