Citrus Salsa – great on chips or tacos!
Posted: 04/02/2021
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Juicy and sweet, citrus salsa is packed with so much exciting flavor, it’s guaranteed to bring a smile!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Citrus salsa is an exciting alternative to tomato salsa.
How long it takes: 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife, bowl
Servings: two and a half cups
Table of Contents
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Sweet pink grapefruit, juicy oranges, and tart lime segments are combined with red onion, spicy jalapeño, and fresh green cilantro in this fabulous citrus salsa. It brings sunshine to even the most dreary day. Really, it does make you smile because it’s so bright and yummy. And just think of all the vitamin C you’re getting!
Go ahead and scoop this salsa up with tortilla chips. It’s been my experience that the bowl of salsa disappears much more quickly than the chips. You may just want to spoon it into your mouth, if you can’t seem to get enough of it on your chip.
It reminds me of a more savory version of one of my favorite salads, this easy citrus salad with mint and honey.
This citrus salsa is an exciting topping for salmon, sea bass, halibut, or any mild flavored fish. There’s a reason fish is often served with a wedge of lemon. Citrus really brightens the flavor of seafood. Maybe you’ve already had my fish tacos with blood orange salsa or easy baked salmon with lemon and chives.
So do the salsa! Cue the music, break out the cutting board, and get movin’ & groovin’!
About this recipe
Citrus salsa isn’t difficult to make. A sharp knife is essential to segment the fruit. If you’re not sure how, this very short video demonstrates how to segment citrus. It’s a good skill to learn. You’ll find yourself adding citrus segments to lots of salads and desserts once you learn how.
You’ll find the printable recipe card at the end of this post. Keep reading for a quick summary of the recipe, along with a few extra tips.
When you have your citrus segmented and chopped, lightly stir in the remaining ingredients and … your citrus salsa is ready to serve!
You may want to try a spoonful or two, just to be sure it tastes great. One of the advantages of being the cook, right? You get a sneak preview.
What you need
- Citrus: You’ll need a mix of grapefruit, oranges, and lime. For something different, try blood oranges or cara cara oranges or a combination of different types of oranges.
- Red Onion: We recommend dicing it small so there are no large chunks of onion.
- Jalapeño Pepper: Again, dice it small so that there is a little bit in each bite and no large pieces. Remember to remove the ribs and seeds if you don’t like a lot of spicy heat.
- Seasoning: You’ll need fresh cilantro and salt for this recipe. Increase or decrease according to taste, and remember if you’re serving the salsa with tortilla chips, they’re salty too.
Cocktail Ideas
Looking for a cocktail that goes great with citrus salsa and chips? Try a Paloma, with grapefruit juice and a spicy rim. An orange Mojito or a blood orange martini are awesome choices, too.
How to make this salsa your own
- Add extra jalapeño if you like more heat.
- You could add chopped mango or fresh pineapple to this recipe for a different twist. Or try this Mango Avocado Salsa with Pineapple.
Make-Ahead Ideas
Prepare salsa, cover, and refrigerate for up to one day. If the salsa seems too juicy, drain some of the juice off before serving.
Storage Tips
Citrus salsa, covered tightly, keeps for a up to 3 days in the refrigerator, but does lose some of its pretty appearance. Stir it lightly before serving, and drain off excess juice if necessary.
More Dips & Salsa Recipes
Bring on the salsa! And get ready to dip. Here’s a few more recipes I’m sure you’ll want to try (don’t forget the Blood Orange Salsa and Mango Avocado Salsa mentioned above):
- Chipotle Salsa (easy blender recipe) — smoky, spicy, good!
- Restaurant Style Salsa
- How to Make Salsa Verde — green salsa
- Cranberry Salsa — so easy, only two ingredients!
- Pico de Gallo
- Black Bean and Avocado Dip (sometimes known as Cowboy Caviar)
- Poblano Queso Dip
- Healthy Queso Dip with Butternut Squash
- Olive Salsa with Mixed Spanish Olives by The Endless Meal
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Juicy and sweet, citrus salsa is packed with so much exciting flavor, it's guaranteed to bring a smile!
Ingredients
- 1 grapefruit, segmented and chopped
- 2 navel or blood oranges, segmented and chopped
- 1 lime, segmented and chopped
- 1/3 cup finely diced red onion (about ¼ of a large onion)
- ¼ cup finely diced jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, (about 1 jalapeño)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Tortilla chips, for serving, if desired
Instructions
- Combine chopped grapefruit, orange, and lime segments. You should have about 2 cups of segmented fruit. Lightly stir in red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and salt until ingredients are combined.
- Serve immediately, with tortilla chips if desired. Makes 2 1/2 cups.
Notes
- Serving suggestions: Other than chips, try with fish tacos, quesadillas, blackened salmon or other fish fillets.
- Make ahead: Cover salsa, and refrigerate for up to one day. If salsa seems too juicy, drain some of the juice off.
- Nutrition info for salsa only, does not include chips.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 4tablespoons, Calories: 28kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 59mg, Potassium: 104mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 408IU, Vitamin C: 27mg, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
