With its striking appearance and colorful skin resembling scales, it’s no wonder dragon fruit can seem intimidating. But learning how to peel dragon fruit is easier than you think. For the best way how to peel and eat dragon fruit, we consulted Amanda Neal, Food Network Kitchen's Lead Recipe Developer.

Understanding Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, is a tropical fruit with distinctive red or yellow skin with scaly spikes. Dragon fruit is native to Central America, but the fruit has become widely available around the world.

The most common type of dragon fruit is round and egg-shaped with bright red skin, green scales and white flesh with small black seeds. A less common variety of the red dragon fruit has bright pink flesh with black seeds. The rarest dragon fruit variety has yellow skin and white flesh with black seeds.

“Dragon fruit has a crisp texture, similar to a pear or jicama, and its flavor is sweet, similar to a kiwi,” Neal says. “The riper the dragon fruit, the sweeter the flesh will be!”

Neal recommends serving dragon fruit on a fresh fruit platter, blending it into smoothies and juices, adding it to green salads for a sweet crunch or topping breakfast biscuits or pancakes with it. For more on dragon fruit’s flavor profile, check out our primer What Does Dragon Fruit Taste Like?

Essential Tools for Peeling and Cutting a Dragon Fruit

All you need to peel and cut dragon fruit is a chef's knife and a cutting board.

How to Peel Dragon Fruit, Step-by-Step

Step 1: Wash the Dragon Fruit

Run the dragon fruit under cold water, then pat it between a clean, absorbent kitchen towel until completely dry.

Step 2: Trim the Ends

Place the dragon fruit on a cutting board and trim the ends off using a sharp chef’s knife.

Step 3: Cut It in Half

Cut the dragon fruit in half lengthwise.

Step 4: Separate the Skin

Use your thumb to separate the skin from the flesh and pull the skin to remove. The skin is thick but pliable and will easily peel away from the flesh. Alternatively, you can use a spoon to help separate the skin from flesh, like you would with an avocado.

How to Cut Dragon Fruit, Step-by-Step

Step 1: Prep the Dragon Fruit

Wash and peel the dragon fruit following the steps above.

Step 2: Cut the Dragon Fruit

To cut the peeled dragon fruit, place one of the halves on your cutting board flat-side-down (this will keep it from slipping around while cutting).

• How to chop dragon fruit: Slice the dragon fruit into even planks using a sharp chef's knife. Next, stack the planks and slice them into thin, even strips. Finally, turn the strips and cut them into small, even squares.
• How to slice dragon fruit: Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the dragon fruit into thin slices crosswise. You'll get thin half-moons of dragon fruit, perfect for salads and fruit platters.

How to Store Cut Dragon Fruit

Once the dragon fruit is peeled, it should be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Alternatively, cut dragon fruit can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

An unpeeled, whole dragon fruit can be kept at room temperature. It will continue to ripen as it sits; refrigeration will slow down the ripening and will keep your dragon fruit fresh for a couple of weeks.

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