My juicy Papaya Salsa is equally at home with a bag of chips as it is at the side of a great steak ~ make a big batch today!

If I had to pick one food that defines my summer cooking, I would have to say it would be salsa. And one of my goals this season is to make as many different kinds as I can. Salsa is really a superfood. It’s incredibly healthy and low calorie, and it makes such a difference to so many different types of dishes. Papaya salsa is new to me, in fact I rarely use papayas in my kitchen, so this is a new experience for me all around.

papaya salsa ingredients

Papaya: look for a fruit that is ripe but still firm. Ask your produce manager if you’re unsure.
- You can get papayas in the supermarket most of the year, but summer is their season, and that’s when they’ll be cheapest and best. Choose them like you would an avocado; look for firm fruit that yields with pressure. If it’s too soft, pass on it, you’ll be dicing the flesh, and you don’t want it to be mushy.
Red onion: add that all important onion bite that every salsa needs ~ in this case it balances out the sweet papaya.
Cilantro: another salsa regular, cilantro gives a fresh herbal note.
Lime juice: it must be fresh squeezed, no bottles please!
Jalapeño: this is optional but the gentle heat with the fresh fruit is irresistible. I actually use a Serrano pepper, which is slightly hotter.

a small mason jar filled with homemade papaya salsa.

The classic salsa, Spanish for ‘sauce’, is made with tomato, tomatillo, and chili peppers, which are all technically fruits. If you think of salsa as basically a chunky, raw fruit sauce, you can branch out in so many directions, like strawberry, pineapple, cantaloupe or apricot. I love how each fruit creates a unique salsa…in the case of papaya the flavor isn’t as important as the velvety texture that it brings. I like to combine a little bit of hot pepper along with it for a nice contrast.

Papaya Salsa

3.47 from 45 votes

Papaya salsa goes with everything from chips to grilled meats, chicken, fish, and tacos!

Print Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time:10

Total Time:10

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 papaya, firm but ripe.
1/4 medium red onion, finely minced
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 large lime, juiced
1 jalapeño pepper, or a Serrano pepper, thinly sliced, seeds and all
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Peel the papaya. A serrated vegetable peeler works well for this kind of job. Scoop out the seeds and cut the flesh into a small even dice.
Mix the papaya with the minced onion, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and minced hot pepper (if using.) Add salt and pepper to taste, and then taste to adjust any of the ingredients.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. The salsa is best enjoyed the day it is made.

Notes

Plan to make and eat this salsa the same day; the fruit doesn’t hold up well overnight in the refrigerator. This is a good rule of thumb for all salsas.

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: appetizers, dried fruit, healthy, Mexican, papaya, salsa

Nutrition

Serving: 1 · Calories: 30 kcal · Carbohydrates: 8 g · Protein: 1 g · Fat: 0.2 g · Saturated Fat: 0.05 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04 g · Sodium: 5 mg · Potassium: 138 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 5 g · Vitamin A: 603 IU · Vitamin C: 45 mg · Calcium: 16 mg · Iron: 0.3 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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