Pico de Gallo or Salsa Fresca is a refreshing Mexican salsa made with simple ingredients. Our Mango Pico de Gallo is sweet, tangy, slightly spicy, and will become your favorite salsa to add to your tortilla chips, nachos, or tacos.
First time I heard about Pico de Gallo I wasn't expecting it to be a Vegan salsa, as the translation to Pico de Gallo is something like Rooster's Beak, which didn't sound vegetarian to me! I was greatly surprised when I realized that it's a type of Mexican Salsa (Salsa Fresca or Salsa Cruda) made with fresh and naturally vegan ingredients. The classic recipe is made with tomatoes, onion, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, and lime.
As much as we love the classic recipe, we wanted to try giving this recipe a tropical twist and mango was our number one choice. This tropical fruit brings sweetness to the rest of the salsa ingredients.
Ingredients
You just need seven ingredients to make the nicest pico de gallo.
Fresh tomatoes. We are really lucky to live in Spain, where we can get juicy and sweet red tomatoes almost year-round. Try to get tomatoes that have a deep red color and feel just a little bit soft on the inside. Roma tomatoes or plum tomatoes are great options for your Pico de Gallo.
Red onion. When adding raw onions to dishes, red onion is the one you are looking for. If you still find the onion too sharp-tasting, you can leave it soaking in some water while preparing the rest of the ingredients. You could use white onion if you don't have red onion at home.
Mango. For this recipe, sweet and tangy mangoes work, depending on how you like your salsa. I personally like a sweeter mango for my pico de Gallo.
Cilantro.
Jalapeño peppers. This type of pepper is our favorite when making Pico de Gallo. They are spicy but not too overpowering if you remove the seeds. If you like your salsa really spicy, maybe you can use Serrano Peppers. They have a spicier flavor and are a great option for this recipe too. Other spicy peppers you can use are habanero pepper, or even bell pepper for a mild alternative.
Lime. Fresh lime juice makes Pico de Gallo a beautiful and tangy salsa. Don't leave this ingredient out!
Salt. We prefer using sea salt for fresh recipes.
Step-by-Step Method
One of the most important things when making this Pico de Gallo is how you prepare the ingredients. You want fresh salsa, not a salad.
- Finely chop tomatoes, onion, mango, cilantro, and jalapeño. We recommend using a Mandoline to chop all the ingredients equally.
- Transfer them into a large bowl, add the lime juice and salt, and combine well.
- Leave in the fridge to chill for at least 20 minutes and your salsa will be ready to enjoy!
If you have trouble cutting your mango, you can have a look at Simply Recipes, as they explain how to cut a mango step-by-step.
Mango Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 3 tomatoes
- ½ small red onion
- 1 mango
- ½ cup cilantro
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- Juice from 1 lime
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Finely chop the tomatoes, onion, mango and cilantro. Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl.3 tomatoes, ½ small red onion, 1 mango, ½ cup cilantro
- Slice the jalapeño and remove the seeds. Finely chop and add to the salsa with the rest of the ingredients.1 jalapeño pepper
- Add the lime juice and season with salt to taste.Juice from 1 lime, Salt to taste
- Chill for about 20 minutes in the fridge and serve.
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Nutrition
Variations
- Add pineapple instead of mango. We love mango, but we've a recipe for pineapple Pico de Gallo and it's equally delicious. If you cannot find the perfect mango, think about this alternative.
- Add avocado to your Pico de Gallo. You can serve your Pico de Gallo with guacamole and tortillas, or simply add some avocado cut into cubes to your mango salsa.
- Use cherry tomatoes. Cooking with cherry tomatoes is fun! If you cannot find Roma Tomatoes or juicy and ripe tomatoes, get cherry tomatoes as they tend to be sweeter.
How to serve Mango Salsa
Our top serving suggestion is serving your Mango Pico de Gallo with corn tortilla chips, vegan queso, and guacamole. This combination makes for a perfect snack or appetizer.
You can be sure this dish is a crowd pleaser. Being naturally vegan, and gluten-free, nobody will be able to resist this Mexican salsa. Check out these other vegan appetizers to serve on the side of this pico de gallo.
Another option is adding Pico de Gallo to your tacos or loaded nachos, or serve it with some other Mexican-style dishes.
Pro Tip: Make a big bowl of it. Even if you don't finish it all, keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and your Pico de Gallo will be even better the next day. It can be stored for 3-4 days.
FAQ
Yes. If you cannot find ripe mangoes, but you still want to add a tropical twist to your salsa, try green mango (tangy but nice), pineapple, papaya, or even peach.
Pico de gallo is normally made with a little bit of heat adding spicy peppers but not everyone can handle spicy food. You can make your Salsa Fresca with bell peppers if you want to make a mild version of this recipe.
Heather says
What kind/size of tomato did you use? Thanks. It looks awesome.
Laura says
Thank you Heather. We used medium size tomatoes, just make sure they are ripe and juicy! 🙂
Tash says
Is this 48 calories per tbs? What’s considered a serving size for this recipe?
Laura says
Hi Tash, our recipe for Pico de Gallo is normally served as a snack or appetizer. You can serve it with some tortilla chips and the recipe will be enough for 4 adults.