Fresh (5-Ingredient) Mango Salsa

I’m all for the convenience of store-bought tomato salsa, but when it comes to mango salsa, the only one worth eating is one made from scratch. That’s why we made it extra easy on you: This recipe requires just five ingredients and 10 minutes of your time. When it’s done, you’ll be rewarded with a sweet, fruity, and slightly-spicy salsa that’s infinitely better than anything sold in a jar. Here’s how to make it.

A fresh mango salsa is only as good as the mangoes you use. Any variety of mango — from the popular Tommy Atkins mango to the extra-creamy Ataulfo — can be used for this salsa, but the ripeness level does matter.

Generally we give the advice to pick them up and hold them in your hands (they should feel heavy for their size, and give slightly when you press the area around the stem) and to give them a sniff (perfectly-ripe mangoes should have a pronounced, intoxicating smell) — but we don’t recommend doing that right now, given best safety practices for COVID-19 prevention.

If you end up with unripe mangoes, you can let them ripen on your counter for a few days. (And if you get super-soft mangoes, which will be too mushy to slice, just blend them into a smoothie and try again next time.)

The beauty of mango salsa is that it tastes great with just about anything you’re eating this summer. While you can (and should!) pair it with tortilla chips and margaritas, it’s just as tasty served atop fish tacos, grilled salmon, grilled chicken, shrimp kebabs, and burrito bowls.