Our Best Fresh Salsa Recipes

April 29, 2016
Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen
Showcase fresh fruits and vegetables in these sweet-and-spicy salsas that can be served as appetizers or toppings for grilled meats, poultry and seafood.
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Peanut Salsa

Peanut Salsa Recipe

Pair this rich salsa with grilled shrimp, pork, or poultry.

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Marinated Flank Steak with Cranberry-Raspberry Salsa

Marinated Flank Steak with Cranberry-Raspberry Salsa Recipe

This recipe saves a step—it marinates during the cooking, creating a flavorful, tender steak. 

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Toasted Chile Salsa

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell
Toasted Chile Salsa Recipe

Dried guajillo chiles give this toasted plum tomato salsa a mouthwatering level of heat. For more heat, do not seed the chile peppers.

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Garlic-Basil Chicken with Caprese Salsa

Iain Bagwell
Garlic-Basil Chicken with Caprese Salsa Recipe
You'll love the classic Italian flavors of this grilled chicken, and the caprese salsa with sweet, tart grape and cherry tomatoes is the perfect accompaniment to the charred flavor from the grill.

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Italian Salsa Verde

Photography: Stephen Devries; Prop Styling: Thom Driver; Food Styling: Mary Claire Britton
Italian Salsa Verde Recipe

This recipe goes with: Flounder Piccata with Italian Salsa Verde

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Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa

Photographer: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa Recipe
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Chicken with Chorizo and Tomato Salsa

Photo: Justin Walker; Styling: Carla Gonzalez-Hart
Chicken with Chorizo and Tomato Salsa Recipe

We add smoky Mexican pork chorizo, quickly seared, to a fresh tomato salsa for a little extra heat. Chicken breast halves cook in the chorizo drippings for even more flavor.

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Citrus-Cilantro Salsa

Jennifer Causey
Citrus-Cilantro Salsa Recipe

Salsa gets a kick thanks to the addition of red grapefruit, navel oranges, and pomegranate anrils. Cilantro doesn't always appear in salsa, but here, paired with the tart fruits, it creates an explosive flavor that's equally good as a dip and a garnish. Lime juice, red onion and chopped jalapeño bring everything together. 

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Cranberry, Jicama, and Cilantro Salsa

Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Robyn Valarik 
Cranberry, Jicama, and Cilantro Salsa Recipe
Instead of the usual tomato salsa recipe, try this fruit salsa recipe featuring fresh cranberries, jicama, and jalapeno pepper. Serve with sweet potato chips or as a topping for chicken or pork. 
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Pan-Grilled Salmon with Red Pepper Salsa

Photo: John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr
Pan-Grilled Salmon with Red Pepper Salsa Recipe

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Chicken Cutlets with Strawberry-Avocado Salsa

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Chicken Cutlets with Strawberry-Avocado Salsa Recipe

This colorful, flavor-forward dish makes the most of peak-season produce with a sweet and tangy fruit salsa that would be equally delicious served over pork chops or with whole-grain tortilla chips. The heat from the seeded jalapeño is mild, but it can be omitted. To round out your plate, try serving the chicken and salsa over a bed of rice or with a simple side salad.

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Shrimp and Fennel Kebabs with Italian Salsa Verde

Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr
Shrimp and Fennel Kebabs with Italian Salsa Verde Recipe
Italian salsa verde tastes tangy-briny--totally different from the spicy Mexican salsa of the same name.
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Watermelon-Peach Salsa and Tomatoes

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Amy Burke
Watermelon-Peach Salsa and Tomatoes Recipe

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Black Bean Cakes with Avocado-Corn Salsa

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Black Bean Cakes with Avocado-Corn Salsa Recipe
Avocado-Corn Salsa gives these meatless Black Bean Cakes a fresh spin. You'll love the flavor combination of the hearty black bean cake and the light flavors of the salsa.

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Pomegranate-Orange Salsa

Pomegranate-Orange Salsa Recipe
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Pomegranate-Orange Salsa

Pomegranate-Orange Salsa Recipe

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Niçoise Salsa

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Julia Levy
Niçoise Salsa Recipe

Because we love a classic niçoise salad, we decided to transform it into a rich and vibrant “salsa” of sorts, so that we could top anything we wanted to give it a niçoise twist. Featuring all of the traditional elements (minus the fish)—boiled potatoes, chopped haricots verts, olives, and hard-cooked eggs—tossed in a flavorful lemon and herb dressing, this summery topper would be perfect spooned over grilled fish, scooped onto tostadas with shrimp or lobster, served with tortilla chips for snacking, or simply spooned over your favorite greens (adding canned tuna, if you like) for an instant salad niçoise. For a fun twist on taco night, layer slices of seared ahi tuna steaks and the salsa into warm corn tortillas to create “tuna niçoise tacos,” as pictured in the photo above. 

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Smoky Black Bean and Mango Salsa

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen
Smoky Black Bean and Mango Salsa Recipe
Smoky, sweet, and a tiny bit spicy, this salsa makes a divine topping for tacos.
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Melon Salsa

Photo: Iain Bagwell
Melon Salsa Recipe
Use any orange- or green-fleshed melon for this sweet and zesty fruit salsa and serve it as an appetizer with chips or with grilled fish, chicken or pork.

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Crunchy Summer Salsa

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Crunchy Summer Salsa Recipe
Diced cucumber and jalapeño give this fresh salsa a nice crunch.

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Chunky Strawberry-Avocado Salsa

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen
Chunky Strawberry-Avocado Salsa Recipe
This salsa is the definition of summer simplicity, featuring sweet strawberries, crunchy radishes, and creamy avocado.
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Italian-Style Salsa Verde

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Italian-Style Salsa Verde Recipe

This all-purpose condiment is vibrant and packed with herbs and makes everything taste garden fresh. It brightens up our sliders and can also be stirred into scrambled eggs or drizzled over steak.

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Roasted Corn Salsa

Roasted Corn Salsa Recipe
Fresh corn, tomatoes, onions, and parsley are tossed with a sweet-hot vinaigrette to make this favorite summertime salsa. Pair with tortilla chips for a colorful appetizer or serve alongside grilled burgers, chicken, or ribs.

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Summer Squash and Zucchini Salsa

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen
Summer Squash and Zucchini Salsa Recipe
If you have an overflowing abundance of summer squash and zucchini in your garden, this is the recipe for you. Serve alongside grilled chicken or fish.
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Avocado-Mango Salsa

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Buffy Hargett
Avocado-Mango Salsa Recipe
Made with the freshest of ingredients, this salsa stands alone as an appetizer with your favorite chips, or serve as a topping on your favorite white chili.

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Three-Fruit Salsa

Photo: Karry Hosford
Three-Fruit Salsa Recipe
Combine strawberries, mango and cantaloupe for the base of this fruit salsa, and then add some savory flavor with cucumber, bell pepper, and onion. Serve this fruit-and-veggie salsa as a side dish or a topping for grilled fish or chicken.

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Spring Salsa

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Allison R. Banks
Spring Salsa Recipe
This colorful salsa with corn, tomato and jalapeño pepper would be equally delicious served over salad greens or in warm tortillas with grilled chicken.
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Meyer Lemon Salsa Verde

Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo; Styling: Kelly All
Meyer Lemon Salsa Verde Recipe
This addictive recipe by Gayle Pirie and John Clark of San Francisco's Foreign Cinema is integral to their Scrambled Eggs with Meyer Lemon Salsa Verde. But it makes enough that you'll have some left over for grilled bread, steaks, or sardines; roast chicken or vegetables; or sandwiches.

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Red Onion, Olive, and Feta Salsa

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen
Red Onion, Olive, and Feta Salsa Recipe
This Mediterranean-inspired salsa features kalamata olives, oregano, and feta cheese. Serve with pita chips or as a topping for Greek lamb burgers.

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Green Apple-Cucumber Salsa

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Fonda Shaia
Green Apple-Cucumber Salsa Recipe
This refreshingly tart salsa features Granny Smith apple, cucumber and jalapeño tossed in a mixture of fresh lime juice and brown sugar. Use it as a topping for grilled pork tenderloin or grilled pork chops.
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Blueberry Salsa

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Amy Burke
Blueberry Salsa Recipe
Fresh blueberries provide the sweet while jalapeño pepper, bell pepper and cilantro provide the savory. Serve with toasted flour tortilla strips for an easy appetizer or side dish.

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Green Tomato Salsa