Sweet and Spicy Mango Pineapple Salsa for Fish Tacos
Summer in a bowl! This fresh mango salsa will have you thinking you are on a tropical island somewhere. This easy sweet and spicy mango pineapple salsa makes the best fish tacos, dip, or side dish! It’s the perfect compliment to your next summer BBQ, taco night, or potluck. No matter when you make it, this sweet and spicy salsa has just enough heat and juicy fruity flavor to keep you coming back for more! So take your taco Tuesday to the next level with mango pineapple salsa. Just add flour tortillas and your favorite fish or protein. Full recipe card below.
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What is Mango Pineapple Salsa
Mango salsa is a play on a traditional salsa but using fresh tropical fruits instead of tomatoes. The mango and pineapple are cut into large chunks and tossed with jalapeno peppers, red onion, and cilantro rather than blended like an ordinary salsa. This makes a refreshing dip, side dish, or topper for tacos, fish, chicken, or pork. It’s the perfect versatile dish for warmer weather or when you are craving fresh ingredients.
Ingredients
This easy salsa recipe only uses six simple ingredients but makes delicious fish tacos! I will break down what I used and why and what ingredients will give you the best results.
Mango – Mangoes are a tropical fruit that kind of taste like a cross between a pineapple, an orange, and a peach. They have a soft interior like a peach but a sweeter flavor like a pineapple with a little acidity like an orange. Mangoes come in two main varieties, red mangoes and yellow mangoes. Red mangoes are larger and have a red and green exterior. Yellow mangoes are smaller with a yellow exterior. While either one will work here, I recommend using yellow mangoes because they are sweeter.
Mangoes are also sold frozen and canned. While I love frozen mango for smoothies, frozen will likely be too soggy to make this salsa. I also do not recommend canned mangoes because I personally think they taste like canned peaches and not mangoes. In my opinion, fresh ripe mangos are the best choice to achieve the correct taste and consistency.
Pineapple – The second main ingredient in this refreshing salsa is fresh pineapple. Nothing beats a freshly cut pineapple. They are sweet and juicy and pair really well with mangoes and tacos. Like mangoes, pineapple is also sold frozen and canned. I feel like pineapple is not quite as offensive as mango in these shortcut uses, but I definitely encourage you to use fresh if you can to maintain the juiciness of the salsa.
Red Onion – I chose to use a red onion here since it is used raw and doesn’t get cooked. Red onions are the best onion to use in raw applications and have a slightly spicy flavor to them. You could also use a white or yellow onion but they will have a slightly different taste.
Jalapenos – Jalapenos add the spice in this salsa. The heat in jalapenos tends to vary so I always taste mine before I decide how many to use and whether or not to remove the seeds. For a mild spice remove the seeds from the jalapenos before adding them to the salsa. For a very spicy salsa leave the seeds in. I removed the seeds from mine but they were fairly spicy. If you do not like any spice, use a green bell pepper instead or omit entirely.
Cilantro – I chopped fresh cilantro to add more flavor to the salsa and I recommend you do the same. Real cilantro brings a fresh element to the dish that you will not have without it. In my opinion dried cilantro tastes nothing like real cilantro and should be avoided.
Salt – Like most dishes a little bit of salt goes a long way! Both kosher salt and regular salt work just fine.
Other Additions – I have seen many recipes for mango salsa that add a lot of extra ingredients like red bell pepper, lime juice, chili powder, hot sauce, garlic powder, and even sour cream. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should. In this recipe, less is more. Fresh mangoes and pineapple have a ton of natural juices that will marinade the other ingredients and amplify the bold flavors. Don’t ruin the freshness with too many extra ingredients.
How to Cut a Mango
One of the reasons people don’t like using fresh mangoes is because cutting them can be intimidating but I have you covered. There are really three ways to cut a mango. The first way is to stand the mango up on end and cut along the pit on both sides. Then take each half and score it horizontally and vertically without cutting through the exterior flesh. Then flip it open and use a knife to cut off all the chunks. This is the safest method in my opinion.
Option two, is the same as the first one, only don’t score the mango. Instead cut each half in half and then use your knife to get under the flesh and cut the mango away from the skin. This method is effective but you need to be pretty comfortable using your knife so you don’t cut yourself. It is also rather messy since mangoes are really juicy.
Option three is my preferred method to use all the mango. Using a potato peeler, peel the skin off the mango.
Then stand it up on end as in the other methods and slice each side away from the pit. Be VERY careful when doing this as the mango is now very slippery without skin. It is helpful to use a mandolin glove to keep the mango from slipping. Then you are left with two sides you can simply cut into cubes.
How to Cut a Whole Pineapple
The easiest way to cut a pineapple is to start at the top. Lay the pineapple down on its side and cut off the crown using a chefs knife. Then stand the pineapple upright and slice off each of the four faces being careful to only cut off the prickly parts and not the meat of the pineapple. Then go around the pineapple again and cut off the four corners that are left. You should be left with a naked looking pineapple.
Then, lay the pineapple down on its side again and cut off the bottom. With it still laying down, slice it in half. Lay one half flat along the cut center and cut strips about 1-2 inches wide. There will be one to two pieces in the middle that contain part of the core. Stand those strips up and cut that part off before you slice it into cubes. Repeat on the other half of the pineapple.
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Print
Sweet and Spicy Mango Pineapple Salsa for Fish Tacos
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Looking for a fresh mango salsa for your favorite fish, chicken, or pork taco? Look no further. This easy sweet and spicy mango pineapple salsa makes the best fish tacos, dip, or side dish! It’s the perfect compliment to your next summer BBQ, taco night, or potluck. No matter when you make it, this sweet and spicy salsa has just enough heat and juicy fruity flavor to keep you coming back for more! Next time you make tacos, take them to the next level with fresh mango salsa.
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Pineapple cubed
- 3 Yellow Mangoes cubed
- 1/2 Red Onion diced
- 2–3 Jalapenos diced with seeds removed
- 1 1/2 tbsp Cilantro chopped
- 1/8 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Cut pineapple into 1-2 inch cubes and add to a medium bowl. See details above on cutting a whole pineapple.
- Cut mangoes into cubes and add to the bowl with the pineapple. See details above on cutting a mango.
- Dice the red onion, jalapenos, and cilantro and add to bowl. To speed up chopping I use this slicer.
- Add the salt to the bowl and stir all the ingredients until combined.
- Serve with tortilla chips, on top of tacos, on a burger or sandwich, or as a side dish.
Notes
The flavor in this salsa develops the longer it sits. For best results allow at least 30 minutes in the fridge before serving.
- Prep Time: 20
- Category: Dip
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Storage
Leftover mango pineapple salsa should be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container. As it sits it will become more runny and soggy. After day four it starts to look a bit questionable.
When to Make Mango Pineapple Salsa
This easy mango salsa recipe is a great treat in the summer months as a side dish or as a topping on any taco night. It’s the perfect pairing for fish taco recipes using flaky white fish, like tilapia or sea bass. You can also add this sweet and spicy mango salsa to salmon tacos, mahi mahi fish tacos, or blackened fish tacos. I have even added it to chicken tacos, tuna burgers, pork tacos and simply ate it with tortilla chips as a dip. I am telling you it is that good and so versatile! No matter when you decide to make it, I am confident you will love it. Happy taco Tuesday!
Looking for easy fish tacos to add this salsa to? Try my baked tilapia fish tacos or air fryer salmon fish tacos. Looking for more summer recipes? Try my blueberry lemon Moscow mule, BBQ deviled eggs, strawberry poppyseed salad, lemon ricotta pizza, or Italian pepperoni pesto pasta salad.
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