How to Cut a Mango

So what is a mango anyway? A mango is a tropical stone fruit with several varieties, but the Tommy Atkins mango is probably the most common type you’ll find in your local supermarket; it comprises about 80 percent of the market where mangos have to be imported. This type of mango has an oval shape with mostly dark red skin, often with some shades of green and yellow. It has a large white seed, which is primarily why it can be difficult to know how to cut a mango—perhaps that’s why you’re here!

Cutting a mango can seem daunting at first. But we’re here to help you conquer your confusion. The first step is to go to the store, or farmers’ market, and pick one out. But how do you know if a mango is ripe? Squeeze the mango gently; a ripe mango will give slightly, similar to a ripe pear or avocado. You can also smell the mango and choose it if it smells sweet as long as the skin appears healthy with no bruises. The mango may be overripe if the skin appears wrinkly or it has a sour, slightly alcoholic smell.

If you can’t find any ripe mangoes, they will ripen on your countertop within a few days or a week. To speed up the ripening process, you can place unripe mangoes inside a paper bag on your countertop.

First things first, the skin is not edible—so don’t bite into a mango like it’s an apple. Some people start by peeling the skin off using a vegetable peeler, but if your mango is extra juicy it can become slippery to handle and a little dangerous because you’ll be wielding a knife. For your first time, let’s be safe. Here’s how to do it.

Stand the mango, stem end down, and hold. Look for two wide sides or “cheeks.” Starting at top, place knife about 1/4 inch from widest center line, and cut down through mango, cutting around flat seed in center of fruit. Repeat with opposite remaining wide side.

Cut flesh of wide sides by slicing them in cross-hatch pattern, making sure not to cut through skin.

To remove mango pieces, push skin inside-out so cut mango pieces fan out, and cut pieces from skin. Cut two remaining narrow sides from pit by cutting around pit. Peel and cut mango pieces.

Put this chopped mango to good use by making our Chile-Lime Mango Salad.

There’s even a hack for peeling mangoes with something you definitely have in your kitchen. Some people swear by peeling a mango with a drinking glass. We haven’t tried it, but if you do, let us know how it goes!

If you love grilled fruit, grilled mango is a delicious option. Use it on grilled fruit kabobs by skewering mango pieces with other fruit such as chopped pineapple and whole strawberries. Lightly sprinkle fruit with salt and pepper, then squeeze lime juice over fruit. Place on the grill over medium heat and cook 2 to 4 minutes turning every 30 seconds, until fruit softens and grill marks appear.

Now that you’ve figured out how to cut a mango, what should you make with it? Mango is super versatile as it pairs well with both sweet and savory dishes. It’s perfect frozen for tropical smoothies and fresh for fruit salsas, or served with various meats like grilled halibut or steak, pork or chicken. Here are a few recipes to put your new skills to good use.

If you want to spice up your cut-up mango a bit without going through the fuss of cooking, this Chile-Lime Mango Salad is a must! It’s a perfect anytime snack, or easy side dish.

You’ll need:

• 2 ripe large mangoes 
• 1 teaspoon grated lime peel 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper 
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Instructions

Cut two ripe mangoes like you learned how to do above. Then, in a medium bowl, add chopped mangoes. In small bowl, mix lime peel, chile pepper and salt; sprinkle on top of mango mixture, and mix well.

That’s it! Serve and enjoy. For extra lime flavor, stir in a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Whole mangoes are best stored on the countertop until they’re ripe and you’re ready to eat them. Once you’re ready to cut that ripe, juicy mango, you’ll want to store any leftovers that you don’t eat in the refrigerator. Within two hours of cutting or peeling your mango, pack it up in an airtight container or plastic bag.