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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Mango Corn Salsa

    Published: Feb 24, 2024 . Modified: Jun 30, 2025 by Allie

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    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    The mango corn salsa is a flavorful and refreshing condiment.  It’s sweet from fresh mango and corn, has a little kick from jalapeños, and is tangy from fresh lime juice.

    Mango salsa with corn in a bowl with chips and lime wedges on the side.

    This colorful salsa uses simple ingredients to add a burst of flavor to meals and it only takes about 15 minutes to make.

    The corn and mango salsa can add a punch of flavor to so many dishes.  Add the salsa to lentil walnut tacos, vegan taco bowls, vegan mango black bean rice bowls, or enjoy it with tortilla chips.  Feel free to adjust the ingredients to suit your preferences.  Instead of garlic, add diced red onion, or if you prefer more heat, add more diced jalapeño.  

    For more condiments to add flavor to your meals, try pico de gallo, cucumber pico de gallo, or spicy pickled red onions.

    Jump to:
    • Recipe features
    • Ingredient notes and substitutions
    • Tips  
    • Variations
    • How to cut a mango
    • Serving suggestions
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Related recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Recipe features

    • Use fresh or thawed frozen mango for this easy recipe!
    • It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, plant-based, and oil-free!
    • It uses simple ingredients!
    • It’s refreshing and can add a burst of flavor to your favorite dishes!
    Mango, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, lime, and a bowl of corn on a cutting board.

    Ingredient notes and substitutions

    The recipe uses simple ingredients, but please see the recipe card below for the full list and exact measurements.

    Mango - One and a half cups of diced ripe mango is needed for the recipe.  I get roughly 1 ½ cups of diced mango from 1 large fresh mango, by using the cheeks and trimming off excess off the pit.  Fresh or thawed frozen mango can be used.  

    Fresh ripe mango is absolutely delicious, but when you can’t find one or they aren’t in season thawed frozen ripe mango will work.  Thaw about 2 cups of frozen mango, when it thaws it will reduce in size.  Thaw the frozen mango overnight in the refrigerator or try thawing it at room temperature.  

    I wouldn’t heat it in the microwave to thaw.  During testing, once it was stirred in the salsa it started to disintegrate.  I didn’t have this problem when I thawed it on the counter or in the fridge.  I use the liquid in the salsa that was left from thawing the mango, but if you have an excessive amount it can be drained off.

    I tried two different brands of frozen mango and they worked with the salsa, but if the brand you normally buy becomes mushy once thawed, then stick to fresh mango. For more recipes with mango try, a mango kiwi smoothie or a cucumber mango smoothie.

    Corn - I use Trader Joe’s canned corn for convenience, plus it’s delicious.  If corn is in season, fresh sweet corn would be absolutely delightful.  Cook it any way you prefer, but grilled fresh corn would add a lovely flavor.  Trim the cooked corn right off the cob for the mango corn salsa.

    Frozen corn can also work, but I find it more bland than fresh or canned.  Thaw and drain well to not add too much excess liquid to the salsa.  If the frozen corn is lacking flavor, it can be seared in a pan for a few minutes until it starts to have char marks. 

    Jalapeño pepper - Finely dice half of a seeded jalapeño.  For a little more heat use the entire jalapeño and/or keep the seeds in or try a serrano pepper. 

    Fresh cilantro - Use a ¼ cup of loosely packed fresh cilantro, then chop it.  If you don’t like cilantro, it can be left out.  If you leave it out you can try diced red onion which is not a substitute for fresh cilantro, but it would add another flavor element that you would miss if you leave the cilantro out.

    Garlic clove - Add one minced or crushed medium to large garlic clove to the mango salsa with corn.  Instead of garlic, try a ¼ cup of finely diced red onion for the recipe.  For leftover red onions, try spicy pickled onions.

    Lime - Fresh is best, you’ll need the zest of one lime and about 2 tablespoons of juice.

    Tips  

    • If your mango isn’t ripe enough it may be sour instead of sweet.  
    • Zest the lime before juicing.

    Variations

    Enjoy the mango salsa with corn as is or try a different variation.

    • Add a diced red bell pepper for a little crunch.
    • Add a can of drained and rinsed black beans to pair with the juicy mango.
    • Add diced avocado to add creaminess to the salsa.
    • Try a dash of chili powder.
    • Add diced cucumber similar to this recipe for pico de gallo with cucumber.
    • Searing the corn in a pan until it starts to get char marks adds a wonderful flavor to the salsa. 

    How to cut a mango

    For smaller dice for a salsa either use method 1 and after you have cubes, dice the cubes smaller or use method 2.

    Method 1 for how to cut a mango

    1. Start by cutting off the two checks of the mango from the large pit in the middle of the mango.  The cheeks are the wide sides along the big oblong pit.  While running your knife down the sides of the mango if you hit something hard, that’s the pit.  No big deal, just try to cut a little further out.
    2. Take each mango slice and slice through the flesh vertically and horizontally creating squares.  Slice to the skin of the mango but not through the skin.  
    3. Flip the cheek inside out and trim off the cubes with a paring knife or a spoon.
    4. Carefully trim what’s left on the mango pit.  Use the pit as a guide, start from the top, and move your knife down the length of the mango to trim it off.
    5. Then for those thinner side pieces, trim off the skin and dice the mango flesh.
    One slice of mango cubed still attached to the skin that's turn inside out and another slice being diced on a cutting board.

    Method 2 for how to dice a mango into small pieces

    1. Peel the mango skin off.
    2. Slice the cheeks off the mango, but instead of slicing a large piece, slice thinner slices off the oblong pit, 2-3 slices per side.
    3. Then take one plank and slice it into thin strips, then slice it the other way for a small dice.
    4. Trim off the thinner sides of the pit too.  Use the pit as a guide and trim from top to bottom.  Then dice it into small pieces.

    Serving suggestions

    The easy and fresh salsa can be added to grain bowls for added flavor, or enjoy it with chips.

    • Tortilla chips
    • Try it in a vegan taco bowl
    • Add it to a burrito bowl
    • Use it as a topping for lentil and walnut tacos
    • A vegan mango and black bean rice bowl with sliced red bell peppers, spicy pickled onions, and avocado.

    Instructions

    Start the corn mango salsa by dicing a mango into small bite-size pieces.  Add it to a bowl with the drained corn.  Finely dice the jalapeño to be much smaller than your mango pieces.  Chop a ¼ cup of loosely packed fresh cilantro.  Use the leaves and the tender parts of the stems, not the woody part of the stems.

    Diced mango, corn, cilantro, garlic, and jalapeno in a glass bowl not mixed together.

    Crush or mince 1 clove of garlic.  Zest one lime then juice it.  Add the zest and 2 tablespoons of the juice along with the rest of the ingredients to the bowl with the mango and corn.

    Taste and adjust for seasoning. Store in an airtight container for 2 days in the refrigerator.

    Diced mango, corn, jalapeno, and cilantro mixed in a bowl.

    Storage

    Store the salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.  The freshness of the ingredients will impact how long the salsa will last.  I wouldn’t recommend freezing it.

    Frequently asked questions

    How to ripen a mango?

    An unripe mango will ripen on the counter at room temperature.  To ripen a mango faster, put it in a brown paper bag.  I like to add a ripe banana or even an onion to the bag to help the mango ripen faster. Roll up the end of the bag to close it.

    Like avocados, how long it will take will vary depending on how much it needs to ripen. A ripe mango can then be stored in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process.  

    How to pick a ripe mango?

    Focus on feeling the mango, not on the color.  A ripe mango will be soft when pressed.  An unripe mango will be firm when pressed.  The skin should be smooth, not wrinkled.  Avoid any large indentations and bruises.

    What can I use instead of cilantro?

    If you’re not a fan of cilantro, it can be skipped.  I wouldn’t use another fresh herb for this corn and mango salsa recipe. A ¼ cup of finely diced red onion is not a substitute for cilantro, but if you skip the herb the red onion will add more flavor to the salsa.

    Corn mango salsa with cilantro in a bowl with chips on the side.

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    • Plant-based mango and black bean rice bowl
    • White pickled onions
    • Two jars of spicy pickled red onions with jalapeños.
      Spicy Pickled Onions
    • Cucumber pico de gallo in a bowl with chips to the side.
      Cucumber Pico de Gallo
    • Vegan guacamole in a bowl with tortilla chips.
      Vegan Guacamole
    • Vegan pico de gallo in a glass bowl with tortilla chips.
      Pico de Gallo (Vegan)

    I hope you enjoyed the recipe.  If you did, feel free to rate it and leave a comment.

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    Recipe

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    Mango corn salsa in a bowl with chopped cilantro on top.

    Mango Corn Salsa


    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 1 review

    • Author: Allie
    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    The mango corn salsa is a flavorful and refreshing condiment.  It’s sweet from fresh mango and corn, has a little kick from jalapeños, and is tangy from fresh lime juice.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1  ½ cups (240 grams) diced ripe mango
    • ½ cup (100 grams) of canned corn, drained
    • ½ jalapeño, finely diced, seeds removed
    • ¼ cup of loosely packed cilantro, chopped
    • 1 medium garlic clove, minced
    • 1 lime, zested and 2 tablespoons of the juice
    • Pinch of salt

    Instructions

    1. Dice the mango into small bite-size pieces, and add the corn, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, and salt to a bowl.
    2. Zest one lime and juice it.  Add zest and 2 tablespoons of juice to the bowl of mango corn salsa.
    3. Mix together, taste, and adjust seasoning.
    4. Store in an airtight container for 2 days in the refrigerator.

    Notes

    You may need 1-2 mangoes for the salsa depending on their size.  One large or 2 small.

    Make sure the mango is ripe so it will be sweet and juicy, otherwise an unripe mango will make the salsa sour.

    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 0 minutes
    • Category: dip
    • Method: no bake
    • Cuisine: american

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      Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    1. Katie

      March 01, 2024 at 1:37 pm

      I made the recipe for taco night and it turned out great. Will definelty make again!

      Reply
      • Allie

        March 01, 2024 at 5:50 pm

        I'm glad you liked it and thanks for leaving a comment!

        Reply

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    Mango corn salsa in a bowl with chips on the side.