How to Cut a Mango

Guide Note Whether you'd like to enjoy the fruit itself or you need pieces to put in a fruit salad, the large seed in the middle of a mango can make it a challenge to slice neatly. This guide to How to Cut a Mango will help you separate the flesh from the seed without being left with a mess!

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Before You Start
• Get the Seed Out
• Mango Cutting Instructions
• Alternate Method: Layer by Layer
• References for How To Cut A Mango

Cutting a Mango Tips

1. Make sure its not overripe
2. Slice as close to the seed as you can
3. Hold it stem end down
4. Try a mango splitter

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Introduction

• Mangoes are a delicious fruit. They are perfect in salsas, chutneys, smoothies, desserts or simply on their own.^{1 2 3} That said, cutting one can be challenging. Here are some instructions to help you get the flesh off the fruit as neatly as possible!

Before You Start

(Creative Commons photo by Till Westermayer)

• In addition to a ripe mango that needs to be cut, you'll need some basic equipment:⁴

1. Sharp knife or a mango splitter⁵
2. Spoon
3. Cutting board

Ripen the Mango

• Most mangoes are sold before they are ripe.⁶ A ripe mango has a sweet smell, and yields slightly to the touch.⁷ If you wish to accelerate the ripening process, place the fruit in a paper bag with an apple and leave it at room temperature overnight.⁴

Get the Seed Out!

• Mangoes have a large, flat seed in the middle which clings tightly to the flesh. The first thing you need to do is remove the seed, either with a knife or with a mango splitter.

Traditional Knife Method

Remove the seeds. (Creative Commons photo by Nick Gray)

1. Select a ripe, but not overly ripe, mango.⁸
2. Wash it thoroughly.
3. Place the fruit stem end down on a cutting board.
4. While holding the mango, place the knife at the top, about a quarter of an inch from the center.
5. Slice straight down.
6. You will be cutting next to the seed; if you hit resistance, move the knife over slightly.
7. Repeat the process on the other side of the mango.
8. You now have two large slices, and some flesh left on the fruit.
9. Place the center slice flat on the cutting board.
10. Place the tip of the knife between the skin and the mango, and, working around the slice, cut the skin off.
11. Cut the remaining flesh off the mango seed.

Mango Splitter Method

• A mango splitter has two curved blades that go around the seed, separating the two halves of the mango. Since the blade is curved, less fruit is left on the seed than with the previous method.^{9 10}

1. Select a ripe, but not overly ripe, mango. If the mango is too soft, the mango splitter will squash, rather than slice the flesh.¹¹
2. Wash it thoroughly.
3. Place the fruit stem end down on a cutting board.
4. Center the splitter above the mango.
5. Ensure that the widest part of the fruit is aligned with the splitter's opening.
6. Push the splitter down onto the mango to separate the middle seed section.
7. You now have two large slices, and some flesh left on the fruit.
8. Place the center slice flat on the cutting board.
9. Place the tip of the knife between the skin and the mango, and, working around the slice, cut the skin off.
10. Cut the remaining flesh off the mango seed.

Mango Cutting Instructions

• Now that you've gotten the tough part out of the way, you'll want to enjoy the rest of the mango. Here are two different ways you can separate the remaining fruit from the skin.¹² Take a look and decide which method is the right one for you!

Cube the Mango

Cubed mango. (Creative Commons photo by Christina Xu)

• This method will produce chunks of mango, ready to be used in fruit salad, chutney or salsa.

1. Pick up one of the large slices.
   1. Without breaking through the mango skin, cut parallel slices into the mango.
   2. Turn the mango 90 degrees and make parallel cuts on the mango once again, forming a grid pattern.
   3. Turn the mango inside out by pushing up on the skin underneath the fruit.
   4. Using a knife or a spoon, scrape the mango pieces off the skin.^{13 12}
   5. Discard the skin.
2. Enjoy the mango!

Scoop it Out

• Attempting to just scoop the mango out with a spoon is a simpler option than cubing the fruit.⁴ It can be messy, however, and doesn't always get all the flesh out.⁴ A few slices with a knife assists the process.¹²

1. Pick up one of the large slices.
2. Without breaking through the skin, cut parallel slices into the mango.
3. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh.
   • A grapefruit spoon, with a serrated tip, makes the scooping easier.¹⁴
4. Enjoy the mango!

Alternate Method: Layer by Layer

Get as fancy as you'd like! (Creative Commons photo by Robyn Lee)

• A more time consuming, but more precise method to cut a mango involves slicing off layers of the fruit to get to the seed.⁴

1. Select a ripe, but not overly ripe, mango.
2. Wash it thoroughly.
3. Place the fruit stem end down on a cutting board.
4. Starting at the outside of the mango, slice down, removing a very thin layer of skin.
5. Discard this first slice.
6. Move in about 1/4 inch, and make another slice.
7. Continue slicing until the knife hits the seed.
8. Turn the mango around 180 degrees, and repeat the process on the other side.
9. You now have several large slices of mango, and some flesh left on the fruit.
10. Place a slice flat on the cutting board.
11. Place the tip of the knife between the skin and the mango, and, working around the slice, cut the skin off.
12. Repeat for each slice.
13. Cut the remaining flesh off the seed after removing the peel from the center slice.

References for How To Cut A Mango

1. ↑ Simply Recipes: Mango Salsa Recipe
2. ↑ Food Network: Mango Chutney 
3. ↑ Food Network: Mango Lassi: Mango Smoothie 
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} Fresh Mangoes: How to Select and Store Mangoes
5. ↑ Amazon.com: Mango Splitter Customer Reviews
6. ↑ Seattle Times: Marvelous Mango (2001)
7. ↑ Cookthink: How to Pick a Ripe Mango (November 15, 2006)
8. ↑ Coconut&Lime: How to Cut Up a Mango (April 23, 2007)
9. ↑ Kitchen Contraptions: Review...Mango Splitter
10. ↑ Cookthink: What You Need... (October 31, 2006)
11. ↑ Chowhound: Mango (April 24, 2008)
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2} National Mango Board: Three Easy Ways to Cut a Mango
13. ↑ Simply Recipes: How to Cut a Mango
14. ↑ Sam Cooks: All About Mangoes