This strawberry salsa recipe is ready in minutes and built for sharing. This is the savory version your guests will ask about with juicy strawberries, cucumber, green onion, fresh cilantro, and just enough jalapeño to wake up your taste buds.
Most people think this is a great appetizer…and it is. But we can do so much more with it. This salsa is a perfect complement to fish, chicken, and pork. It has balanced notes of sweet, salt, acid, and heat that bring out the best of spring's bounty.
On most tropical vacations, we cook a few dinners at the rental property. This salsa is the kind of recipe you take with you. Pick up whatever fruit looks good at the local store, whether that is a berry, pineapple, or stone fruit; grill the local fish, and top it with this. Simple, fresh, and memorable every time.
Cooking a perfect protein is one thing. The salsa or sauce you serve alongside it is what makes the plate feel intentional. That is what guests remember.
Strawberry season is the perfect starting point. Most of us think of shortcake, pie, or strawberry salad when the berries show up, but this strawberry salsa recipe takes them somewhere unexpected.
Serve with fresh fish, chicken with a little char on it, or slices of grilled pork tenderloin. It can be a dip for tortilla or pita chips, or serve it over goat cheese smeared on top of crostini. If you love this kind of fresh, fruity flavor, my grilled chicken thighs with peach salsa follow the same idea.
Are you offering a full spread for pulled pork tacos? This salsa belongs on the table next to my tomatillo salsa verde and salsa from canned tomatoes. Browse the salads and fresh recipes for more bright seasonal cooking ideas.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Strawberries belong in salsa. The sweet heat combination will surprise your guests in the best way.
- It does double duty as a topping or a dip, perfect for entertaining.
- Ready in 10-15 minutes with no cooking required.
- It scales up easily, so whether you are cooking for 4 or feeding a patio full of guests, this recipe has you covered.
Ingredients
You only need 7 ingredients to make this bright and juicy strawberry salsa!
- Strawberries: A popular berry that is sweet and sour and low in sugar. The harvest season is short, at about a month long. Once picked, strawberries do not continue to ripen. Store them in the refrigerator with paper towels between layers. Wash strawberries just before using them to protect them from extra moisture and premature spoilage.
- Cucumber: Fresh cucumbers make a tasty snack and are pretty easy to grow in a garden if you have the space for a climbing vine. Mixing them into fresh fruit salsas is a unique way to eat them. If I buy a cucumber at the store, I buy the English type that is wrapped in plastic and considered seedless, although its seeds are just smaller. I peel cucumbers and remove the seeds before adding them to salads and salsas because some skins are thick and bitter, and the seeds add water to the salsa.
- Honey: A liquid, natural sweetener with floral notes that enhance the strawberries.
- Unseasoned Rice Vinegar: Made from fermented rice. Rice vinegar has a mildly acidic, tangy flavor and neutral acidity compared to other kinds of vinegar. It is sold in most grocery stores in the Asian section. Look for unseasoned versions because the seasoned varieties have added sugar and salt to the vinegar.
- Jalapeño: Adds crunchy texture, green color, and a little heat. Unfortunately, we can't predict the spice level of this pepper. Due to its inconsistent heat, cut the top off and taste it to judge if you need to add more or less to your salsa.
- Using fresh green onions and cilantro helps build a herby and pungent flavor.
See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.
Variations & Substitutions
Here are some ideas for modifications you can make at home:
- Sriracha: You can substitute the jalapeño with ½ teaspoon of sriracha sauce. Adjust for more if you want more spice.
- Cilantro: While cilantro is a key ingredient, you can substitute mint, fresh basil, Thai basil, or Italian parsley.
- Spiciness: This recipe is mild on the heat. If you prefer more heat, add a whole jalapeño or include its seeds.
- Other Fruit: Swap the strawberries with mango, pineapple, or fresh peaches.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cut the tops off the strawberries. Slice them in half from top to bottom. Slice each half into strips, and cut into a small dice. Add it to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Step 2: Peel the cucumber. Remove the seeds, slice it into long strips, and cut into a small dice. Add it to the bowl of strawberries.
Step 3: Remove the stem and seeds from the jalapeño. Cut ½ of the jalapeño into long strips and slice into a small dice.
Thinly slice the white and green parts of the green onions and chop the cilantro. Add them to the bowl.
Step 4: Add the olive oil, honey, vinegar, and kosher salt. Stir to combine. Serve with tortilla chips or pita chips.
If using as a topping for a protein, wait to add the vinegar, oil, honey, and salt until just before serving.
Top Tips
- If you measure the olive oil before measuring the honey, the honey will easily slide right out of the tablespoon.
- Dice everything small and even about the size of a corn kernel. Avoid big chunky pieces. You want each scoop to have a little of every ingredient.
Make Ahead Instructions
This salsa is also best served fresh; however, you can chop the ingredients up to 8 hours before serving and store them in the refrigerator, covered. Wait to add the vinegar, oil, honey, and kosher salt to the chopped ingredients until just before serving.
Storage Information
The salsa is best consumed within 24 hours because the strawberries and cucumbers break down, and the salsa gets watery the longer it sits. Store it, covered, in the refrigerator. Drain the excess liquid before using or drink it. It's delicious!
Freezing is not recommended. The texture of the strawberries will not hold up.
FAQ
That's up to you. One half a jalapeño with the seeds removed gives you a mild salsa. Leave the seeds in for more heat or use a serrano pepper if you really want to turn it up.
Fresh strawberries are strongly recommended here. Frozen berries release too much liquid when thawed, and the texture gets mushy.
Dice the strawberries and cucumbers and let them sit on a paper towel for a few minutes before mixing. The paper towel absorbs some of the surface moisture. Also, don't add the salt, honey, vinegar, and olive oil until right before serving if you're making it ahead.
Did you try any of these tips? Leave a comment below to let us know how it turned out! Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh strawberries (2 cups chopped)
- 5 ounces cucumber (½ cup chopped)
- ½ fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded (2 tablespoons diced)
- 2 green onions (¼ cup sliced)
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions
- Cut the tops off the strawberries. Slice them in half from top to bottom. Slice each half into strips, and cut into a small dice. Add it to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Peel the cucumber. Remove the seeds, slice it into long strips, and cut into a small dice. Add it to the bowl of strawberries.
- Remove the stem and seeds from the jalapeño. Cut ½ of the jalapeño into long strips and slice into a small dice.
- Thinly slice the white and green parts of the green onions and chop the cilantro. Add them to the bowl.
- Add the olive oil, honey, vinegar, and kosher salt. Stir to combine. Serve with tortilla chips or pita chips. If using as a topping for a protein, wait to add the vinegar, oil, honey, and salt until just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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