How to Cut Dragon Fruit

Co-authored by Ed Kuoha

Last Updated: March 5, 2023 References Approved

Dragon fruit sounds exotic, but it couldn’t be simpler to eat. After you have found a ripened fruit, all you have to do is cut the fruit into halves or quarters. The skin is easy to peel off by hand or remove by scooping out the edible fruit. There is no washing or other extra steps needed. The fruit tastes like a crunchier, less sweet kiwi, so eat it raw, chilled, or in a smoothie.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cutting the Dragon Fruit in Half

1
Slice the dragon fruit in half. Place the fruit on a cutting board and get a sharp knife. Leaving the skin intact, cut the fruit lengthwise. A single cut down from the stem separates the fruit into 2 halves, revealing the edible white fruit inside.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Ed Kuoha
Chef
Expert Interview. 9 November 2021.}
2
Use a spoon to separate the fruit from the skin.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Ed Kuoha
Chef
Expert Interview. 9 November 2021.} Slide the spoon between the pink skin and the white fruit. Lift the spoon to remove the fruit. The edible part comes away from the skin very easily, so doing this shouldn’t require a lot of effort.^{[3]
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Research source}
- Another variety of dragon fruit is red inside instead of white. It’s still safe to eat, but not as common as the white variety.
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3
Chop the fruit into cubes. Place the 2 halves of the fruit on the cutting board, discarding the skin. The black seeds in the white fruit are edible, so there is no need to remove them. All you have to do is roughly chop the fruit into a manageable size and eat it.^{[4]
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- You can eat the fruit raw or, for added flavor, try incorporating it into a smoothie or fruit salad.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Quartering the Dragon Fruit

1
Peel the skin off the dragon fruit. Locate the top part of the fruit, which is the woody stem. The skin pieces should open around it.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Ed Kuoha
Chef
Expert Interview. 9 November 2021.} To peel the skin, grab the pieces at the opening and peel them off like you would with a banana, leaving only the white, edible core.^{[6]
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Research source}
- You can also quarter the fruit before peeling off the skin. Either way works as well as the other.
2
Cut the fruit into 4 quarters. Place the fruit on your cutting board and find your knife. First, cut the fruit in half vertically. Turn the halves so they’re flat on the cutting board. Cut horizontally across each one to separate the dragon fruit into 4 pieces.^{[7]
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Research source}
3
Chop the fruit into bite-size pieces. Take each section of the fruit and reduce it further. It’s best to chop them into small cubes. The pieces don’t have to be even, but cubes look nice and are easy to eat with a fork or toss into a blender.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Checking the Fruit for Ripeness

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Check for a bright pink skin on the fruit.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Ed Kuoha
Chef
Expert Interview. 9 November 2021.} The bright pink skin is the most noticeable sign of a dragon fruit ready to be eaten. The ends of the skin will have some green on them, but you shouldn’t see many dark black spots. A dragon fruit with a couple of blemishes is still okay, but avoid any that covered with them.^{[9]
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- If you’re uncertain about a dragon fruit with dark spots, touch the fruit to feel its consistency. If it isn’t mushy, it is most likely still good to eat.
- Some varieties of dragon fruit have bright yellow skin instead of pink.
- A green-skinned dragon fruit isn’t ripe, so don’t cut it yet.
2
Poke the dragon fruit to assess its ripeness. A ripe dragon fruit has a stem that bends without breaking when you touch it. If you poke the fruit, it should feel a little spongy, like a kiwi. A dragon fruit that is mushy instead of spongy will taste as gross as it feels.^{[10]
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- A dragon fruit that feels hard or solid to the touch hasn’t ripened yet.
3
Leave an unripened dragon fruit on the counter for a few days. An unripened dragon fruit is green-colored or feels hard to the touch. These fruits are still safe, so put them out in the open in your kitchen until they ripen. Test them every day by feeling for the soft, spongy skin.

Expert Q&A

Question

What should you look for when buying dragon fruit?

Ed Kuoha
Chef
Ed Kuoha is a Chef and the Owner of Kuoha Culinary based in Aiea, Hawaii. He has more than 20 years of experience in various culinary kitchens and settings such as Morimoto Waikiki, where he received hands-on training from Iron Chef Morimoto. Chef Ed specializes in small catering events and private chef requests. He holds an Associate’s degree from The Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapiolani Community College.

Ed Kuoha

Chef

Expert Answer

I usually go by feel and looks. If the fruit is fresh, it's going to look plump and the leaves are going to be brighter. To check if it's still good, hold it in your hand and see if it feels firm, but also a little soft.
Question

How does a dragon fruit taste?

Community Answer

Dragon fruit has a rather bland taste with a crunchy texture. Some people describe is like a less-sweet version of kiwi.
Question

Can you eat raw dragon fruit?

Community Answer

Yes! But you can only eat the flesh, not the skin. Because dragon fruit tastes rather bland by itself, consider adding it to something more flavorful, such as a smoothie or a fruit salad.