Spicy Mango Pineapple Salad

April 18, 2022 · Published: August 3, 2020 By: Asian Caucasian 36 Comments

This summery Spicy Mango Pineapple Salad has fresh slices of ripe mangos and chunks of fresh pineapple, tossed together with sliced red onions, fresh mint and cilantro, and drizzled with a tangy, sweet and spicy lime vinaigrette. So yum!

vibrant mango and pineapple salad in white bowls with lime vinaigrette on the side

Make sure to pick ripe (but not overripe) mangos. Get yourself one of these mango-pitting gadgets that keeps you from slicing your finger open! SO worth it! I also used this safe mango gadget when making my Thai Mango and Lychee Salad.

fresh mangos on a wooden cutting board with a knife and slices of mango

How do you safely cut a mango?

Mango, like avocados, are slippery little devils that if you aren’t extremely careful you could cut your finger! So, I went and purchased for myself this handy mango-pitting gadget that really is a game-changer! Not only does it pit the mango, but it also peels it! Then, slicing is super easy. However, if you don’t have one of these, check out the steps below!

fresh mango in a mango cutter on a wooden board

Here are the steps to safely cut a mango

Peel the mango from top to bottom: Using a Y-shaped peeler, work your way around the mango, removing the skin. As you expose more pulp, use a paper towel or kitchen towel to hold the peeled mango so it doesn’t slip out of your hand. Peel away the tips.
Determine the tallest line of the mango: Place the mango on the cutting board and find the side that seems the tallest—the pit will be sitting along that line.
Slice in half, avoiding the pit: Holding the mango with a paper towel or kitchen towel, position the chef’s knife, aiming it at the center of the fruit; you may need to adjust the angle of the knife if you find that you hit the pit. Slice the sides off the mango, avoiding the pit.
Cut around the pit: Holding the fruit vertically, trim the remaining flesh off the pit.
Slice the cut halves: Finish the mango by slicing the pieces horizontally into smaller wedges.

fresh pineapple sliced and chunked on a wooden board

Fresh cut pineapple is such a perfect combo with the fresh mango slices. You can use canned pineapple in a pinch.

labeled ingredients for spicy mango and pineapple salad on a wooden board

What ingredients are in the lime vinaigrette?

Super tangy, sweet, and and spicy, this lime vinaigrette makes the Mango Pineapple Salad simply spectacular! Heres what you'll need:

Zest of one lime
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 Thai red chili pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, torn
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, torn
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground pepper

vibrant mango and pineapple salad in white bowls with a silver fork

I can think of so many main dishes to serve this amazing salad with. How about as a side for grilled meats, fish, pork, or chicken? It's even versatile enough to serve as a fresh fruit dessert.

I love using fruit in salads, like this Mango Pineapple Salad! Check out another fruit salad I posted recently: this awesome Arugula Salad with Asian Pears and Lemon Vinaigrette.

Recipe notes

Make sure to pick ripe (but not overripe) mangos. There are several different types of mangos, but I used Haden mangos which are readily available this summer.
I used fresh-cut pineapple, but you can use canned or jarred pineapple in a pinch. Make sure to buy the pineapple in its own juices (no added sugars).
If you can't fine Thai red chili peppers, you can use an ⅛ teaspoon of red pepper flakes as a substitute.
The lime vinaigrette is everything in this salad! You can make it in advance and refrigerate when ready to toss the salad. You'll want to make extra to serve on fish on other proteins.
I love to garnish this salad with unsweetened coconut flakes!

Want more salad recipes like this one?

If you liked this salad recipe, you’re going to want these recipes too: