Mardi Gras Salad – Boozy Fresh Fruit Salad Recipe
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Mardi Gras Salad is a boozy tropical fresh fruit salad with all of the flavors of a New Orleans Hurricane cocktail. It’s the perfect Mardi Gras Party Side dish!
This post was updated from 2017 to improve reader experience.
What better way to celebrate Mardi Gras than with a Hurricane? If you answered a fresh fruit Hurricane flavored Mardi Gras Salad, you would be correct! You would also be the hit of the party.
It’s sweet, fruity, and boozy, so it contains all the hallmarks of a good party drink or the perfect Salad for a Mardi Gras Party
We love Mardi Gras and just can’t let a celebration go by without raising the proverbial glass and declaring Cheers! Instead of a glass, I’m raising a bowl of our boozy fruit salad!
When we posted the Shrimp, Duck Andouille Gumbo, also in celebration of Mardi Gras, I talked about how we look for any reason to celebrate.
So, when we were trying to come up with a recipe to celebrate this year, we kept thinking of the popular Hurricane drink that everyone enjoys on Bourbon Street in New Orleans Louisiana.
Most Mardi Gras salads are green salads mixed with oranges or mandarines. We dared to be different!
What is a Hurricane Drink?
A Hurricane is a a popular strong tropical drink originating in New Orleans.
A Hurricane tastes like tropical fruit and rum. The alcohol is very forward making this Mardi Gras cocktail anything but a foo-foo drink.
Several establishments limit the number they’ll serve to an individual with good reason!
Mardi Gras Fruit Salad Ingredients
A traditional Hurricane cocktail is a mixture of rum, fruit juice (often passion fruit), syrup or grenadine, and then topped with an orange slice and cherry. Here are the Ingredients for our boozy fruit salad.
- Dark, Pale, or Gold rum – we recommend using a good sipping rum and not a spiced rum which will affect the flavor. In this recipe, we used Diplomatico but also like Pyrat.
- White rum – a clear rum. We tend to choose rum from the Dominican Republic or Barbados.
- Orange Juice – fresh squeezed is best or 100% orange juice, not from concentrate.
- Lime juice – fresh squeezed.
- Honey
- Fresh Fruit – We chose fruit that wouldn’t break down quickly such as raspberries, blackberries, and melons.
- Kiwi
- Strawberries
- Oranges
- Blueberries
- Pineapple
- Maraschino cherries mainly as a garnish.
Variations
This salad is delicious as is, and you can use any fruit to your liking. We give you tips for picking the perfect fruit in our “Tips” section. Additional ideas for this salad are as follows:
- Shredded coconut
- Fresh mint
- Pecans or a chopped nut of your choice
You can, of course, leave out the booze and it will still be a delicious salad.
Tips for the perfect Hurricane Salad
- Cut the fruit into bite-sized pieces.
- We dress the salad and chill it about 30 minutes prior to serving. It stays crisp but still picks up the dressing flavors.
- To make ahead, cut up the fruit earlier in the day or even the day before and but don’t mix the fruit together. Refrigerate it in separate containers.
- This Mardi Gras salad recipe can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- The acidity and the honey will help keep it from oxidizing which is what breaks fruit down and makes it mushy.
- It’s best to drain any extra juices from the bowl prior to storing. The additional juice can make the salad soggy and the rum can become overbearing or bitter.
- We don’t recommend freezing this fresh fruit salad.
More Recipes for Mardi Gras
Our Mardi Gras Salad is perfect for any Mardi Gras side dish! Here are a few more Mardi Gras recipes that we make all year round!
When we put this party salad together, we wanted the bright colors that represent Mardi Gras. This salad is fresh, naturally sweet, and a little boozy.
It would compliment a jambalaya, gumbo, or other savory dishes perfectly and would be a hit at any celebration.
Pin this boozy fruit salad!
Hurricane Fresh Fruit Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 10-12 cups fresh fruit cut into bite-sized pieces
Dressing
- 1-1/2 ounces dark rum
- 1-1/2 ounces light rum
- 1/4 cup orange juice Fresh Squeezed
- 1/8 cup lime juice Fresh Squeezed
- 1/4 cup honey
- Maraschino Cherries
Instructions
- In a small sized bowl mix rum, orange juice, lime juice, and honey.
- Pour liquid over fruit.
- Cover and allow to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Stir and garnish with Maraschino cherries before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
I hope you will join me in celebrating Mardi Gras this year by raising this boozy Hurricane Fresh Fruit Salad bowl too! Cheers!
Now this is one beautiful fruit salad! Love the boozy addition. We sprinkled a little coconut flakes on top. Great suggestion. YUM.
Love the coconut garnish! It’s definitely a party-worthy salad!
This is such a colorful and easy salad to make. It’s perfect with a green salad for light lunch.
Thanks, Debi!
My family loves a good boozy fruit salad… but Ive never had so many great fruit options in one salad! Keeping this in my back pocket for game day watching! I mean fruit is heathly right? So so good!
Thanks, Michele! Game day is a great idea!
We love this colorful salad – Mardi Gras or not! It brightens up the table and goes with anything. It’s my go-to for family pot lucks!
Thanks, Michaela! It’s a party in a bowl!
Such a fun and refreshing salad that is not only flavorful, but easy too! Love it!
Thank you, Sara! It’s perfect for a few or a party!
Nothing better than a fresh bowl of fruit! I can eat it any time of the day.
Thanks, Jess!
This looks so delicious and yummy! My hubby is going to love this recipe!
Thank you, Beth! It’s so much fun!
Yummmm! Definitely keeping this recipe handy for Mardi Gras!
Thank you, Rachel!
I love this salad especially here in Florida its perfect!
Thank you, Claudia! I can see it would be perfect with the Florida climate!
What a great idea! Refreshing and pretty.
I am going to save your recipe and make it soon! Looks so good! Thanks for sharing Julie:)
Thank you! We really enjoyed it and I hope you’ll stop back and let me know what you think.
Yum, such a great idea Julie! There is no better way to celebrate!
Thank you, dear Antonia!
Your fruit salad bowl is just gorgeous. I love all the vibrant color and the spike of delicious rum flavor. It really is a light a refreshing treat for any occasion. Thanks for sharing:)
Thank you Lily! We really enjoyed it and I joked about the breakfast smoothies that it would make the next morning.
Simple, fresh and fun! What a great recipe, Julie! I’ll have seconds – burp!!! 🙂
Thank you Mollie LOL! I’m raising the proverbial fruit bowl to you! Cheers!
That’s the kind of hurricane I like! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna have a boozy fruit salad. Thank you, Julie! 🙂
Hi Ana! Is there anything that we can’t put a little booze in LOL?
Boozy fruit? Sure I’ll have a bowl, a big bowl 🙂
LOL! Thanks, Judi! Just think of the breakfast smoothie you could have the next day?
It is easy peasy and lemon squeeze…like literally and with all that rum and citrus…must be amazing… perfect to raise a toast
Thank you, Sonal! It was fun to make and yummy to eat.
This looks very festive and colorful! I agree–we do look for any reason to celebrate and that is a great thing! Cheers and have a great weekend!
Thanks, Jenny! I’m with you, just give me a reason to celebrate LOL!
What’s not to love about drunk fruit 😉 Looks great!
Thanks, Sarah! It was a fun dish to make and eat.
Ha-ave mercy! Now you’re talking’ Julie!
That really does sound delightful — especially since it’s been such a mild winter. TGIF and happy Mardi Gras. Mega hugs.
Thank you, Teagan! I guess I just look for any reason to celebrate you know? Big hugs young lady!
LOL. I do that. Sometimes, if I can’t think of any other excuse, I buy a bottle of Spumante and celebrate Thursday!
Ohhh Teagan…Spumante fruit salad! I love it!
Boozy fruit salad?! Yes, please! What a great way to spruce up the classic fruit salad.
Thank you Mara! Any reason for a party right?
Fruit and rum…count me in!
LOL! Cheers Colleen!
Wonderful idea for a Mardi Gras party, thank you for sharing your recipe!
Thank you, Becky for stopping by and leaving such a sweet comment! Cheers!
Well what better way to celebrate Mardi Gras huh? Love all those colors in the fruit….dark AND light rum? Pass me a glass please, I’ll help myself 🙂
LOL it’s just fruit right? I should have put it in a margarita glass!
I love that you make boozy fruit! <3
Thank you Debbie! Cheers!