This quick and easy homemade Fresh Peach Salsa is crisp, colorful, sweet and tangy with a hint of smoky heat, and the perfect way to celebrate in-season summer produce. Serve it with tortilla chips for dipping, as a topping for grilled meat, and more!
Most often, we opt for sweet dishes when using peaches. Today, I'm changing things up and sharing one of my favorite savory peach recipes that I make every summer when the local peaches and vegetables are in abundance.
Somewhat similar to a Mexican pico de gallo, the peaches take the place of tomatoes in this salsa. I've added cucumbers and red bell peppers for a fabulously fresh crunch, and some chopitle chili powder adds a hint of smoky heat that is so good.
The combination of ingredients may sound a little odd at first, but let me tell you...it totally works, and it'll have you coming back for more. It's a deliciously different way to use fresh peaches that you've just got to try!
Love a good salsa? Also try my quick and easy restaurant-style salsa and cowboy caviar.
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Why I Love This Recipe (and You Will Too!)
- Quick and easy. It comes together in about 10 minutes, then you just let it sit for about 30 minutes to let all those yummy flavors blend together.
- Simple, fresh, in-season ingredients. It's a great way to get in some extra fruit and veggies, and you know exactly what's in it.
- Customizable. You can adjust any of the ingredients to suit your own personal tastes.
- Versatile. Yes, it's great as a dip, but there's lots of different ways to use it!
Ingredients & Notes
Here are all of the ingredients you need to make this peach salsa, along with notes on some of them to help you make the best selections.
Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Fresh peaches - For this recipe, they should be ripe but still just a bit firm; you don't want super soft or mushy peaches.
- Cucumber - I prefer English cucumbers or mini cucumbers because they have less seeds and thinner skin that you don't have to peel. But you can use any kind that you have; if there are a lot of seeds, just scoop them out.
- Red bell pepper - I like red for the color, but any color bell pepper will do.
- Red onion - Again, I like the color, but any onion will work.
- Jalapeno pepper - This adds some spicy heat. I remove the seeds and membranes for less heat, but you can keep them in if you like things hotter. Or you can omit it if you want to keep things very mild.
- Fresh cilantro - If you're not a fan, you can leave it out. The salsa will still be yummy.
- Chipotle chili powder - This adds a subtle smoky heat and is optional (but highly recommended!).
- Freshly-squeezed lime juice - It has the best flavor, but you can use bottled lime juice in a pinch.
Substitutions & Variations
- Smoked paprika can be used instead of chipotle chili powder if you want the smoky flavor without the heat. If you don't want a smoky flavor or much heat, try using regular chili powder (or you can just omit it altogether).
- Change things up and use fresh mango or pineapple instead of peaches. Or you could pair either of these fruits with the peaches.
- Black beans are a nice addition if you want some extra protein.
- Try adding diced avocado for a bit of creamy texture.
- I don't recommend using canned or thawed frozen peaches for this recipe, as they are much softer than fresh peaches. I've tried it, and the texture just isn't the same, and you don't get that same freshness.
How to Make Fresh Peach Salsa
This is just a brief overview of the steps. For the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, please go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix until well combined. Let sit for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Instead of cutting the peaches in half and then trying to remove the pits (which can be difficult depending on the kind of peaches you use), I just carefully cut off the flesh around the pit in big chunks before chopping.
- Keep all the pieces of peach and veggies relatively uniform in size so each bite has a little bit of everything in it. I do a ¼-inch dice.
- To get the maximum juice out of a lime, roll it back and forth on the counter while applying gentle pressure before juicing.
- This salsa is best when served freshly-made, so I don't recommend making it too far in advance. The longer it sits, the softer the peaches and veggies will get, and the more juice they will release.
- If there is liquid in the salsa when you are ready to serve, especially if using it as a topping, drain it or use a slotted spoon.
Storage
Store any leftover salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The sooner you enjoy it, the better. Since the peaches and veggies will release water over time, drain the salsa before serving or use a slotted spoon.
This salsa is not freezable, as the peaches and vegetables will lose their texture and become mushy and watery after thawing.
How to Serve Fresh Peach Salsa
This salsa is excellent served with tortilla chips for dipping as an appetizer or a snack, and it's also fantastic on tacos (I especially love it on fish or shrimp tacos), a taco salad, quesadillas, burritos, nachos, and more.
But one of my favorite ways to serve it is as a topping for grilled chicken, pork, fish or seafood. It really turns them into something special!
You can even mix it into some hot cooked rice for a delicious salsa rice side dish.
I hope you try this Fresh Peach Salsa recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Peach Recipes to Try
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went! Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Fresh Peach Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced fresh peaches, I leave the skins on; you can peel the peaches if you prefer
- ½ cup diced cucumber, see Notes below
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- ¼ cup diced red onions
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno pepper, remove the seeds and membranes for less heat; don't remove them if you want more heat (or you can omit the jalapenos for no heat)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder, optional (but recommended); see Notes below
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl; mix until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Allow the salsa to sit for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Ideally, you want ripe but still slightly firm peaches for the best texture.
- I use English cucumbers or mini cucumbers because they have fewer seeds and thinner skin, but you can use any kind. If yours has a lot of seeds, just scoop them out before dicing. Also, I partially peel my cucumbers, but you can also leave the skins on or peel them completely.
- Keep the pieces of peach and veggies relatively uniform in size. I do a ¼-inch dice.
- The chipotle chili powder adds a subtle smoky heat. Smoked paprika can be used instead if you want smokiness without the heat. If you don't want smoky or heat, try using regular chili powder (or you can just omit it).
- Feel free to adjust the amount of any ingredient in this recipe to suit your own personal tastes.
- This salsa is best when served freshly-made, so I don't recommend making it too far in advance. The longer it sits, the softer the peaches and veggies will get, and the more juice they will release.
Raymond Dry says
this recipe sounds so good that I would like to get this recipe
Michelle says
Thanks, Raymond! The recipe card is right there in the post. Hope you try it!