A bright and fresh mango salad, with a zesty lime vinaigrette. Enjoy on its own or as a Summer side dish.
I happened upon the most lovely large and perfectly ripe Alphonso mangoes recently! And while I know there are a lot of ways to enjoy mangoes, this Mango Salad is my favourite. I've been making this salad for years and it never disappoints.
For the salad, fresh sliced mango combines with red bell pepper and red onion strips and is tossed with fresh basil and cilantro. The dressing is bright and fresh with lots of lime juice and zest, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of heat, from red pepper flakes.
Mango Salad makes a great salad on its own, or enjoy it as a fresh and bright side for BBQ'd chicken, pork or fish.
Ingredient Note
Mangoes: Alphonso mangoes are my favourite mangoes. I love their sweetness, flavour and subtle floral notes. These are the yellow mangoes. If unavailable, just 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 it is too strong for the delicate mango flavour, in my opinion.
Cook's Notes
You can make both the mango salad and the dressing several hours ahead of time, just don't combine the two until just before serving.
Not sure how to cut a mango? Mangoes can be a little trick to cut. If you're not sure how to cut them into sliced, head on over to the Mango Board and check out this quick "How to Cut a Mango" page.
Recipe
Mango Salad
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, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Mango Salad Dressing:
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed (about 2 limes)
- 2 tsp white sugar
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, or other neutral tasting oil
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the Mango Salad in a large bowl. Toss to combine. *If making ahead, cover and refrigerate at this point, before adding the salad dressing.
- Prepare the Mango Salad Dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisking well to combine. Cover and refrigerate if making ahead or use immediately by drizzling over the salad and tossing to combine.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for general guidance only and should not be relied upon to make personal health decisions.
Recipe adapted from a Trish Magwood recipe
Heidi says
This mango salad is amazing. Wonderful texture, colours and full of flavour! It’s a huge hit with everyone I make it for! Delicious!! Thanks for sharing this recipe Jennifer.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoying it, Heidi :) Thanks so much!
Tess says
Hi there!
Would love to make this but I don't have red chili flakes, would red chili powder be a good substitute?
Appreciate your thoughts, thanks!
Jennifer says
Hi Tess, I think I might just omit the red pepper flakes. Chili powder is a mixture of other spices and might not produce the same flavour/heat profile. You'll still have a lovely mango salad without the red pepper flakes :)
Susan in So Florida says
I made this salad for a dinner party last nite & it was such a success. Everyone wanted the recipe. Great to find a mango salad recipe since we have so many mangoes in So Florida. I loved it so much I put the leftovers on cottage cheese for breakfast this morning. I will be making this salad all summer long or until the mango tree stops producing. Thx sooooo much.
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Susan :) Thanks so much!
Jo says
Yummy! I added spring mix greens to mine after eating some on its own to make it a full meal. I didn’t want to stop eating it! So delicious, and I didn’t have the herbs or red Chili flakes. Definitely making this again soon with the addition of mint.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Jo :) Thanks so much!
Carol says
I added ripe watermelon and mint in place of cilantro because my sister does not care for cilantro. So fresh and tasty!
Jennifer says
Sounds nice, Carol. Glad you enjoyed it :)
Karen says
Love this salad! One of my favorites.
Jennifer says
Glad to hear, Karen :) Thanks!
Chef Mimi says
Yum! Such a beautiful a healthy collection of flavors in this salad. And the colors! And textures! Love it.
Jennifer says
Thanks so much :)
Hanan says
Amazing salad, flavourful and easy to prepare. It was a hit at a recent dinner party. Will make again. A big thanks!
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Hanan :) Thanks!
Alyze says
F A B U L O U S!!! This is my wife’s favourite salad so I wanted to make sure I got it right. Out of all the recipes I scanned, this one popped out to be the closest to her own version. She loved it!! 🙏
Jennifer says
So glad to hear Alyze! Thanks so much :)
Roli says
This is one of the best Mango salads we have had. We are mango purists, but this variation on the king was too yummy. Thanks!
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much :)
Dia says
Now that I have to stay home, I'm definitely going to be making a lot of your recipes starting with this one 😋
Jennifer says
Enjoy! I love this salad :) Thanks.
[email protected] says
This is wonderful!! My daughter's favorite fruit is mango and she's coming home this weekend.... Can't wait to make it for her! Thanks for the idea!!
Jennifer says
Thanks Annie! She will love this salad, for sure :)
Tricia B says
What a terrific way to enjoy fresh, juicy mango! I've never tried it in a salad so this is a must make for me. Pinned!
Jennifer says
Thanks Tricia! This is one of my favourite ways to enjoy mangoes!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Such a lovely, vibrant salad, Jennifer! Love mangos so this is a different way to enjoy them! So summery too :) Happy Friday to ya!
Jennifer says
Thanks Dawn and to you, too!
Leanne says
I'm all about the fresh fruit in my salads this summer! I don't often buy mangos, but this is inspiring me to pick one up and give this salad a try. It would definitely go nicely with some grilled fish or pork!
Jennifer says
Thanks Leanne, when I find lovely, ripe mangoes, I snap them up. Such a treat!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
This salad is the epitome of summer!!! So colorful, fresh and FULL of flavor! I'm a mango freak, so I will absolutely be trying this salad soon!!
Jennifer says
Thanks Cheyanne and yes, it's Summer in a bowl :)
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
What a refreshing looking salad Jennifer! My son Sean and I are huge mango fans, so next time he's home we'll need to give your recipe a try. Happy weekend!
Jennifer says
Thanks Mary Ann! It's a nice treat and a great change from the usual :)