Better than Costco’s Mango Salsa Recipe

I am so excited to share this Better than Costco Mango Salsa recipe with you today! I named this recipe before I tried Costco’s latest version. This version not only tastes significantly better, but harnesses all of the health power of fresh ingredients. I’ve also included some big time-saving options that can keep your prep time to a minimum without sacrificing health or flavor.

This salsa makes an amazing flavor combo with my Super Speedy Taco Filling recipe coming next! It’s one of my favorites from my Plant-Strong Family Favorites eBook, which as long as baby cooperates should be released in the next few weeks.

Amazing Taco Salad

Years ago my family discovered the mango salsa at Costco. My aunt would put it over shredded chicken, and with all the taco salad fixings it made for an amazing, crowd-pleasing meal. But as any faithful Costco shopper knows, you can’t always count on certain items being there. More than once we decided to make a mango taco salad bar for a large group, only to get to Costco and discover there was no salsa. Or that they had a new brand, and one that we didn’t like as much. Over the years I’ve found ways to work the magic of mangoes into a lot of our Mexican foods–the sweet pop of flavor is such a delicious complement!

But it wasn’t until a few years at a salsa tasting contest that my cousin’s wife and great friend Emily created this magic. Emily is a pastry chef and cook extraordinaire, and she created the perfect combination of mangoes and heat in this salsa. She brilliantly blended half of the ingredients, leaving the rest in chunks which made for the perfect consistency and flavor.

This Mango Salsa makes the most amazing Taco Salad. Grab your Ultimate Taco Salad Cheatsheet to get this recipe and along with guacamole, super speedy taco filling and many more recipes and a planning list all on the same page. It seriously saves me SO MUCH TIME to have all of the recipes in one place and quickly make a plan ahead of time.

How to Choose Your Mangoes

Once my kids got a good laugh when they told a coach mangoes were their favorite fruit. “Fancy!” she said. Picking and cutting mangoes can be a intimidating if you’re not used to, so I’ll share some tips. But a little secret is that this salsa also works with thawed, frozen mangoes which is not only a great time saver, but can even be more nutritious. Did you know that frozen fruit and vegetables often have higher nutrient content than fresh? Freezing produce shortly after it’s harvested preserves nutrients that can be lost during long transport times, so I always fill my cart with lots frozen fruit and vegetables when I go to Costco and always keep plenty on hand in my extra freezer. And when you consider that they are already peeled, cut and ready to go I believe that in most cases a higher price per pound is worthwhile, at least at Costco where the quality you get for the price is very good.

Fresh mangoes however are delicious when you can get them. I most often buy the larger mangoes that have green and pink skins. I’m guessing these are the Tommy Atkins based on Mango.org. Honey, or Ataulfo are also delicious, but are not as available year round and are also smaller which means more peeling and cutting. Most important is that you choose good mangoes, so look for mangoes that are bruise-free. Very firm mangoes will ripen on your counter but will be hard and tart before they soften. Mangoes are ripe when they yield to gentle pressure, which generally a few days on the counter will be enough for firm mangoes I picked up at the store.

Peeling and cutting can feel like a chore. I know a lot of people are a fan of the method that you cut the mango into chunks while still attached to the peel, and then cut them off. Do whatever works for you, but I prefer to peel the whole mango with my trusty tomato knife, then cut the fruit off the pit and dice it.

You’re going to need around 4 cups of mango, so this is about 3 large mangoes or 5 small honey mangoes.

Another time saver I’ve employed is using Jalapeno Tabasco instead of an actual jalapeno. My family members are not big spice eaters I don’t really like to mess with the jalapenos in general. They can be finicky in just how spicy they are, and if you do get one that’s super spicy and then touch your face, you may be thinking about that jalapeno for a while! But it’s super easy to just add Tabasco a few drops at a time until you arrive at the heat you would like.

Use this salsa to take any favorite Mexican food a notch higher! It’s delicious as is on chips, but will complement tacos, taco salad, burritos beautifully!

Print Recipe

Better than Costco's Mango Salsa

Prep Time

20 minutes

Servings

cups

Ingredients

• 4 cups diced mango 3 large mangoes, 5 small mangoes, or thawed frozen mango chunks
• 1 jalapeno halved and seeded gloves recommended for this step, or sub green Tabasco
• 1/2 red onion, quartered
• big handful cilantro
• 1 red pepper seeded and quartered
• 1-2 TBSP lime juice to taste
• 1-2 tsp salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp cumin to taste

Prep Time 20 minutes Servings cups Ingredients 4 cups diced mango 3 large mangoes, 5 small mangoes, or thawed frozen mango chunks 1 jalapeno halved and seeded gloves recommended for this step, or sub green Tabasco 1/2 red onion, quartered big handful cilantro 1 red pepper seeded and quartered 1-2 TBSP lime juice to taste 1-2 tsp salt to taste 1/2 tsp cumin to taste

Instructions

1. In blender or food processor, blend 2 cups mango, 1/2 jalapeno, 1/4 onion, big handful cilantro, 2 quarters of the red pepper, 1 TBSP lime juice, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp cumin until it's well chopped/minced but not completely smooth.
2. Small the dice the remaining mango, jalapeno, onion, red pepper and stir into blended portion for a balance of saucy and chunky. Taste on tortilla chip to test the seasoning. Add more lime juice, salt, or cumin to your liking.

Recipe Notes

To omit jalapeno, simply add Green Jalapeno Tabasco a few drops at a time until spiciness level is reached.