How to Cut a Mango

Once you know How to Cut a Mango the possibilities for delicious recipes are endless! Learn how to pick a ripe mango and multiple quick and easy ways to peel off the skin and cut the flesh. Enjoy the sweet fruit as a snack or dessert, or store for later use in salsas, smoothies, even rice! 

Recently the hubby requested a few mangoes from the grocery store since they are currently in season.

Being a little bit of a stranger to this fruit, I acquiesced but was not entirely enthused to try it out.

As he carefully cut, peeled, and diced this brightly colored fruit I became curious to see what all the hype was about.

You guys… if you don’t already know – mangoes are the freakin’ BEST!

The soft and delicate texture, mixed with their natural sweetness makes them a delicious and healthy after-dinner dessert you can feel good about enjoying.

Or you can even mix them into a Homemade Mango Avocado Salsa or make a Mango Green Smoothie! If you have never had Mango Lassi, you’re going to want to try it immediately.

And even though they may initially seem a bit intimidating, there are actually 2 super easy ways you can quickly cut and peel them in less than a few minutes!

What are Mangoes?

Mangoes are a stone fruit, like peaches, plums, and nectarines. They are grown on trees and typically found in the tropical regions of South Asia, with India and China being the top producers.

Mangoes are made up of a thin, inedible skin (or peel) with a juicy pulp (or flesh) and a thin, oblong pit running through the very center of the fruit.

They are sweet enough to be eaten on their own as a dessert or snack or used in recipes such as Mango Salsa or Sticky Mango Rice.

Selecting a Ripe Mango

While they can normally be found year-round in the United States, May through August is mango season, with June-July being their peak production time.

Much like avocados and peaches, selecting a ripe mango depends primarily on how they feel, and not so much on their appearance or color.

To determine if a mango is ripe, apply firm but gentle pressure to the fruit.  If it gives slightly when squeezed, it is ripe and ready to eat.

A mango will also emit a slightly sweet and fragrant aroma from its stem end as it becomes more ripe.

Mangoes will ripen naturally on their own if kept at room temperature for a few days.

You can also place the mango in a sealed paper bag for 2 days if you would like to speed up the process slightly.

Once they are ripened, you can place the fruit in the refrigerator for a few days.

How to Cut a Mango

Now that you’ve selected a good, ripe mango, it’s time to start preparing it by peeling, cutting, slicing, and/or dicing.

There are two different methods you can use to cut a mango.

Use a Knife

A mango has a thin pit running down the middle of the fruit. Here are the steps to cut and remove the right and left cheeks of the mango from the pit:

Slice the cheeks. Place the mango on a cutting board with the stem facing up. Insert a sharp knife about ¼-inch to the right of the midline. Starting from the top of the fruit, cut all of the way down to the bottom. Repeat this process with the left side of the mango. You should have 3 slices of mango at this point (2 cheeks and 1 midsection with the pit.)

Dice the flesh. Using a small paring knife, hold the mango in your non-dominant hand and make vertical incisions into the flesh of the mango. Pay careful attention not to cut all of the way through into the skin. Turn the mango 90 degrees and make vertical cuts that intersect the previous ones in a crosswise fashion. Repeat this step with the other mango cheek.

Cut, peel, or spoon the flesh. You can remove the mango pieces by either using a paring knife, your thumb, or a spoon. Place your tool of choice where the flesh meets the skin and cut/push/scoop it off.

Remove the extra mango around the pit. There may still be some edible mango left around the pit. To get to this, place your paring knife into the skin of the midsection piece and carefully cut between the flesh and the skin to remove it. Cut and remove any additional mango flesh until the pit is all that’s left. 

Use a Vegetable Peeler

There’s another method you can use if the above seems too technical. These are the simple steps:

Peel the skin with a vegetable peeler. Using a vegetable peeler, remove all of the skin from the mango.

Cut the cheeks. With the stem side facing up, remove the right and left cheeks from the mango with a small paring knife.

Dice the fruit. Place the mango cheeks flat-side down on a cutting board and chop to your desired size.

Remove extra mango from around the pit. Remove any of the remaining edible flesh around the pit and dice.

Meal Prep and Storage

One medium-sized mango will yield 1 ¼ – 1 ½ cups of fruit. If you’re not going to consume it right away, follow these tips:

• To Prep Ahead: Follow the above directions to peel and cut your mango.
• To Store: Place freshly cut, diced, or sliced mango in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
• To Freeze:  Place cut fruit in a single layer on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for at least 4 or up to 24 hours. Place frozen mango pieces in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and store them in the freezer for up to a year.

Health Benefits

Mangoes are not only delicious, but they’re healthy for you! Containing many nutrients and antioxidants, they can help boost immunity, support heart health, and aid in digestion.

The nutrition facts for one cup of mango are:

• Calories: 99
• Fat: .6 grams
• Carbs: 24.7 grams
• Fiber: 2.6 grams
• Protein: 1.4 grams

Mangoes also pack in healthy vitamins and minerals. Just one cup of the fruit contains 67% of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin C. They also are a good source of Vitamins B6, A, E, B5, and K, as well as copper and folate.

FAQs

Pro Tips and Tricks

• Pick a ripe mango. A perfectly ripe mango will have a slight give and a fragrant aroma.
• Speed it up. Storing the mango in a paper bag at room temperature will cause it to ripen faster.
• Get cheeky. Cut the cheeks off parallel to the pit. You can tell which direction the pit is running by the shape of the mango.
• Use it all. Don’t forget the mango around the pit. There’s always a little extra fruit around the pit.
• Sweet and savory. This versatile fruit tastes great in everything from dinner to dessert!

Mango Recipes

While this delightful fruit makes a delicious snack or dessert on its own, here are a few ways you can use it in some healthy recipes:

• Mango Avocado Salsa
• Pineapple Spinach Green Smoothie
• Blackened Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa
• Mango Lassi