Ingredients For Tropical Fruit Salad

1. Mango. Make sure you use mangoes that are ripe but still firm for the best flavor.

2. Pineapple. Let the pineapple you use be left on the counter top to ripen for a few days. That way it gets really sweet and makes the best salad!

3. Papaya. Papaya is a tropical fruit with a mild sweet flavor like cantaloupe. Substitute with cantaloupe if you can’t find it.

4. Watermelon.Watermelon adds color and pairs so well with the tropical fruits.

Other fruits you could add:

– Bananas. Bananas work in a tropical fruit salad providing a creamy texture and more flavor. However, note that bananas start to turn brown when peeled and cut. To solve this be sure to squeeze lemon juice over bananas after cutting them so they retain their color. Also note that bananas tend to get mushy in fruit salads so they are not always the perfect choice.

– Kiwis. Kiwis provide a bright green color to a tropical fruit salad.

– Shredded coconut. This adds texture to a fruit salad.

fruit salad in bowl, half a papaya and lime nearby

Tropical Fruit Salad Dressing

If the tropical fruits you use in a salad are well ripened and sweet, you do not really need to add any sweetness to them. That’s why we simply dressed this salad with lime zest and lime juice.

However, for fruits with a moderate amount of sourness you could make a simple Honey Lime Dressing to go with the fruit salad.

Honey Lime Dressing

To make honey lime dressing, whisk together 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon of lime zest.

Sugar Lime Dressing

Sugar Lime dressing is an alternative to honey lime lime dressing. To make Sugar Lime Dressing, whisk together 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of lime zest.

fruit salad in a large mixing bowl, hand mixing salad with a wooden spoon

How it comes together

You can make tropical fruit salad in 2 easy steps.

1. Wash peel and cut fruit into bite size pieces.

2. Place fruits in a bowl and drizzle over dressing. Toss well to combine.

Cook notes

Use fruits that are very ripe but still firm for the best flavor and texture. That way they are very sweet with intense flavor but they do not turn mushy.
Cut all the fruits to be about the same size. This makes the fruit salad visually appealing and easier to eat.

Leftovers

To store fruit salad, cover the salad tightly with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge. Fruit salad will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups bite-size pineapple chunks, about 1 small pineapple or half a medium pineapple
2 cups bite-size papaya chunks, we used Mexican papaya
2 cups bite-size watermelon chunks
2 bite-size mango chunks, about 2 mangoes
Optional Garnishes: lime zest and/or mint leaves.

Easy Lime Dressing

1 teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice

Method

Place all fruits in a large bowl.
Mix all ingredients for the dressing and pour over the fruits. Toss to combine and garnish with lime zest and/or mint leaves.
Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and chill for one hour before serving.