This delicious Mexican fruit salad is refreshing and a great side dish for many different meals. Tropical fruits, topped with a minty lime dressing — a tasty combo that's healthy and exciting!
Mexican Fruit Salad Recipe
Mexican fruit salad is a yummy treat that is wonderful for hot summer days. Or, you can simply make it as a quick side dish to go with easy rotisserie chicken enchiladas.
I've even been known to make it around Christmas when we have a Mexican Christmas dinner. This tropical fruit salad really is a great recipe to use whenever you want!
The variety of fresh fruits are juicy and sweet, while the mint lime dressing gives it a unique flavor that is really refreshing. Like all other Mexican food, it is a bold dish that is nothing short of perfection.
So whether you plan to make this recipe for summer gatherings, Cinco de Mayo parties, backyard BBQs, or any other time of year, it is sure to be a hit. It's my new favorite fruit salad, and I bet it will be yours too!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
A good fruit salad is always a crowd hit. There is just so much to love about this super easy recipe:
- You can throw this perfect side dish together in just minutes. It's as simple as slicing fruit, mixing up the dressing, and tossing everything together in a large bowl.
- Fruit salad is a fabulous make-ahead recipe. Prep the entire dish and store it in the fridge until needed. Then you can devote all of your time and energy to making the more difficult food items!
- If you have a lot of dietary restrictions, or are serving others with allergies or dietary preferences, then fruit salad is a great dish to make. Most people can eat the ingredients that are included in this salad! There's no dairy, it is gluten free and does not have added sugar.
Ingredients
You can find everything you need at your local grocery store. Here is a complete list of ingredients to make Mexican fruit salad:
Fruit
- mandarin oranges
- diced mango
- pineapple chunks
- sliced kiwis
- lime wedges
Lime Dressing
- fresh lime juice
- honey
- fresh mint leaves
Substitutions and Variations
I use fresh mandarin oranges, but you could also use canned oranges drained of their juice. Same with the mango and pineapple chunks! Canned is fine if you drain out all of the liquid, but fresh will have a better flavor.
To turn this into a spicy Mexican fruit salad recipe, sprinkle tajin seasoning over the entire salad or each individual serving.
Make a creamy fruit salad with a little condensed milk or plain Greek yogurt mixed into the dressing.
Any fruit combinations will work for this recipe. The tropical fruit is great with mint dressing, however you can add berries or any variety of fruits that you want.
How to Make Mexican Fruit Salad
Follow these simple steps and you'll have the perfect summer salad in no time. Here's what you need to do to make simple Mexican fruit salad:
Chop all the fruit with a sharp knife on a cutting board, then add it to a big serving bowl.
Mix the dressing ingredients together a separate bowl. Taste it, and adjust the level of sweetness with more honey if you want.
Lightly toss the fruit salad to coat each piece of fruit in lime dressing.
Serve the fruit salad immediately, or refrigerate and serve later!
What to Serve with Mexican Fruit Salad
Turn each serving into delicious desserts by serving with homemade whipped cream. Need a dairy-free options? Then make some coconut whipped cream to serve with this fruit salad.
I love to serve this with Mexican dinners. It goes beautifully alongside traditional Mexican rice and Mexican cauliflower rice. And of course it's perfect for taco Tuesday with delicious beef tacos or chicken fajitas. Add in your favorite Mexican cocktail like a Chili Lime Margarita, too.
You don't have to wait for Mexican food though! This yummy fruit salad would also be perfect alongside meals like lemon chicken thighs or grilled chicken drumsticks. Even serve it with a crunchy green salad like grilled chicken salad!
How to Store Fruit Salad
If you want to make the fruit salad ahead of time, chop all of the ingredients and store them separately in the fridge. You can make the dressing too. Then just before serving, stir all the ingredients together.
For ease of storing fruit salad, mix up your salad in a big mixing bowl with a lid or cover it in plastic wrap. But you can also transfer leftovers into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can actually freeze this fruit salad too — it would be great in a pineapple smoothie. Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight.
Tips for Success
This dump-and go-recipe isn't difficult at all, but there are a few tips to make it ever better:
- I find that the flavor is best when you refrigerate the salad after making it. The fruit just tends to have a crunchier texture and the cold temperature almost seems to make the mint have more of a cooling effect.
- Serving this outside in the heat during the summer months? Use an insulated serving bowl to keep it cold.
- If you have the time, cut up fresh fruit to use in this salad. Canned will work but make sure you don't get something that is sweetened.
FAQ
Tajin is a chili lime seasoning that is often put on fruit and other Mexican foods. You can easily turn this recipe into a tajin fruit salad by mixing a bit of it into the lime dressing, or sprinkling it over each serving of fruit.
This recipe uses all tropical fruits, but you can use any fruit combinations that you like. Watermelon and cantaloupe would be great, and any other juicy fruits that pair well with mint and lime. Sweet fruits like strawberries and blueberries are a great idea! Whatever you use, just make sure it is ripe fruit so that it has the best flavor.
More Salad Recipes
If you make and love this recipe, please leave a ★★★★★ review below! It means so much to me when you try my recipes, and I'd love to know how it goes. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Mexican Fruit Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Fruit Salad
- 2 mandarin oranges peeled and divided into slices
- ½ cup mango diced
- ½ cup pineapple chunks
- 2 kiwis cut into slices
- Lime wedges for garnish
Lime Dressing
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice juice from about 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons honey or agave adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Chop fruit and add to serving bowl.
- Mix dressing ingredients in another bowl. Taste and adjust to add more honey if needed. Then drizzle the dressing over fruit.
- Lightly toss fruit to coat in dressing.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate to serve later.
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