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Strawberry Salsa

Strawberry salsa is the juicy, sweet and spicy summer appetizer of your dreams! It is stand-alone delicious with just tortilla chips or serve it on top of your favorite grilled chicken, fish, pork, steak, tacos, etc. AKA it makes everything better! This strawberry salsa recipe is made with juicy strawberries, sweet pineapple, bursting blueberries, zingy red onion, zesty cilantro, spicy jalapenos and tangy lime for a mesmerizing balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy. You can can customize the spice level from fiery hot to just a hint of heat and can customize the ingredients as well by adding or omitting any of your favorite fruit and veggies. This strawberry salsa is not only intoxicatingly delicious, but also happens to be guilt free, gluten free and dairy free for a snack or party appetizer win everyone will rave about!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 -8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 pints strawberries hulled and chopped
  • 1 cup diced pineapple
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup diced red onion
  • 1-2 jalapenos seeded, deveined, minced
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey more or less to taste
  • 1/4 tsp EACH salt, chili powder
  • 1/8-1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Add lime juice, honey, salt pepper and chili powder to a large bowl and whisk to combine (microwave honey a little if needed). Add all remaining strawberry salsa ingredients. Toss to evenly combine.
  • Taste and adjust the sessions if desired: more jalapenos for spicier, more lime for tangier, more honey/sugar for sweeter.
  • If your strawberries are juicy, serve immediately, otherwise, let rest for 30-60 minutes. Drain off excess liquid if needed before serving (if your strawberries are extra juicy and you don’t serve immediately, a lot of juice can accumulate).

Notes

TIPS AND TRICKS

  • Modify ingredients.  The ingredient quantities are just a guideline, feel free to add more/less of anything to make it YOUR perfect strawberry salsa.  You can add/swap in mangos, peaches, cucumbers, bell peppers, avocados, etc. 
  • Ripe strawberries.  Make sure your strawberries are ripe so they are sweet, and flavorful. 
  • Jalapeno to taste. If your strawberry salsa tastes like it’s missing something, it’s probably a kick of heat from not enough jalapenos.  The jalapenos not only add heat but tons of flavor.  I recommend 1 large jalapeno or 2 smaller jalapenos. You can start with less but add more to taste if your strawberry salsa doesn’t have enough kick.  You can also reserve the jalapeno seeds and add some seeds to taste, but be careful, a little goes a long way!
  • Drain salsa.  If your have extra juicy strawberries, then your salsa can accumulate liquid quickly as the strawberries release their juices. This isn’t problem, just be prepared to drain the liquid and serve soon.
  • Leftover idea.  If you have leftover strawberry salsa that is not going to be eaten before the texture softens, try pureeing it!  Pureed strawberry salsa makes a fabulous sauce for chicken, fish, or pork.   

Storage

  • Strawberry salsa is best served within 1-2 hours because the strawberries continue to soften and release juices. 
  • That being said, strawberry salsa dramatically varies in freshness depending on how juicy your strawberries are to start with.  If the strawberries are extra juicy they can become soft in a couple hours, if they are less juicy, they can last longer.  
  • Bottom line, serve strawberry salsa the first day for optimal freshness but it can be good for up to 2 days.  The longer the strawberry salsa is stored, the softer the strawberries will become and the more juice they will release.  This doesn’t mean it’s bad, but the texture isn’t as appealing; make sure to drain the excess juice before serving.

HOW TO PREP AHEAD 

If you want to make the salsa ahead of time, you can prep the ingredients but wait to assemble:
  • Strawberries: chop and store in a single layer on a paper towel lined plate/tray covered tightly with plastic wrap in the refrigerator up to 24 hours ahead of time. This storage method helps prevent the strawberries from becoming too soft.
  • Chop remaining ingredients: the pineapple, red onions, jalapenos, cilantro and basil can all be chopped and stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator up to 24 hours ahead of time.  You can store the pineapple red onions, blueberries and jalapenos together and the cilantro and basil together.