This Black Bean Mango Salsa with Tajin is delicious both as an appetizer or as a part of a main. Serve it with tortilla chips or in a protein bowl with roasted fish, chicken, or tofu.
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What Makes This Recipe Great
- Quick and easy - This salsa comes together in as little as 15 minutes! You can cook your own black beans but I like using canned beans to speed up the process. Then it's just a matter of dicing the mango, shallots, cilantro, and jalapeno. So easy!
- Versatile - You can serve this salsa on its own or with other dips as an appetizer, or you can add it to any Mexican-inspired mains or salad. Try it in this Veggie Burrito Bowl instead of the corn salsa!
- Tajin - Adding Tajin to this salsa really makes it go from great to amazing! It's often added to mango and served as a dessert which gave me the idea to add it to this mango salsa. The tart lime and spicy chili flavors really bring out the sweetness of the mango and compliment the black beans.
Ingredients
- Black beans - You can cook your own beans but I prefer using canned beans here because it makes the salsa come together super fast when you're looking for something last minute.
- Mango - I usually use regular large red mangoes for this because they're cheaper and easy to find but Ataulfo mango is an even better option. It's really soft, smooth, and sweet.
- Shallots - Shallots or red onions are both great choices. Shallots are a little milder than red onions and won't overpower the rest of this salsa.
- Fresh cilantro - Fresh herbs make everything better and that's even more true with this salsa! Fresh cilantro really brings it to life so I recommend avoiding dried cilantro. Use parsley if you don't like cilantro.
- Jalapeno - A staple in most salsas because it adds a nice kick without being overly spicy. I recommend removing the seeds and white parts. You can add more or less depending on your preference.
- Tajin - Tajin is a Mexican spice mix made with chili peppers, dehydrated lime, and sea salt. It adds really nice tartness you won't get from lime juice and chili peppers alone so I highly recommend adding tajin to this salsa! If you can't find it at your local grocery store, you can get it on Amazon.
- Lime - Lime juice brightens this salsa and brings out all the flavors. I recommend using freshly squeezed lime juice whenever possible.
Step-by-Step Instructions
There is very little prep to this salsa - all you have to do is chop and dice everything well and toss it together with the tajin and lime juice in a big bowl.
If you're cooking your own black beans, you'll need to give yourself enough time to soak and cook the beans but otherwise, this salsa comes together in less than 15 minutes! I always opt for canned beans for this recipe because it makes this recipe just so much easier!
Serving and Storing
The salsa can be served right away or you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
It's great served as an appetizer with just tortilla chips or you can serve it in a rice bowl with protein like salmon (personal fav!), chicken, or tofu, and roasted veggies. Try it on this Veggie Burrito Bowl instead of the classic corn salsa.
FAQs
Some great additions would be finely chopped tomatoes, avocado, chili peppers, or roasted poblano peppers. You could also add fresh lemon juice to have both lime and lemon flavor.
I don't recommend using any other beans than black beans. You could use chickpeas or other beans but they will change the flavor slightly and if they're bigger, the salsa will be too chunky and will turn into more of a bean salad than salsa.
More Salsa Recipes
Here are two of my favorite salsas I've shared. I will be adding more soon so definitely check back here or go straight to the Appetizers category!
- Roasted Chili Corn Salsa (Chipotle copycat and perfect for late summer when corn is in season)
- Classic Pico de Gallo
- Pineapple Pico de Gallo
- Mango Pico de Gallo
📖 Recipe
Black Bean Mango Salsa
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: appetizer
- Method: mixing
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This salsa is a simple easy-to-make appetizer made with canned black beans and only 5 fresh ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 can (398g) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large mango, peeled and diced
- 1 shallot (or 1 small red onion), peeled and finely diced
- ½ cup packed chopped fresh cilantro
- ½-1 jalapeno, seeds removed, finely diced
- 1-2 teaspoon tajin
- 1-2 limes, juiced
- Optional add-ons: tomatoes, fresh or grilled corn, grilled poblano peppers, avocado
Instructions
- Add black beans, mango, shallot, fresh cilantro, jalapeno, and 1 teaspoon tajin to a large bowl and toss gently to combine. Add the juice of one lime, toss, and add more to taste if needed.
- Serve with tortilla chips or on top of a salad or a protein bowl.
- Store the salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Tajin: If you don’t have tajin, you can just use ½ teaspoon sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
- Cilantro: If you don’t have fresh cilantro, you can use 2 teaspoon dried cilantro but it won’t be as flavorful. You can also use fresh parsley if you don’t like cilantro.
Mikayla
The flavor combination here is sure to please anyone you serve it to. I adore heat in my food, so opted to add 2 jalapenos. I really did not want to share!
Megan
So many great flavours in this recipe. I cannot wait to try it. Thanks for sharing.
Heather
I love fresh salsas! Never tried this combo but can’t wait to try. Perfect for summer!
Allyssa
This black bean mango salsa is so amazing! Its really flavorful and very easy to make! Highly recommended!
veenaazmanov
This is definitely nutritious and healthy. Love the combination of this yummy Salsa.
Kathryn
This salsa has so many delicious flavors and we loved the sweetness from the mangos! Going to make this again and I want to add avocado!
Jessica
I just love how simple and healthy this salsa is! It's got just the right amount of heat and is so bright and fresh. I wasn't sure initially about adding black beans to mango salsa but it works!! I will be making this over and over again this summer, I'm sure.
Marie
I loved the combination of the sweet juiciness of the mango and the earthiness of the black beans. Together with cilantro and lime juice, this salsa was just irresistible! My guests were disappointed because it went so fast 🙈 Next time I'll make a double batch!
Kayla DiMaggio
This black bean mango salsa was a total hit in our household! Everyone was fighting over the last chip to dip.
Moop Brown
This salsa seems so vibrant and flavorful. I love the addition of the tajin as well, looking forward to trying it!