Strawberry Salsa
This Strawberry Salsa is a sweet, slightly spicy fresh salsa made with peak-season strawberries, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, and lime. Ready in 15 minutes and perfect with tortilla chips or spooned over grilled fish.
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If you ask me, strawberry season in the Pacific Northwest is one of the best times of year in the kitchen. The berries are bright red all the way through, intensely sweet, and practically begging to be turned into something worth sharing. This Strawberry Salsa is exactly that, a sweet, slightly spicy, and completely fresh salsa that takes about 15 minutes to make and is instantly ready to scoop up.
I originally developed this recipe as a topper for grilled salmon, but it has become one of my go-to party appetizers too. Set it out with a bowl of tortilla chips for your summer barbecues and gatherings all season long.
What Makes This Strawberry Salsa Special
This isn’t a tomato salsa with strawberries thrown in, rather it’s a strawberry-forward salsa with a few elements that make a salsa a salsa. Two jalapeños give it real heat that balances the natural sweetness of the fruit, while fresh lime juice and zest keep everything bright. Red onion adds a little bite, and cilantro brings it all together the way it does in any good pico de gallo.
This one requires no cooking and no special equipment. Just a cutting board, a bowl, and the ripest strawberries you can find.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Fresh strawberries — You want ripe, in-season berries here. One pound is the right quantity to serve a crowd as an appetizer or top about 6 portions of fish.
- Jalapeños — Two seeded jalapeños give this salsa a solid kick. If you prefer milder heat, start with one.
- Red onion — Adds sharpness and a little color contrast. Mince it finely so it doesn’t overpower the strawberries.
- Fresh cilantro — Don’t skip it. It’s essential to the salsa flavor profile.
- Limes — The zest of one lime and juice from two.
- Kosher salt — Just a little bit draws out all of the flavors.
How to Make Strawberry Salsa
This comes together in just a few steps. Hull and dice the strawberries and add them to a medium bowl. Seed and finely dice the jalapeños, mince the red onion, and chop cilantro. Add everything to the bowl.
Zest one lime directly into the bowl, then squeeze the juice of both limes over the top. Add the salt and stir to combine.
Taste and adjust. Sometimes strawberries need a little more lime, sometimes a touch more salt. If your berries are on the tart side, a drizzle of honey or agave (start with 1 teaspoon) will balance things out nicely.
Ways to Serve Strawberry Salsa
The most obvious serving option is tortilla chips as a summer chips and salsa platter. The sweetness of the strawberries against a salty, crispy chip is the summer vibe nobody can resist. This is a great salsa to add interest to a spread for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, or any summer gathering where you want to serve something a little unexpected.
But don’t stop there. Spoon this salsa over grilled fish and it transforms a simple weeknight dinner into something special. It works beautifully over my spice-rubbed grilled salmon or alongside grilled shrimp skewers in place of the pineapple cucumber salsa. The heat from the jalapeño plays really well against a smoky, spiced fish.
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
- Use peak-season strawberries. This recipe is meant to be enjoyed with the highest quality fruit, since it’s the star of the salsa. For me, late spring and early summer berries are exceptionally sweet, red all the way through, and fragrant. Out-of-season berries can work, though they tend to be more bland.
- Dice everything to a similar size. You want the strawberry pieces, onion, and jalapeño to be roughly the same size so every bite has a balanced mix of flavors.
- Serve it fresh. Strawberries release liquid as they sit, so this salsa is best the day it’s made. If you’re prepping ahead, combine everything except the lime juice and salt and add those right before serving.
- Taste before you serve. Every batch of strawberries is a little different. Trust your palate and adjust lime and salt to finish.
Strawberry Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely diced
- ¼ cup red onion, minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 small limes, zest 1, juice both
Instructions
- Hull and dice the strawberries and add them to a medium bowl.
- Add the diced jalapeño, minced red onion, and chopped cilantro.
- Zest one lime directly into the bowl, then squeeze in the juice of both limes.
- Add the kosher salt and stir everything to combine.
- Taste and adjust salt or lime juice as needed. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
Notes
- Adjust heat level: 2 jalapeños gives this salsa a solid kick. For a milder version, use just 1 jalapeño and remove all seeds.
- Serve fresh: This salsa lasts for a few days in the refrigerator, but it’s best served the day it’s made. Strawberries will start to break down and release liquid as they sit.
- How to enjoy: Strawberry Salsa is great on grilled salmon, shrimp tacos, or as a dip with tortilla chips.
- Add optional sweetener: If your strawberries aren’t very sweet, a drizzle of honey or agave (start with 1 teaspoon) balances the lime nicely. Skip this for a Whole30 compatible condiment.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This recipe popped up on my Instagram feed at exactly the right time, namely right after my 17 year old and I picked 11 pounds of strawberries. After making a million jars of jam, I made this salsa and trust me, you’ll never want to do any thing else with strawberries. Had to leave out the cilantro because some freaks in my family say it tastes like soap; I’m sure cilantro would take this over the top on flavor.
I’m so glad you gave this a try. With or without cilantro, this salsa is such a great way to use those sweet strawberries!