Step by step visual guide on How to Cut a Mango into cubes or strips. Plus, all your questions about mangoes answered, and plenty of ways to use them!
1. How To Cut a Mango: Scooping Method (No Peeler!)
Step One: Choose a Ripe Mango
First things first: It’s super important that you select a good mango.
How do you know if a mango is ripe?
- While it’s tempting to focus on the color, don’t. It is not the best indicator of ripeness. Red mangoes aren’t necessarily riper than green mangoes.
- ALWAYS judge by feel! Squeeze the mango gently; a ripe mango will give slightly, while an overripe one will squish down.
- Ripe mangoes will sometimes have a fruity aroma at the stem end.
Step Two: Cut Off the Stem
To be sure the mango won’t slide or move around while you cut it (and to be sure you don’t get cut!), first lay the fruit on its side and cut off the stem. Cut so the bottom of the mango is now an even surface and can stand up on your cutting board without shifting.
Stand it upright where the stem used to be. Mangoes have a flat-ish long pit in the center. Your objective will be to cut around that pit to get 2 large pieces and 2 small pieces of fruit.
Step Three: Cut Off the Two Wider, Flat Sides
Make two cuts along the sides of the pit to get two large pieces of mango. Pretend that you have X-ray vision and can see the pit inside the fruit. Use your knife to cut along the edge of where the pit lies.
Step Four: Cut Off the Two Smaller Remaining Sides (The Cook’s Snack!)
Still using your X-ray vision, remove the fruit that remains on the two narrow sides. Sometimes you’ll get a lot and sometimes not very much. If it’s enough to use, add it to your recipe, otherwise, it’s your snack for doing the hard work! 😉
Step Five: Make Vertical Cuts Down the Mango
Without cutting through the skin of the mango, gently make vertical cuts down the mango. The width of your cuts will depend on how big you need your chunks or slices to be. If you want mango strips, not chunks, skip step 5.
Step Six: Make Horizontal Cuts Across the Mango
Now, without cutting through the skin of the mango, make horizontal cuts across the mango. Again, the width of your horizontal cuts depends on the size you want the chunks to be.
Step Seven: Scoop Out the Chunks
Using the sharp side of a spoon, run it along the mango where the skin meets the fruit. Gently scoop out the chunks of mango. (If your mango isn’t ripe, you may need a knife to cut out the chunks).
Step Eight: Eat!
Eat the mango as is or add to a delicious recipe (lots of ideas at the bottom of this post).
2. How To Cut a Mango: Peeling Method
In case you don’t have a perfectly ripe mango or feel more comfortable peeling a mango first, here are the steps to cutting a peeled mango:
Step One: Cut Off the Stem
Lay the mango on its side and cut off the stem. Cut so the bottom of the fruit is now an even surface and can stand up on your cutting board without shifting. Stand the mango upright where the stem used to be.
Step Two: Peel the Mango
Using either a knife or vegetable peeler, cut off the peel of the mango (taking as little of the fruit as possible)
Step Three: Cut Off the Two Flat, Wider Sides
Make two cuts along the sides of the pit to get two large pieces of mango. Pretend that you have X-ray vision and can see the pit inside the fruit. Use your knife to cut along the edge of where the pit lies.
Step Four: Cut Off the Two Smaller Remaining Sides
Still using your X-ray vision, remove the fruit that remains on the two narrow sides. Sometimes you’ll get a lot and sometimes not very much. If it’s enough to use, add it to your recipe, otherwise, it’s your snack for doing the hard work! 😉
Step Five: Cut the Wide Sides Into Strips
Lay the sides down (flat side to the cutting board) and slice into strips, as wide or thin as desired/needed for a recipe.
Step Six: Cut Strips Into Chunks
Cut the strips into chunks if desired.
Five ways to use perfectly cut mangoes:
- Mango Salsa: Serve Mango Salsa with chips or alongside grilled chicken, in shrimp tacos, or chicken tacos.
- Fruit Salad: Add to a fruit salad or serve with a couple of other tropical fruits as a fruit side dish.
- Frozen Treat: Add to an acai bowl, blend in a smoothie, or try blending diced mangos with orange juice and freezing it in ice trays for a delicious cold treat.
- Parfait: Layer vanilla yogurt, plenty of homemade granola, and fresh mango.
- Kebabs: Grill some mango and chicken on skewers for a refreshingly healthy meal.
Our favorite recipes to use a mango:
(from top left to lower right):
The BEST Mango Salsa
How To Cut A Mango: Help Section
A good ripe mango is always best the same day it is cut. However, mangoes can be peeled, sliced, or cubed and placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to six months.
Ripening Mangoes
To speed up ripening, place mangoes in a brown paper bag at room temperature.
Once ripe, mangoes can be moved to the fridge which will slow down their ripening process. Ripe (uncut) mangoes can be stored for 3-5 days in the fridge before use.
Cutting a Mango
