Add colour and natural sweetness with these easy recipes and tips on how to eat mangoes, including a delicious mango salsa. You can add mango to so many dishes and look like a star in the kitchen with no effort at all. Everyone will love the flavour burst of mango salsa, mango in a salad or drink or a delicious mango trifle. Here are five ways to eat mango that will become your favourite kitchen hacks.
How to Eat Mango Easily at Home
A truly good mango is a gift from the fruit gods. The flesh should be golden, fragrant and perfectly balanced between firm and yielding, never fibrous, never chewy, and absolutely no stringy surprises allowed. If a mango doesn’t drip down your wrist and demand a shower afterwards, I’m not convinced it’s trying hard enough.
Here in Queensland, mangoes are not always politely purchased. They grow in backyards and announce themselves loudly. Bang. Roll, roll, roll. Pause. Splat. That’s the unmistakable sound of a ripe mango launching itself from a tree, landing on the tin roof of a Queenslander, skidding into the gutter and sacrificing itself on the concrete path below. This often happens at 2 am, accompanied by a possum that sounds suspiciously like it’s wearing steel-cap boots and doing parkour overhead.
My relationship with mangoes is complicated. I adore eating them, admire their glossy green leaves and appreciate the deep, generous shade they throw in summer. What I don’t love is the midnight fruit bombardment or the sticky mess that follows. And then there was the year both mango trees fruited so enthusiastically that we surrendered and dumped the excess into the wheelie bin. Fun fact: a wheelie bin full of mangoes is far too heavy for a garbage truck. Cue an unexpected family outing to the tip.
For more than 30 years, mango trees have been part of my daily landscape. Some have produced glorious, juicy fruit worthy of reverence. Others, planted back in Brisbane’s early days, fall into the local category of ‘turpentine mangoes’. If you know, you know. If you don’t, trust me, you’re not missing out.
After all that, it’s no surprise I have strong opinions about the best ways to eat mango. These are my five favourites, including an outrageously easy mango salsa that proves mango doesn’t need much effort to steal the show.
Quick and Healthy Ways to Enjoy Mango – Diced mango
You can add diced mango to a salad, top your breakfast cereal, or serve it with ice cream for dessert. This is the no-frills version for a slightly chilled straight-from-the-fridge mango. Cut off each mango cheek and score in a grid, just like the image above. Push the back of the skin, and, hey presto, the mango pops. The cubes of mango flesh are easy to eat or pop into a fruit salad. I like to keep a cubed mango in the fridge for breakfast.
The other way is to slice off each cheek of the mango, then peel the skin off so you have a clean piece of fruit. I use this method when I am using mango in a salad, and I want it to blend in with the other ingredients. Don’t forget to suck the flesh off the seed, best done standing over the sink.
This mango salsa recipe is so easy to make it will become a regular on your home menu.
Mango Salsa
This simple salsa is a delicious and easy flavour boost to many meals. It goes particularly well with grilled meat, chicken or fish. You can also add it to rice paper rolls or spread it on a sandwich as a condiment. Make it ahead and store in the fridge. It will keep for a couple of days.
Ingredients
- 1 mango
- 3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- Chopped mint and or coriander to taste
- Optional – if you like chilli you can also add freshly chopped chilli to the recipe to taste.
Method
Peel and chop a mango finely. Add the sweet chilli sauce and fish sauce. Add some chopped mint and coriander if you have it.
Crispy Battered Fish tacos with Sweet Chilli Mango & Avocado Salsa
Crispy, golden battered fish tucked into warm tortillas and topped with a sweet chilli mango and avocado salsa is my idea of a perfect taco night. The light, crunchy batter meets juicy mango, creamy avocado and just enough heat to keep things interesting. Quick to make, big on tropical vibes and ready in under 30 minutes, these fish tacos are made for easy weeknight dinners, relaxed entertaining and anyone who believes tacos should always come with a little sunshine.
Mango Trifle with Coconut Tapioca and Fresh Mango
This mango trifle is a dreamy, tropical dessert that layers coconut tapioca, soft sponge cake and plenty of fresh mango into one light, spoon-happy dish. It’s refreshing rather than heavy, easy to assemble and perfect for showcasing mangoes when they’re at their peak. Swap in a gluten-free sponge and it becomes a crowd-pleasing dessert everyone can enjoy, no compromise required.
Mango trifle is great for breakfast
Mango Breakfast Trifles
These are surprisingly filling, so don’t overdo it. Grab a wine glass or other attractively shaped glass and chop a mango per person or between two people. Layer the mango, toasted muesli, and mango yoghurt (either buy mango yoghurt or mix mango into plain yoghurt). Add a layer of chopped mint and macadamia nuts if you have them. This is so delicious you may never want to go out for breakfast again.
Prawn and Mango Vietnamese Salad. IMAGE Harris Farms
Easy Prawn and Mango Vietnamese Salad
Mango is such a great addition to a salad, particularly where there are prawns and the salty flavour of fish sauce. Put this on your list for hot summer days when you need a light and refreshing meal.
Mangoes are one of Australia’s favourite fruits
Aussies indulge in an estimated 200 million mangoes every year. The Australian mango season starts in early September and peaks from the end of October. While the first mangoes come from the Northern Territory, Queensland produces most of the crop.
The popular Kensington Pride variety (commonly known as the Bowen) starts the season and stays available until early the following year. In October, the Calypso® and R2E2 varieties appear on shelves and are followed shortly after by Honey Gold mangoes in November. The four main varieties are available until the end of January, when the Keitt, Palmer and Kent varieties appear in shops through to the end of the season.
Keep cooking and surprise them with this delicious strawberry roulade.