Food

How to Cut a Mango 3 Ways: The Definitive Guide to Peeling, Slicing, and Cubing Mangos

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Aug 4, 2021 • 4 min read

From fruit salad to mango salsa, mangoes are a deliciously versatile fruit. But they can be difficult to cut properly. Mangos have a thick, impenetrable skin that makes hand-peeling a challenge. They’re also slippery and have a thick oval-shaped pit you have to cut around. Fortunately, once you know how to slice them, you’ll be able to whip up mango recipes all summer long.

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The Easiest Way to Peel a Mango

You can slice the skin off of a mango using a knife, but you risk cutting yourself and may cut off too much delicious fruit. The best way to peel a mango is with a vegetable peeler:

  1. 1. Hold the mango in one hand, maintaining a strong grip while keeping your fingers out of the way.
  2. 2. Place the blade of a sharp peeler against the mango skin. Wiggle it back and forth to break the skin slightly, and then pull to peel the skin.
  3. 3. Repeat until the entire mango is peeled.

How to Peel a Mango Using a Drinking Glass

If you don’t have a peeler, you can also use a drinking glass to remove the peel. The method isn’t as effective as using a peeler, because the rim of a glass isn’t as sharp as a knife, but it works in a pinch or as a fun party trick:

You’ll need:

  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife
  • Drinking glass with a thin rim
  • Small paring knife
  1. 1. Using one hand, stand the mango on its end with the stem facing up (so you can use it as a guide to know where the mango pit is). With your other hand, take a sharp knife and slice down on one side of the pit, slightly off-center (to avoid slicing through the pit).
  2. 2. Repeat on the other side of the pit. You’ll have three mango pieces: two halves and the slimmer middle section, which contains the pit.
  3. 3. Place one mango half atop a drinking glass with a thin rim. Slide the mango down and against the rim of the glass, using it to separate the mango flesh from the glass. Remove the mango from the glass and repeat with the other half.
  4. 4. Slice the mango meat as desired.
  5. 5. Using a small paring knife, cut the pit out of the third mango piece. Slice off any extra edible scraps so they don’t go to waste.

How to Cut a Mango Into Cubes

The easiest way to slice a mango is to cut it into cubes. You’ll need:

  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife
  • Small paring knife
  • Spoon (optional)
  1. 1. Using one hand, stand the mango on its end with the stem facing up (so you can use it as a guide to know where the mango pit is). With your other hand, take a sharp knife and slice down on one side of the pit, slightly off-center (to avoid slicing through the pit).
  2. 2. Repeat on the other side of the pit. You’ll have three mango pieces: two halves and the slimmer middle section, which contains the pit.
  3. 3. Take one mango half and using a knife, make lengthwise and crosswise cuts in the shape of a grid, avoiding cutting through the skin. Invert the mango so the mango cubes stick out.
  4. 4. Peel the mango cubes off with your fingers, scoop them out with a spoon, or cut them away from the skin with a small paring knife. Repeat with the other mango half
  5. 5. Using the small paring knife, cut the pit out of the third mango piece and remove the peel. Slice off any extra edible scraps so they don’t go to waste.

How to Cut a Mango That’s Already Peeled

Be careful, because the mango will be slippery without its peel. You’ll need:

  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife
  • Small paring knife
  1. 1. Slice off the stem end of the mango.
  2. 2. Set the mango on its side. Using one hand, maintain a firm grip while keeping your fingers out of the way. With your other hand, take a sharp knife and slice down through on one side of the pit, slightly off-center (to avoid slicing through the pit).
  3. 3. Repeat on the other side of the pit. You’ll have three mango pieces: two halves and the slimmer middle section, which contains the pit.
  4. 4. Slice the mango meat into cubes or thin strips, depending on your preference or what your recipe calls for.
  5. 5. Using a small paring knife, cut the pit out of the third mango piece. Slice off any extra edible scraps so they don’t go to waste.

What Is a Mango Pitter?

All of the mango-cutting methods listed above have one thing in common: You need to slice the mango into three parts to get rid of the pit. You can skip this step and buy a mango pitter, a kitchen tool that cuts the fruit into three perfect pieces for you. Mango slicers have a sharp blade that removes the two halves from the pit and salvages as much of the fruit as possible.

A mango pitter isn’t necessary, but it will help you get the perfect cut mango every time so you can worry less about prep and focus more on your delicious recipes.

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