Watermelon Mango Salsa

Watermelon mango salsa is a simple one to make that will look great to everyone else, and only takes about 15 minutes or so to make! Watermelon provides the sweetness, and the added lime gives it a nice brightness. The added jalapeño gives a bit of a kick that will have people grabbing a third or fourth chip.

I first tasted it on Saturday when the teens had their friends over, and I needed something quick that seemed better than a bag of chips on the counter. it disappeared before I could even grab a bowl for myself!

Compared to other fruit salsas, this receipe is about balance. All the ingredients are important including the juice and zest of the lime. And no, the lime juice is not just there to add brightness. It’s especially important for this texture problem – without it the watermelon would likely turn the whole bowl into a puddle. The cucumber adds a cool crunch and if you are considering skipping the basil, don’t. It’s worth the cost of the whole bunch.

Why the Lime Zest Matters More Than You Think

Lots of folks juice a lime for salsa and call it a day. A little trick before juicing it is to zest the lime. The zest adds oils from the rind which can be a bit bitter and a little floral. This will help balance the tartness and brighten the sweetness of the lime.

Remember to zest your lime before juicing it. Once you’ve juiced it, the rind will be compressed and won’t zest well. If you have one, a microplane zester is the best tool for this, but you can also use a veggie peeler, and then take a few thin strips of the rind and mince it using a sharp knife.

What Goes Into This Salsa

You should consider each of the items detailed here. Here’s each item and the reasons for its importance:

Watermelon — 3 cups, seeded and finely chopped

For this salsa, we will use seedless varieties as they are the easiest. Chop the watermelon into small, even, half-inch cubes so that every scoop of salsa has some watermelon.

Mango — 2 mangoes, peeled and diced

Adds a wonderful dense texture and pleasant sweetness, which contrasts with the watery watermelon great. Two mangoes sound like a lot, but once you peel and pit them, they will be smaller than you might expect. Choose mangoes that give a little when pressed; starchy, under ripe ones will kill the flavor.

Cucumber — 1, peeled, seeded, and diced

Adds a nice crunch and fresh mild taste to the salsa. Don’t skip removing the seeds. Your salsa will be really watery in just an hour if you leave the seeds in. To get the seeds out just cut the cucumber in half and scoop them out. This takes like 10 seconds.

Jalapeño — 1, seeded and minced

The peppers will add warmth and a unique flavor. If you want to keep the heat level moderate, then remove the seeds. If you want to add spice then keep them in. Most of the heat is in the seeds and the white membrane, so they are a dial you control.

Red onion — ½, finely chopped

Red onions are good for fresh salsas because they are milder than other onions. When the onion is finely chopped, it spreads out more so that there aren’t as many larger chunks landing in the same scoop.

Fresh basil — 10 leaves, finely chopped

Some people may leave out an ingredient. Unfortunately, they will miss out on the one that adds an herbal sweetness to the dish. It combines all the fruity flavors and elements in a way that just dry herbs don’t. If you really like cilantro, feel free to add some. Just keep it to the same amount as the mint. It has a different, but equally great, flavor profile.

Lime zest and juice

The recipe calls for 1 1/2 teaspoons of lime zest and 1/4 cup of juice, which is equivalent to 3 limes. Although you can use bottled lime juice, fresh lime juice is preferable. The fresh lime juice also helps to keep the salsa bright and prevents the watermelon from tasting flat.

Sugar, black pepper, and garlic salt

A tablespoon of sugar counteracts the lime’s acidity. It is not for sweetness, as the lime’s acidity takes care of that. Three-quarters of a teaspoon of black pepper brings warmth to the background. Garlic salt is added last, right before serving. If added too early, it will draw moisture out of the watermelon, diluting everything.

How to Make Watermelon Mango Salsa

Slicing and dicing takes up most of the prep time, but the cooking part goes much faster once everything is ready.

Step 1: Make the lime base

Mix lime juice, lime zest, sugar, and ground black pepper in another bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. This will take about a minute. Making this first will ensure that when the fruit is added, the dressing will be evenly distributed.

As you get everything else ready, just set the bowl aside for now.

Step 2: Prep the watermelon

If necessary, deseed the watermelon and cut it into roughly half an inch cubes. If the watermelon is particularly juicy, drain the cubes in a colander for about 5 minutes. You want the flavor of the watermelon, not a ton of juice flooding the salsa.

If you’re going to be cutting a lot of watermelon this summer, a watermelon slicer will be useful! The slicer will hold the juice in the rind, preventing messes on your counters, and make the process of cutting watermelon clean and quick!

Even tiny cubes scoop onto a chip easily. If bigger pieces aren’t as evenly cut, it will cause some bites to be mostly watermelon and some bites to have none at all.

Step 3: Seed and dice the cucumber

First, peel your cucumber, then cut it lengthwise. Use your spoon to remove the seeds, this step is the most crucial to ensure your salsa doesn’t get watery.T Finally, chop the cucumber into cubes that are similar in size to your chunks of watermelon.

Step 4: Dice the mango

When you make your mango salsa, your first step is working with the mangoes. For each, take off the skin and then get the flesh off the flat pit in the middle. Once you get the flesh off, you should aim to cut the flesh into as many pieces as you can. This will take time as some mangoes can be slippery and cause you to take your time. A sharp knife will be the best for the job. The pieces can be different sizes, but the smaller they are, the better. This will allow for the salsa to scoop nicely onto a chip.

Compared to an underripe mango, a thawed and well-drained mango is better.

Step 5: Prep the jalapeño and onion

Remove the stem of the jalapeño, then slice it down the middle. Take a spoon and scoop out the seeds and white membranes. If you want to leave some of the white membranes, it will add more kick! Chop the jalapeño up as small as you can, to keep the heat distributed and not leave one unfortunate scoop.

When chopping the red onion, make sure to chop it small enough so that the pieces integrate into the salsa This will help ensure that no one bite will taste too overpowering. If you touch your eyes after handling the jalapeños, make sure to wash your hands.

Step 6: Combine, taste, and chill

Put the watermelon, cucumber, mango, jalapeño, red onion, and fresh basil into the bowl with the lime mixture, and toss to combine, making sure all the ingredients get coated but the watermelon doesn’t break. Taste and adjust, adding more lime juice as needed.

Prepare and refrigerate the bowl you’re going to serve the dish in for at least two hours before serving. The waiting time is critical. Though the dish is fine to eat straight away, it is better to wait, and resting in the fridge helps all the flavors come together. The dish goes from being a collection of ingredients, to a refined dish.

The minimum is two hours. Four hours is better, as the flavors will meld even more.

Step 7: Add garlic salt and serve

Right before serving add the garlic salt and give the salsa a gentle stir one last time. Salsa is best served with pita chips or tortilla chips. Sturdier chips work better here-thin chips snap before you get a full scoop out of the bowl.

The One Thing That Ruins This Salsa (And How to Avoid It)

The issue I see the most often with this recipe is that the salsa ends up being watery, and this is almost always due to the use of a very ripe watermelon that has lots of natural juice, or from pieces of cucumber that have not had their seeds removed prior to dicing.

Both will release juices while marinating in lime juice. Avoid this by allowing cubed watermelon to drain in a colander for five minutes. Don’t forget to scoop out the seeds in the cucumber. If the finished salsa is still watery, feel free to drain the excess liquid just before serving- the flavor is in the fruit, not the liquid.

You should also hold off on adding the garlic salt until the very end. If you do it too early, the salt will actually pull moisture out of the watermelon via osmosis and you’ll end up with a bowl of pink liquid and chunks of fruit floating around.

Ways to Use It Beyond the Chip Bowl

There are many different uses for this salsa. Here’s the best way to use it:

• On grilled fish — Spoon it over tilapia, mahi-mahi, or salmon. The sweetness of the watermelon and mango pairs well with mild white fish and the lime brightens a fillet that might otherwise need a sauce.
• In fish tacos — Use it in place of cabbage slaw. It adds sweetness, crunch, and freshness all at once.
• With grilled chicken — Slice chicken thighs and spoon the salsa on top. Works especially well with chicken seasoned with cumin or chili powder.
• Over shrimp — Grilled shrimp with a spoonful of this on top is a fast weeknight dinner. The lime in the salsa does the work of a sauce.
• As a grain bowl topping — Over rice or quinoa with black beans and avocado for a no-cook summer dinner.
• With chips, obviously — Pita chips are particularly good because they are sturdy enough to hold a full scoop and their mild flavor does not compete with the salsa.

Four Variations Worth Making

Add avocado

Don’t forget to sprinkle in some diced avocado right before serving, it will give the dish some creaminess to balance the spiciness from the jalapeños. Just make sure to add it at the last minute because avocado can break down in acidic liquids really fast.

Swap the basil for cilantro

You can substitute basil with cilantro if you like cilantro. It will make the salsa taste more authentic to Mexican salsa. You should use about the same amount as basil which is ten leaves/cilantro or a small handful, chopped.

Use fresh peach instead of mango

In the summer, when the farmer’s market has good-looking peaches, and the store has sad-looking mangoes, you can substitute fresh, ripe peaches for mangoes in this recipe. Peaches are a little softer than mangoes, and have a different kind of sweetness. However, they work well with this recipe.

Add a pinch of tajín or chili powder

Salsa can be enhanced by adding a pinch of tajín or chili powder mixed with lime juice. This adds a subtle smokiness and a flavor profile that feels as if it were designed for use with grilled meats. It’s also typically used with Mexican fruit mixes, so it fits right in.

How Far Ahead You Can Actually Make This

If you leave the watermelon for a longer time than four hours, it will start to break down, release liquid, and the texture will be much softer!

If you want to plan even more ahead, like the morning of the party, you can store the ingredients in the fridge separated and mix them together 2-4 hours before you need to serve it. No matter when you mixed other ingredients, hold the garlic salt until right before the dish goes on the table.

You can store your leftovers for two days. It tastes good on the second day but the crunch is mostly gone. If liquid has set before you eat drain the liquid. Salsa does not freeze well because thawed watermelon and cucumber become mushy.

Watermelon Mango Salsa FAQ

Can I make this without a jalapeño?

Sure! To make this a mild sweet salsa, feel free to leave it out completely or, for some added color and crunch with no heat, substitute with diced red bell pepper. Although the sweet-spicy contrast is what makes this salsa exciting, it is still great without it.

Can I use frozen mango?

If you buy frozen mango, you can thaw it, drain as much liquid as you can (it may be a bit softer in consistency than fresh mango, and thus, a little more liquid will be released in the salsa, but it’s flavor will still be good). Also, if the fresh mangoes at the store are hard and green, frozen will be better.

Can I substitute lime with lemon?

I get what you mean, but lime and lemon do taste different. Lime’s acidity is intensely floral, which pairs nicer with some tropical fruits. Lemon’s acidity is calmer and a bit more rounded. If you’re out of limes, lemon juice will work, but it will make the salsa taste less bright. The juice and zest amounts are the same: 1/4 cup juice and 1 1/2 t of zest.

What chips work best?

Pita chips are a good option because they are also thick enough to keep a complete scoop and are not too much for the mouth at once. Also good are the thick tortilla chips that you might find at a restaurant. If you are trying to use a thick scoop and you want the chip to not break, the small thin tortilla chips on the other hand might make you frustrated.

More Fresh Dips and Salsas Worth Bookmarking

If you like recipes like these, be sure to keep these in mind:

• Canned Tomato Salsa — A classic salsa you can make any time of year using pantry staples. Good for canning if you have the equipment.
• Corn and Black Bean Salsa with Avocado — Another fresh summer salsa that works as a chip dip or topping for grilled fish or tacos.
• Spicy Pretzels — If you want something crunchy and spiced to serve alongside this salsa, these pretzels are an easy make-ahead snack that people always ask for the recipe on.

Please tell me how the watermelon mango salsa turned out in the comments. I especially want to know if you used it with fish or tacos.