Five Easy Ways to Cut a Mango

My parents are from the Midwest, and mangoes weren’t a part of our dinner table growing up. Now I’ve come to LOVE mangoes and become a mango-cutting master. (I’m not just tooting my own horn here; I’ve probably shown 20 friends how to do it.) A lot of people have had a bad experience hacking away at a mango with little fruit at the end, and as a result haven’t tried again. Never fear!

Many argue over the best way to cut a mango (my favorite is the slice-and-scoop method from the National Mango Board opens in a new tab). I’ve rounded up ideas from some of my favorite bloggers so you can judge for yourself:

Mango Fingers

The great thing about Kristin’s method at Iowa Girl Eats opens in a new tab is that you can easily control the size of your mango pieces without a lot of extra chopping. Simply cut off the mango “cheeks” on either side of the pit, then slices the cheeks into the desired width. Finally, score each slice without penetrating the skin, and scrape off the cubes with a knife.

Hedgehog

This might just be the most fun method because it involves making a mango “hedgehog.” Score a crosshatch pattern on the cheeks and push the skin side so it flips inside out and fans out the fruit; eat out of hand (probably over a sink – they’re juicy!) or slice the cubes off the skin. Leave it to the ladies at Our Best Bites opens in a new tab to have some fun with the mango, and also share some handy tips on how to select one.

Mango Slicer

If you’ve got extra space in your kitchen drawers, you may want to make room for a mango slicer (OXO opens in a new tab makes a good one). Danielle at Against All Grains opens in a new tab demonstrates how a slicer can be a useful start for any mango cutting method.

Peel and Slice

The brave at heart (and handy with a knife) may prefer peeling the mango first, which can maximize the amount of mango flesh you get. Natalie of Perry’s Plate opens in a new tab and Tasty Kitchen opens in a new tab shows how it’s done and shares a tasty Mango Frozen Yogurt recipe. Use extreme caution, since mangoes can be slippery!