This black bean mango salad is bursting with colors, flavors and freshness and can be used as a salsa with chips or served on grilled chicken, fish or meat!

I call this black bean and mango salad the party salad.
It’s beautiful, dressed and always ready for a good time, whatever the occasion.
It brings color, flavor and fun. Party, party!
The recipe comes from my mom and we've both been making this salad for years now because it's always a hit.
Plus, it's loaded with veggies, which you know I love! We've got black beans and mango, of course, but also tomatoes and corn, cucumber and red onion.
And it's all topped with a simple red wine vinaigrette that brings it all together.
This little salad is also really versatile!
Serving Ideas:
- Serve as a salsa with some tortilla chips or pita chips for dipping
- Use it as a topping for grilled chicken or fish
- Stuff into some fish tacos
- Serve as a side salad for a picnic or BBQ or burger night
- Add a scoop of this salad to a wrap with some turkey/chicken/steak
So many ways to enjoy it!
I also love that it's a make-ahead dish, so it's perfect for bringing to a potluck.
And since it's vegan/vegetarian, gluten-free, low-carb and dairy-free, it's a good one for a crowd. Everyone can dig right in.
(Check out my Google web story for this black bean and mango salad recipe to see more about it.)
Showing up with a gorgeous dish like this is always a good idea - and a good way to be invited back!
Plus, I love having an easy, delicious, go-to recipe in my back pocket that I know will work for almost any occasion. We all need some of those, right?!
Honestly, though, I make it just for us at home, too. We'll snack on it with some chips, have it with grilled chicken, use it as a side salad and then it's gone. Deliciousness.
OK, let's get cooking.
Now, I've got a few more tips and substitutions on this black bean mango salad recipe. Just tryin' to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
- Corn: The recipe calls for a can of white shoepeg corn, but a can of regular corn or Mexicorn would be fine as well. You could also substitute frozen, thawed corn or use fresh corn if it's in season.
- Tomatoes: I generally use two small Roma tomatoes for this recipe. Feel free to substitute another tomato.
- Bell pepper: A red bell pepper or orange bell pepper would both work here - and add fun color.
- Red onion: Red onion is one of my faves, but if you don't like it or don't like raw red onion, you could leave it out.
- Cucumber: A regular cucumber works great here. You could also substitute an English cucumber if you prefer.
Tip: I start with about â…”rds the amount of dressing. Then I mix the salad and see if it needs more.
Since it's going to sit in the fridge, I tend to use it all (either immediately or by adding the rest of the dressing later when I go to stir it), but you can add how much you like to your tastes.
I should also mention that the hot sauce we use -- Crystal brand -- is more flavor than heat, so this salad isn't at all spicy. It just adds some extra oomph. You can adjust the amount, depending on the brand you use and how spicy it is.
Finally, the leftovers of this salad keep great!
Store extra black bean and mango salad, covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. Stir it well to get the dressing all mixed back in before serving.
I hope you give this black bean mango salad a try for your next party, picnic, BBQ or just family dinner night!
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. Looking for more yummy appetizers? Check these out:
- And you can find all of my healthy summer salads here for more delicious recipes!
Black Bean and Mango Salad
This black bean and mango salad is bursting with colors, flavors and freshness and can be used as a salsa with chips or served on grilled chicken, fish or meat!
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 14.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 11 oz. can white shoepeg corn, rinsed and drained
- 1-2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 1 mango, peeled and chopped
For the dressing:
- â…“ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all of the salad ingredients and mix well.
- Separately, combine the dressing ingredients and mix well. (I like to use a small jar or Tupperware container to make dressing. Add everything, cover and shake it, shake it, shake it.)
- Pour dressing over salad, starting with about â…”rds of it and adding more as desired. (See notes below.) You can serve immediately but it gets even better after it sits for a couple of hours in the fridge.
- Enjoy as a side salad, with chips for an appetizer, over grilled chicken or fish, or in a wrap.
Notes
Dressing: You may not need all of the dressing. I usually start with about â…”rds of it and add more as needed. You can save the extra in the fridge to drizzle over as you enjoy the leftovers.
Leftovers: This salad will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to a week. Stir it well to remix it and redistribute the dressing before serving.
Substitutions:
- Corn: The recipe calls for a can of white shoepeg corn, but a can of regular corn or Mexicorn would be fine as well. You could also substitute frozen, thawed corn or use fresh corn if it's in season.
- Tomatoes: I generally use two small Roma tomatoes for this recipe. Feel free to substitute another tomato.
- Pepper: A red bell pepper or orange bell pepper would both work here - and add fun color.
- Onion: Red onion is one of my faves, but if you don't like it or don't like raw red onion, you could leave it out.
- Cucumber: A regular cucumber works great here. You could also substitute an English cucumber if you prefer.
The hot sauce we use -- Crystal brand -- is more flavor than heat, so this salad isn't at all spicy. It just adds some extra oomph. You can adjust the amount, depending on the brand you use and how spicy it is.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
½ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 235mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 5gSugar: 8gProtein: 5g
Note: This post was updated with expanded text and new photographs in May 2020. It was originally published in April 2015.
Lauren @ Create Bake Make
I love how versatile this salad is, I think I'd serve it with some roast chicken. Thank you for linking up with us for Fabulous Foodie Fridays, I hope you have a great weekend 🙂
Kathryn
Thanks Lauren! It really goes well with ALL. THE. THINGS. 🙂 Thanks so much for hosting a lovely party! Have a great week! XO
Frugal Hausfrau
Kathryn, this is just a gorgeous salad! I'm a huge mango fan! Thanks for linking up with us at Throwback Thursday! Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!
Mollie
Kathryn
I've been eating ALL the mangoes lately!! Hope you have a great weekend too, Mollie!
Keira Ball
Will surely make this just for mangoes.
Kathryn Doherty
Yes! They add such a great sweetness and flavor to this salad! 😊