Sweet mangos, cool cucumbers, and a hint of spicy red pepper make this mango cucumber salad the perfect light accompaniment at summer picnics and BBQs.
The sun is shining, the leaves are finally buding on the trees, and summer picnics have taken over my daydreams.
When mangos are ripe and in season, I can’t get enough of this sweet and luscious fruit. I usually enjoy mangos plain and straightforward, but today I had six mangos on hand that were all ripe and ready to eat!
So I decided to do something more unique and developed this Mango Cucumber Salad. It’s sweet and crunchy, with a hint of spice. I left out the red pepper flakes on the kids’ servings, and they gobbled it up! It’s a unique take on a fruit salad, an excellent picnic side dish, or served with tortilla chips as a sweet salsa.
Jump to:
💗 Why You’ll Love Mango Cucumber Salad
Contrasting Flavors: If you are the kind of person who enjoys that sweet and spicy combination, then this is the salad for you! Ripe, sweet mangos, crunchy cucumbers, and spicy red peppers make for a flavor explosion that is so satisfying!
Versatile Side Dish: This salad can be enjoyed as a side dish at a picnic or BBQ, but it can also be added on top of fresh greens to make a larger salad or as a topping for tropical burgers or even a salsa with tortilla chips!
Nutritious and Suitable for All Diets: This dish is a great one to bring to a party or gathering. It is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free. It’s also oil-free for those following a whole-food plant-based diet.
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Mangos: Be sure your mangos are ripe and have a bit of a give when you give them a gentle squeeze. Dice them and set them aside.
Cucumber: I prefer an English or Persian cucumber, as they have fewer seeds, and the skin is not tough and doesn’t need to be peeled.
Red Onion: This adds a bit of a bite to the salad. Add more or less, depending on how much you like raw onions.
Red Bell Pepper: The red bell pepper is sweet and complements the mango. You could also use a yellow or orange bell pepper.
Lime Juice: The simple dressing for this salad includes the tangy juice of one lime.
White Vinegar: Use white vinegar instead of other types of vinegar for the dressing because it will not discolor the fruits and vegetables in the salad.
Red Pepper Flakes: Add the red pepper flakes for a touch of spice, or leave them out if you don’t like your spicy food.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Mango Cucumber Salad
- Peel and dice mangoes. Chop cucumber into small chunks. Finely dice onion and red pepper. Add to a large bowl.
- Squeeze the juice of one lime over the top of the salad. Add white wine vinegar and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.
- Serve cold. Enjoy!
Note: If you have the time refrigerate and allow the salad to marinate for 1 hour before serving. This helps meld all the flavors together.
❓ Recipe FAQS
I recommend using an English cucumber. It has fewer seeds in the center, and the skin is less tough than a traditional cucumber. You do not have to spend extra time peeling or removing the seeds using an English cucumber.
If you don’t have an English cucumber on hand, you can use a regular cucumber, but be sure to remove the skin and seeds.
It’s got a kick, but it’s not too spicy. Although I’ve been told I have a higher spice tolerance than others. If you’re not into spicy, you can leave the red pepper flakes out altogether or reduce the amount you use. Since my kids are not fans of anything spicy, I scoop out a portion for the two of them before adding the red pepper flakes.
If you don’t have white wine vinegar, use a bit more lime juice. White wine vinegar adds more acidity to the salad and helps it stay for a more extended period. You can also use rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead. Do not use red wine vinegar, as it will discolor the salad.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
This cucumber mango salad is great because it is so versatile.
- Enjoy it as a light lunch paired with steamed brown rice and cubed tofu.
- Pair it as a side dish with your favorite veggie burger, or serve it on top of your burger for a tropical twist.
- Dice the vegetables and fruit finely, and pair the sald with tortilla chips as a fruity salsa.
📝 Expert Tips
- Be sure mangoes are ripe. They will be soft to the touch and fragrant.
- Chop mango and cucumber into cubes of similar size for uniformity.
- Finely dice the onion and red pepper into smaller pieces.
- Use fresh lime juice.
- If you have time before serving, allow the salad to marinate for an hour to absorb the flavors and spices.
📋 Variations
Fresh Herbs: Consider adding roughly chopped cilantro, basil, or fresh mint to give the salad a refreshing flavor.
Added Fat: If you feel the salad lacks creaminess, consider adding diced avocado or a tablespoon of olive oil to the vinegar to give it a richer texture.
Salt and Pepper: Give it a bit of salt and ground black pepper to taste before serving.
🫙 Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Although the salad is best made and enjoyed fresh, the vinegar will help keep the salad for longer.
😋 More Mango Recipes!
🎥 Video
Recipe
Mango Cucumber Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 mangoes diced
- 1 English cucumber diced
- ½ cup red onion diced
- ½ cup red pepper diced
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Peel and dice mangoes. Chop cucumber into small chunks. Finely dice onion and red pepper.
- Combine mangoes, cucumber, red onion, and red pepper in a large bowl. Squeeze the juice of one lime, and add to the the salad. Add white wine vinegar and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- Be sure mangoes are ripe. They will be soft to the touch and fragrant.
- Chop mango and cucumber into similar size cubes for uniformity.
- Finely dice the onion and red pepper into smaller pieces.
- Use fresh lime juice.
- Optional: Allow salad to marinate for an hour to absorb the flavors and spices.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Cristina Morales
No salt?
Alison Corey
You may add salt if you choose, but I do not add salt to this recipe.
Toni
This is such a delicious salad! Perfect combination of flavors!
Gwynn
This salad was a hit at our barbecue this weekend. It’s so colorful, so delicious and so easy to make too!
Natalie
Lovely summer salad Alison! During the summer I enjoy salad in all versions, thank you!
Amy
Love this easy side salad! It goes with basically everything and tastes so fresh and delicious!
Claudia Lamascolo
I love everything in this salad and its perfect for summer mango is a nice addition!
Lora Lanier
So different and delicious.
My husband likes pineapple so I wonder if that could’ve a sub for mangoes (which are MY favorite)?
SHANIKA
This is such a refreshing looking salad! I’m loving the combo of Mangos + Cucumber! YUM!
Anita
This is one of the most refreshing salad I’ve tasted. Love the pairing of mango and cucumber.
Mary
I love how fresh and light this salad is! The mix of textures and sweet and savory flavors is great!
Kelly Anthony
This mango cucumber salad will make the perfect side dish to any bbq this summer.
Jere Cassidy
I don’t know what could be more refreshing than this salad. I would have never thought to mix mango and cucumbers but they sound so good together. I love how simple this is to make.