So we had a party recently, and with all parties, we needed to serve a showstopping appetizer.
Of course, we went with a crowd favorite: chips and salsa!
In the past, we went with the traditional tomato-based salsa that we knew our friends loved, but this time, we were feeling a little bit adventurous and we wanted to try something new.
Enter: the peach salsa!
This quick and delicious twist on the traditional salsa recipe created a new party favorite!
Now we make this sweet and tangy peach salsa whenever we can, especially when we have fresh peaches.
How To Pick The Best Peaches For Salsa?
If you want to have the best salsa, you need to start with ripe peaches!
For this recipe, look for medium to large peaches that are, well, peach in color, with smooth and unblemished skin and a sweet scent.
The flesh should be firm with a little bit of give when you squeeze it in the middle.
You can even use slightly underripe peaches, since the grilling process will cook the peaches and soften them, making them perfectly tender!
If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere with peach orchards, you can always ask the farmers to help you pick out the best peaches.
How To Cut Up Peaches For Salsa?
When you’re cutting up peaches for salsa, make sure to cut the peaches evenly so that you have nice pieces of peach through your salsa.
To cut up a peach, you first cut it in half, lengthwise.
Remove the pit.
Place on half, cut side down, on a cutting board. Slice the peach in half again, and then into quarters. Repeat the procedure with the other half.
If you want rough chunks of peach, you can simply cut them up roughly as large or small as you want them.
What Kind Of Onions Should I Use?
While you can technically use any kind of onion for a salsa, white onions are the best for peach salsa.
They are sharp and somewhat astringent, and provide the perfect foil for the sweetness of the peach and the heat of the Jalapeño.
What’s more, white onions are crunchy, which also gives you a texture contrast for your salsa!
In this recipe, we used red onions because that’s what we had in the fridge, but we also tried it with white onions when we made it next.
Red onions were sweeter and had a more mellow flavor but were not as crunchy as the white onions.
Basically, it’s up to you what kind of onion you use!
How To Cut Up Onions For Salsa?
No one likes biting into a large chunk of onion, especially raw onions.
For a salsa, you want to finely dice the onion to get small, even pieces.
- Chop the top off the onion and cut in half leaving the root attached.
- Peel the skin away, discarding the brown layers, until you are left with the white onion halves.
- Make 2 or 3 horizontal cuts into the first onion half, then cut down vertically, holding the onion together as you chop.
- Repeat with the other half.
- Turn the onion so the flat end is facing the knife and chop downwards with a slicing motion to create a finely chopped onion.
- When you get to the end turn the onion on its side and cut again to finish.
How To Cut Up And Seed A Jalapeño?
Always keep in mind that the heat of any pepper is in the seeds!
If you want a hot and spicy salsa, leave the seeds of the Jalapeño.
However, if you want the floral taste of the pepper without too much of the heat, you need to remove the seeds.
First, cut off the stem. Next, cut the pepper in half, lengthwise.
Scrape out the seeds with the back of your knife. You should also remove the membrane inside.
Once you have removed the seeds, simply dice the Jalapeño finely.
Can You Freeze Salsa?
Yes, you can freeze salsa.
Simply place it in airtight containers such as Mason Jars and place it in the freezer.
However, keep in mind that thawed salsa might have a softer, mushier consistency compared to freshly made salsa.
Plus, it could also be waterier.
How Long Does Salsa Last?
In the fridge, homemade salsa lasts for around 5-7 days.
Our CookingChew Cooking Tips:
- Make it ahead of time!
This recipe for peach salsa is already delicious when you serve it immediately, but if you really want to get the most flavor, you can make it ahead of time and allow the ingredients to really meld together in your fridge!
Try making this salsa a day ahead and you’ll get a nice and complex salsa.
What’s more, the onions will have mellowed a little bit in both flavor and texture, so you’ll still have a bit of crunch but not too much bite! - Chunky or fine? Just make it equal!
Some people like their salsa fine.
That’s okay!
Some people like their salsa thick and chunky.
That’s okay, too!
The key to a good salsa is making sure that the ingredients are prepared consistently so that you have nice, even bites.
Imagine biting into a large chunk of peach then chewing on small pieces of onion and Jalapeño…it just ruins the whole experience!
Sweet And Spicy Peach Salsa
This deliciously sweet and tangy peach salsa is going to be the highlight of your next party!
Grilling the peaches softens them and gives them that smoky, caramelized flavor that will knock this recipe out of the park.
You can whip it up right before your party, or if you want a really deep and rich salsa, make it the night before and store it in your fridge.
How to Make Quick and Easy Delicious Peach Salsa
This deliciously sweet and tangy peach salsa is going to be the highlight of your next party! Grilling the peaches softens them and gives them that smoky, caramelized flavor that will knock this recipe out of the park.
Ingredients
- 6 fresh peaches
- 3 T. fresh lime juice
- 1 medium shallot
- 1 small red onion
- 2 Jalapeño peppers
- 3 T. fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 t. grapeseed oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat grill up to medium heat.
- While grill is heating, prepare the other ingredients. Dice shallot and onion finely. Remove seeds from Jalapeño peppers and dice finely. Slice cilantro leaves finely.
- Cut peaches in half and remove pit. Brush with grapeseed oil.
- When grill has reached desired temperature, place peaches on prepared grill and grill until soft and surface has been caramelized, around 5 minutes. Turn the peach and cook the other side for around 3 minutes.
- Remove peaches from grill and allow to cool slightly.
- Cut up peaches into chunks of desired size.
- Combine peaches and other prepared ingredients in a glass bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Mix thoroughly until well-combined.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in fridge overnight. If serving, place on counter at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
What If I Don’t have Shallots Around?
Shallots can be a bit expensive and hard to find, so if you can’t find shallots, you can use substitutes such as green or yellow onions.
Not Just For Appetizers!
While this recipe works great as a dip, you can also as it as a topping for entrees!
Grilled peach salsa will work beautifully with most kinds of meat, but the flavor will really stand out if you’re pairing the salsa with lean or white meat.
Pair this salsa with oven-roasted pork chops, or grilled chicken!
Here’s one last tip: when we made this recipe, we only made one batch, and it was gone just like that! Trust us, it’s a delicious recipe, and you might want to consider doubling the recipe for your next party. Even if you do have leftovers, you can store it in the fridge, let the flavors develop even further, and use it a topping for a quick pan-fried fish fillet the next day!