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    Home » Seasonal Recipes » How to Cut a Mango

    How to Cut a Mango

    Apr 2, 2024 · by Valentina · 4 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Learning how to cut a mango is easy, and essential if you want to get the most out of this incredibly delicious tropical fruit!

    Three stacked mangoes with black background.

    Above: Tree-Ripened Kent mangoes.

    Mangoes are my favorite fruit. Of all time. No other fruit beats it.

    The flavor of a mango is somewhere between a pineapple and a very sweet peach. Sometimes they're a bit tart and they're almost always sweet and fragrant with floral notes.

    According to Melissa's Produce, mangoes are the number one most popular fruit in the world. I totally get that!

    Mangoes cannot be cut and sliced the way most fruits can be because the pit is flat, and in many cases, almost as wide as the fruit.

    How to Cut a Mango

    * The mango variety in the below tutorial is a Honey Mango (also called Ataulfo).

    The step-by-step photo tutorial below shows 4 mango cutting methods

    • Cutting the mango with its skin on.
    • Cutting the mango within it's skin.
    • Peeling the mango first and then cutting it.

    1) Cutting the Mango with it's Skin

    - Hold the mango in place and cut just off the center line, lengthwise, where the pit is. Imagine the side surface of your knife almost brushing the side of the pit.

    - Repeat this process on the mango’s other side. You’ll have two halves, and a flat center portion of the mango that includes the pit.

    Whole Honey mango on cutting board.
    Honey Mango on cutting board with Chef's knife slicing it.
    Honey Mango on cutting board in three parts, with Chef's knife slicing it.
    Honey mango sliced into three equal pieces on a cutting board.
    Honey mango sliced into three equal pieces on a cutting board.

    - Now you can slice the two halves you cut off of the pit.

    - To cut the mango into slices, you can cut the halves into quarters and then carefully slide the knife between the skin and the flesh. Then place the flesh quarters, flat side down on the cutting board and slice them further if desired. Now you can cut in the other direction for a dice.

    Mango quarters being sliced between the skin and flesh.
    Many long slices of mango on a cutting board.
    Diced mango on a cutting board.

    - To get the mango flesh from around the pit, lay the center piece flat, and use a paring knife to cut the fruit off the pit, towards the edges.

    Flesh being cut off from around a mango pit.
    Flesh being cut off from around a mango pit.

    2) Cutting the Mango Within its Skin

    - You can also slice and dice by using a paring knife to make lengthwise cuts into the mango flesh — touching the inside of the skin, but not cutting through it. And for a dice just cut in the slices in the opposite direction.

    - Use a large spoon to then scoop out the pieces.

    Mango sliced in half and sliced within the skin with paring knife, on wooden cutting board.
    Mango sliced in half and sliced within the skin with a spoon scooping the pieces out, on wooden cutting board.
    Mango sliced in half and diced within the skin with paring knife, on wooden cutting board.
    Mango sliced in half and diced within the skin with a spoon scooping the pieces out, on wooden cutting board.

    - Or, once diced, rather than scooping the cut flesh out, you can almost turn the skin inside out for this pretty presentation. The dice can be large or tiny, your call.

    Mango half with skin on being diced.
    Almost inside out mango half cut into a dice.

    - Of course, you can also just bite the fruit off of the pit.

    Mango fruit pit with bits of flesh still on it.

    3) Peeling the Mango Before You Cut: 2 Methods

    Many people like to peel the mango first. You'll usually be able to get the most of the fruit this way, but I only suggest it if you're very confident with a knife. Mangoes are incredibly slippery, so it's precarious and not necessarily the safest method.

    Method 1. Peel the mango. Then holding it very carefully, perhaps with a paper towel, make the first cut on one side of the pit. Once you've done that, place the peeled mango, flat side down, to horizontally cut the second half off. Now you can slice and dice.

    Whole peeled mango on cutting board with peels next to it.
    Peeled mango laying horizontally on cutting board with paring knife slicing top half off.
    Two peeled mango halves cut into thin slices on cutting board.

    Method 2. Peel the mango. Then make several horizontal cuts on one side, letting the blade of the knife hit the flat pit with each cut. With your knife positioned horizontally, slice beneath the cuts, with the blade sliding against the pit. Repeat on the other side, and then cut the side pieces of fruit off. You should be left with an almost bare pit.

    Peeled mango with its skin next to it on a light wood cutting board.
    Peeled mango with a paring knife cutting horizontal slits across it, on a light wood cutting board.
    Peeled mango half being cut off the pit, on a light wood cutting board.
    Peeled mango with several pieces cut off together in one clump, on a light wood cutting board.
    Mango pit and peeled mango halves sliced into many pieces, on a light wood cutting board.

    Mango Cutting Tips

    • When making your first cuts, the closer you can get the side of your knife to the pit, the better.
    • I find it's easiest to use a Chef's knife for the initial cuts and a paring knife for the slices and dices. Unless you're cutting a really large mango, like a Keitt or a Pink Elephant, then a Chef's knife will be best for everything.
    • If you're making a mango salsa (recipe below), it's best to use the third method and peel the mango first.

    Mango Varieties

    There are at least 500 varieties of mangoes. At least!

    Each type of mango has a unique flavor and texture. You can learn about more varieties at The Mango Factory.

    Below is a short list of just a handful of varieties that you're most likely to see in your market, and a couple that are newer that I'm highlighting because they're amazing.

    • Honey (Ataulfo) - This variety is pictured in all of the cutting demos above. They're on the smaller side, these have a flatter pit than many others, so the flesh to pit ratio is high. With a sweet and sour flavor, the flesh is on the firm side, practically fibrous-free, and it's super smooth. When perfectly ripe, they're much sweeter than they are sour.
    • Baby Sugar - A newer variety, Baby Sugar mangoes are only about 2 bites each and have edible skin! They're over-the-top sweet, almost like candy.
    • Pink Elephant - A newer variety that is nothing short of a tropical showstopper! Grown in Vietnam with light pink skin, they can weigh up to 2 pounds -- enough to serve 3 to 4 people! The flesh is super smooth and the pit is on the thin side, which means there's more fruit for you to enjoy!
    • Tree-Ripened - Tree-ripened mangoes include the Tommy Atkins, Kent, Manzanillo and the Keitt. They're very sweet and especially rich from staying on the tree longer. The Tommy Atkins is likely the most popular variety of mango in the US.

    Recipes with Mangoes

    • Avocado Mango Salsa with Chipotles
    • Pesto Mango Avocado Stack
    • Chipotle Mango Quesadilla
    • Baked Coconut Mango Chicken
    • Tomato-Mango Endive Appetizer
    • Mango Salad with Basil
    Mango sliced in half and diced within the skin with a spoon scooping the pieces out, on wooden cutting board.

    How to Cut a Mango

    Valentina K. Wein
    Learning how to cut a mango is easy, and essential if you want to get the most out of this incredibly delicious, tropical fruit!
    Print
    Prep Time 1 minute min
    Course Snack
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 1
    Calories 119 kcal

    Equipment

    • paring knife
    • Chef's knife
    • cutting board

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 whole mango

    Instructions
     

    Cutting the Mango With its Skin

    • Hold the mango in place on a cutting board, and cut just off the center line, lengthwise. (Remember, the pit is flat. It’s a similar in shape to the mango.) Imagine the side surface of your knife almost brushing the side of the pit.
      Repeat this process on the mango’s other side. You’ll have two halves, and a flat center portion of the mango that includes the pit.
    • Now you can slice the two halves you cut off of the pit.
      To cut the mango into slices, you can cut the halves into quarters and then to remove the skin, carefully slide the knife between the skin and the flesh. Then place the flesh quarters, flat side down on the cutting board and slice them further if desired.
      Next, you can cut in the other direction for a dice.

    Cutting the Mango WITHIN its Skin

    • You can also slice by using a paring knife to make lengthwise cuts into the mango flesh while it's still in its skin. Use the knife to cut down into the flesh, just barely touching the inside of the skin, but not cutting through it.
      And for a dice just cut into the slices in the opposite direction.
      Use a spoon to scoop out the slices or diced mango.
    • Or if you do dice it in the skin, rather than scooping the cut flesh out, you can almost turn the skin inside out for this pretty presentation. The dice can be large or tiny, your call.

    Peeling the Mango First

    • Peel the mango. Then holding it very carefully, perhaps with a paper towel, make the first cut on one side of the pit. Once you've done that, place the peeled mango, flat side down, to horizontally cut the second half off. Now you can slice and dice.

    For all Cutting Methods

    • To get the mango flesh from around the pit, lay the center piece flat, and use a paring knife to cut the fruit off the pit, towards the edges.

    NOTES

    Nutritional information is based on a 7-ounce mango, and is only an estimate.

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 333mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 2147IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.3mg
    Keywords exotic fruits
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Raymund | angsarap.net

      June 05, 2024 at 6:25 pm

      That option 2 is the way we do it in the Philippines, now you made me miss my favourite fruit!

      Reply
      • Valentina

        June 06, 2024 at 12:46 pm

        Hi Raymund. It's my favorite too! THE BEST! Thanks for checking out my methods of cutting these jewels. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    2. Mark Mc

      June 21, 2025 at 1:00 pm

      I have seen all these methods used here in Colombia, but I will add one more. Just use a potato peeler to safely remove the skin.

      Reply
      • Valentina

        June 22, 2025 at 10:48 am

        Hi Mark. Thanks for checking out my method! 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply

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