Mango-and-Avocado Salsa

Easy and delicious, our mango-avocado salsa is a colorful, bright tasting complement to all kinds of grilled or broiled chicken, fish, and meats. We also love it as a vegan dip with crunchy tortilla chips—the sweetness of the mango is balanced by fiery habanero chile and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Since this recipe contains just a few ingredients, it’s important that the mango and avocado are at their peak ripeness so they add the most flavor to the salsa. For less heat, you can swap the habanero for a jalapeño pepper or simply leave it out all together.

How to Tell If Mango and Avocado are Ripe

• A mango is ripe when its color has shifted from green to a orange or red. It should give off a sweet smell and yield just slightly to gentle pressure.
• A ripe avocado will yield to gentle pressure, but a light squeeze shouldn't leave an imprint. The skin will range from very dark green to dark brown to eggplant purple and will be bumpy in texture.

Two Ways to Dice a Mango for This Salsa

With its slippery flesh and oblong pit, a mango can be daunting to cut, but we've got two different methods to get it done safely and effectively.

Peel, slice, and dice: Use a peeler to remove the skin from the mango, then use a clean, folded dish towel to hold the mango steady while you slice off both "cheeks" (the wider sides), followed by the narrower sides. Lay each piece flat on your cutting board and dice into half-inch-wide cubes.

Slice, score, and scoop: An alternative method skips the peeling all together. Instead, you'll use a knife to slice off the cheeks, followed by the narrower sides. Place each cheek skin side down on your cutting board and score a cross-hatch pattern into the flesh, stopping just before you meet the skin; use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Remove the skin from the narrow pieces by running your knife between the fresh and the skin, then dice the flesh.