Summary Peel and seeds of red‐skinned passion fruit, mango, longan, rambutan, white‐flesh and red‐flesh dragon fruit were screened for their in vitro antioxidant activity, and determination of a detailed profile of phenolic compounds. Rambutan peel and mango seed extracts exhibited the highest total phenolic content and antioxidant activities (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP values). By using UPLC‐QTOF‐MS/MS analysis, the profiles of soluble and bound phenolics in the fruit by‐products were obtained. Ellagic acid, geraniin, quercetin hexoside, gallic and galloyshikimic acid were predominant in rambutan peel, whereas, mangiferin, ellagic acid and galloy(di)glucoside were the major phenolic compounds in mango seed. Main phenolic compounds in longan peel were ellagic acid, galloyldiglucoside, and gallic acid, while in dragon fruit peel this was isorhamnetin glycoside, isorhamnetin glucorhamoside. Meanwhile, rutin and quercetin hexoside were predominant in passion fruit peel. These findings contribute significantly to the database of phenolic profiles of by‐products of tropical fruits. Tropical fruit by‐products are potential sources of phenolic compounds. In vitro antioxidant activity and phenolic content of fruit peel and seeds were determined. Using UPLC‐qTOF‐MS/MS, phenolic profiles of the fruit by‐products are presented.