How to Cut a Mango: 3 Ways

Mangoes are sweet, fragrant tropical fruits that are often used in salads and smoothies. But if you’ve never cut a mango before, the task can be pretty intimidating! After all, mangoes have a large, wide pit that is difficult to work around.

The key is to slice the mango in very specific spots. Once you know where to place your knife, you can slice the fruit and enjoy as much of the golden flesh as possible.

Ready to learn how to cut a mango? Here are three common methods as well as some extra mango knowledge to help you get the most out of this tropical treat.

Nutritional Benefits of Mangos

Mangoes are packed with a number of vitamins and minerals that are vital for optimal health. These include:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Copper
• Folate
• Niacin

In addition to these nutrients, mangoes are also chock-full of antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and slow the aging process. Some studies have even linked a diet high in mangoes and similar foods to better heart and eye health, and a reduced risk for certain cancers.

How to Tell If a Mango is Ripe

Telling if a mango is ripe is tricky, especially since you can’t base ripeness off of color. Different types of mangos have different color variations. Mango skin on some types is bright yellow or red when ripe, while others still have a lot of green coloring when they are ready to eat.

Instead of focusing on color, use the fruit’s smell, feel, and shape to guide you to the ripest option.

Smell – A ripe mango will have a noticeably sweet scent that is reminiscent of that optimal flavor of mango. Mangos that aren’t yet ready to eat have little to no smell while overripe ones have a very strong, almost sour aroma.

Feel – A firm mango is a fruit not yet ready to eat. Instead, look for a fruit with a little give when you press your thumb into it. It shouldn’t be so soft that dents appear the second you pick it up, but just soft enough to give under a little pressure.

Shape – Ripe mangos have a rounder, more filled-out appearance than unripe ones. Once they’re ready to eat, the mango flesh around the stalk will protrude outwards. Firmer mangos that are not yet ripe will have more of a flattened or pointed look at the stem end.

If you do end up with a firm mango, don’t worry, these fruits will ripen with a little time. To speed up the ripening process, you can place them in a paper bag with some apples or bananas, roll the top of the bag closed, and leave them on the counter for a few days. The fruits will release ethylene gas, which hastens the ripening process. 

How to Cut Mangos

Method #1: With a Knife

Place the mango on a cutting board, stem facing away from your knife. Slice off the bottom to create a flat surface.

This will allow you to stand the mango upright, making it safer to cut the mango from top to bottom.

Place the knife along the top of the mango. Slice off the wider side, making sure to avoid the pit. If you feel the pit, shift your knife outward a bit.

Once you slice through, you’ll have one mango cheek. Repeat on the other side.

In each of the cheeks of mango, score across the flesh with a paring knife. Slice just until you hit the mango peel, but don’t cut all the way through.

Repeat in the opposite direction to create a grid.

Push the peel upward until the cubes of mango pop out. At this point, you can slice off the chunks with a sharp knife.

Alternatively, you can scoop out the chunks with a spoon. If some of the pieces are still connected, simply cut them apart.

Pretty easy, right? When scoring the mango, you can make the grid as big or as small as you’d like. Bigger pieces would be useful for dishes like fruit kabobs, while diced mango works well for putting mango in salsa and adding it to smoothies.

Method #2: With a Glass

Hold your mango steady and slice off the bottom and sides. Next, use a glass to peel the mango halves by digging the edge of the glass into the flesh just below the mango peel, then scoop out the flesh.

This option is messier than scoring the flesh, but it’s still a useful trick. Once you’ve removed the flesh, place each piece of the mango flat and cut it into strips or cubes.

Method #3: With a Mango Cutter

Another option is to use a dedicated mango slicer, also known as a mango splitter. This gadget is handy if you’re looking for a quick and seamless way to cut mangoes. We used this mango slicer, peeler, and pit remover tool, which is highly rated on Amazon.

These slicers work with most types of mangos with the possible exception of the extra-large varieties.

One part of the tool is a mango holder, which holds the mango steady and prevents it from rolling around. The other half is a mango slicer with serrated blades, which fits perfectly around the pit. After slicing away the mango cheeks, you can peel each one against the bottom portion.

To use a mango splitter, place the mango in the holder, stem side up. Make sure the mango is snug.

Place the slicer on top, making sure the oval center is around the stem. The curved blades should also line up with the wider sides of the mango.

Push downward, gently rocking the slicer back and forth to work it into the mango. Continue until the slicer cuts right through.

From here, you can peel the mango cheeks against the bottom of the holder or score them with a paring knife.

What to Do With Mango Pits

Is your first instinct is to toss the pit? Not so fast. Often, there’s a decent amount of flesh left on the pit, whether you used a knife or cutter to slice your mango.

First, remove any leftover skin with a peeler or paring knife.

Slice off the remaining flesh around the pit.

When you’ve cut off the leftover flesh, toss the pit in a jug of water. Store it in the refrigerator overnight for a jug of refreshing, mango-infused water!

How to Store Freshly Cut Mango

Once you have your mango pieces, you have two choices: you can devour them immediately or save them for later!

For the latter option, you’ll need an airtight container to place them in. For mango cubes and strips of mango, a Tupperware will work just fine. For mango halves, you can use wax cloth to cover them, or plastic wrap if that’s all you have.

Place the container in the fridge. Fresh cut mango stored this way will be good for up to five days. Pre-cut mango makes an excellent healthy snack and can easily be added to a mango salad, fresh mango salsa, or homemade mango fruit rollups.

You can also freeze your mango chunks to use in the future. Frozen mango, especially if it is already cut to size, makes a great addition to smoothies.

For more cutting guides, visit our tutorials:

• How to Slice a Tomato
• How to Cut Green Onions
• How to Cut Avocado
• How to Cut Leeks
• How to Cut Cauliflower