Strawberry salsa is sweet, spicy and full of fresh, vibrant flavor. Made with juicy strawberries, crisp red onions, crunchy jalapenos and cilantro tossed in a honey lime dressing, it’s the perfect refreshing dip for chips, tacos, grilled chicken, or a light appetizer for summer gatherings. Quick to make and bursting with color, this easy salsa is a delicious twist on a classic favorite.
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Why Make This Recipe
Take a look around the blog and you’ll notice that I absolutely adore making fresh, no bake strawberry recipes when spring and summer come around. My Strawberry Glaze, Macerated Strawberries, Strawberry Tiramisu, Strawberry Mousse and Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries are just a few no cook strawberry recipes I love. This strawberry salsa recipe is another spring or summer recipe I know you will love.
- Layers of flavors and textures. From the sweet, juicy strawberries to the crunchy red onions and spicy jalapenos, all covered in a honey lime dressing, this fruit salsa will delight your tastebuds.
- Easy to make and bake. Simply dice, toss and enjoy. This summer fruit salsa comes together in a few minutes with a handful of fresh ingredients.
- Perfect for summer meals. Mix up a batch of strawberry salsa as a zesty appetizer or use as a topping for a platter of fish tacos. Its the perfect light and refreshing dip or sweet, spicy and savory topping.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This light and fresh salsa with strawberries requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need and substitutions if you are missing an ingredient.
- Strawberries: Use fresh, in season strawberries. Make sure the strawberries are sweet and ripe, but still firm.
- Red Onion: For a more mild onion, feel free to use shallots. For a slightly sweeter onion, vidalia onions work well. If you like the look of red onions but want less of a “bite” soak the diced onions in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat the onions dry before adding to the salsa.
- Jalapenos: Use fresh, not pickled jalapenos. Remove the seeds for a barely spicy salsa. For more spicy heat, add the seeds of the jalapenos into the salsa. If you prefer to skip jalapenos all together, dice a green bell pepper.
- Cilantro: Use fresh cilantro if you like the taste, otherwise use parsley or basil.
- Honey: Use maple syrup if you don’t have honey.
- Lime: This is the preferred citrus for the other ingredients.
How To Make
Learn how to make strawberry salsa in a few easy steps.
- Whisk the freshly squeezed lime juice, honey, salt and pepper together until well combined. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Wash and pat dry the strawberries, cilantro and jalapenos. Hull, dice the strawberries and add them into the honey lime dressing. Dice the jalapenos. Remove the seeds for a barely spicy salsa. For more spicy heat, add the seeds of the jalapenos into the salsa. Remove the outer layer of onion skin from the red onion. Dice the onion and add to the salsa. Finally finely chop the cilantro and add it to the strawberry salsa. Gently toss the ingredients together. Taste and adjust the seasonings or ingredients as needed.
- Serve the fresh fruit salsa with chips or use as a sweet and spicy topping for fish tacos or other savory dishes. Cover the strawberry salsa and store in the fridge for up to 1 day. Make sure to gently remix the ingredients if you plan on serving later.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Store: Store strawberry salsa in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 - 3 days. Although, this fresh sweet and spicy salsa is best enjoyed within 1 day of being made.
- Freeze and Thaw: I do not recommend freezing and thawing the strawberry salsa. The texture of the salsa changes so much from the texture of the salsa when made fresh.
M’s Expert Tips
- Use fresh, ripe and in season strawberries. As a key ingredient in this fruit salsa recipe, strawberries should be firm but ripe, sweet and a little tart.
- Add other ingredients you like. This homemade sweet and spicy salsa is a basic fresh salsa recipe that replaces tomatoes with strawberries and adds a bit of honey to pull out the sweetness of the strawberries. If you prefer to add or take away any of the other ingredients, feel free to do so.
- Taste as you go. Make the recipe as directed and then taste. Need more sweetness, add honey. Want more heat, add more jalapenos (with the seeds). Need more acidity, add more lime. If the strawberry salsa isn’t flavorful enough, I suggest adding a pinch more salt.
FAQs
This strawberry salsa recipe is basically like a pico de gallo, but with strawberries instead of tomatoes. Feel free to swap the jalapenos with bell peppers, the red onions for shallots (or no onions at all), the honey with maple syrup or the cilantro with another herb like basil.
Sure, omit the cilantro, jalapenos, red onions, salt and pepper. Add in basil or mint and increase the honey if needed. Taste and adjust as you go. Serve with cinnamon chips or graham crackers or use to top sweet cakes like angel food cake, brownies or chocolate cookies.
I do not recommend freezing and thawing the strawberry salsa. The mixture will become very watery and not the crisp salsa you want to eat. If needed, dice and store the strawberries, jalapenos, cilantro and red onions in separate containers up to 1 - 2 days in advance. Mix up the dressing 1 -2 days in advance and mix everything together right before serving.
Other Dip Recipes to Try
If you try this Strawberry Salsa recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M
Strawberry Salsa Recipe
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 serving bowl
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) freshly sqeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups fresh strawberries
- 1 fresh jalapeno
- ½ - 1 cup diced red onion
- ¼ - ½ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Whisk the freshly squeezed lime juice, honey, salt and pepper together until well combined. Taste and adjust as needed.3 tablespoons (45 ml) freshly sqeezed lime juice, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Wash and pat dry the strawberries, cilantro and jalapenos. Hull, dice the strawberries and add them into the honey lime dressing. Dice the jalapenos. Remove the seeds for a barely spicy salsa. For more spicy heat, add the seeds of the jalapenos into the salsa. Remove the outer layer of onion skin from the red onion. Dice the onion and add to the salsa. Finally finely chop the cilantro and add it to the strawberry salsa. Gently toss the ingredients together. Taste and adjust the seasonings or ingredients as needed.3 cups fresh strawberries, 1 fresh jalapeno, ½ - 1 cup diced red onion , ¼ - ½ cup chopped cilantro
- Serve the fresh fruit salsa with chips or use as a sweet and spicy topping for fish tacos or other savory dishes. Cover the strawberry salsa and store in the fridge for up to 1 day. Make sure to gently remix the ingredients if you plan on serving later.
Notes
- If you like the look of red onions but want less of a “bite” soak the diced onions in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat the onions dry before adding to the salsa.
- Use fresh, not pickled jalapenos. Remove the seeds for a barely spicy salsa. For more spicy heat, add the seeds of the jalapenos into the salsa. If you prefer to skip jalapenos all together, dice a green bell pepper.
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