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This Dragon Fruits Salsa/dragonfruit salsa/pitaya salsa requires just 5 ingredients - dragon fruit, fresh chiles, scallions, cilantro, and fresh lime juice - and about 15 minutes of your time. This fresh salsa pairs perfectly with my rotisserie chicken tacos, or whatever your favorite taco recipe may be!
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👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks - Is it Dragonfruit or Dragon Fruit?
You may know it as "dragon fruit," "dragonfruit, "pitaya," or "pitahaya." I've always referred to this unusual tropical fruit as "dragonfruit." If you've seen this dragon fruit salad, and now this dragon fruit salsa, I've split the word into two. Why? After looking at many, many recipes that use this unique tropical fruit, it seems "dragon fruit" is the more typical name. Of course I want my readers to be able to find the recipe, so dragon fruit it is!
What is dragon fruit?
Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit that has become more widely available and increasingly popular in recent years. It grows on the Hylocereus cactus, also known as the Honolulu queen, whose flowers only open at night. While dragon fruit is native to southern Mexico and Central America, it is now grown all over the world.
You will typically find 2 colors of dragon fruit - yellow and red - and both have green scales (hence the name). Once you cut into them, you will most likely find white flesh. I buy them often, and I only rarely get one with hot pink or red flesh. Varieties are not labeled at my markets or the farmer's market.
While they look quite exotic, they really don't taste exotic IMHO. I describe it as a combination of a kiwi and a pear. The texture is quite appealing, and they're lightly sweet. See Dragon Fruit: A Super Food for Seniors for more information.
📋 Ingredients for Dragon Fruit Salsa
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
- dragon fruit - As I mentioned above, it's nearly impossible to know which variety of fruit you will cut into. That's part of the fun!
- fresh chile pepper - My favorite chile for fresh salsas is the Fresno chile. I love it's fruity medium heat. On photo day, I chose a red Fresno child, and a green jalapeño for contrast because my dragon fruit was white. I like serranos (thought they're quite hot), and red jalapeños as well. I'm too much of a wimp to use habanero peppers, but if you love the heat, go for it! You might even try charred, peeled, and chopped Hatch or poblano peppers.
- cilantro
- scallions
- fresh lime juice
🎥 How to Prepare Dragon Fruit
This video was created for the dragon fruit salad that I did a couple of years ago. It features dragon fruit, cara cara orange, tajín, and lime simple syrup. While it goes beyond just breaking down the fruit, it does show the process which you might find helpful...
🔪 Instructions
- Prep the ingredients - I use this food chopper when I'm looking for a really small dice. Do a small dice on the dragon fruit, a fine chop on the scallions, a mince on the peppers, and a rough chop on the cilantro (leaves and thin stems only).
- Make the salsa - Add all dragon fruit salsa ingredients to a bowl. I just used the bowl that is part of my food chopper that made quick work of the prep. Stir to combine. Taste for salt, and adjust as necessary.
- Serve - Either use immediately, or refrigerate until ready to use. Enjoy!
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❓ FAQ
Is dragon fruit healthy?
The short answer is yes. Dragon fruit contains high amounts of fiber and magnesium, is low in calories, and contains decent amounts of several nutrients. See What Is Dragon Fruit and Does It Have Health Benefits?
Is this fruit salsa good leftover?
To be perfectly honest, not really. I like fresh salsas like pico de gallo to be made right before we eat them. Just being honest...
💭 Tips
Fresh salsas are best served shortly after they're made. I do not make extra. I will occasionally make a quesadilla or breakfast taco the next day, and finish it off. This quantity is generous for 2 people, and it's good enough to finish with a spoon!
This dragon fruit salsa is like my other fresh salsas. It's a template - switch out the fruit to kumquat, peach, goldenberry, mango, and tomato.
I love fresh salsas. And tacos. Can you tell? We have tacos 3-4 times a month, but there are so many to choose from! If you love tacos as much as we do, be sure to look at my taco recipes category.
📖 Recipe
Dragon Fruit Salsa
Useful Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 dragon fruit - small dice
- 2 scallions - chopped
- 1 fresh chile pepper - or 2 (see post Ingredients section), minced
- ½ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems - rough chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice - 1 to 2 limes
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt - optional
Instructions
- Prep all ingredients.
- Add ingredients to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Salt is optional, so add as desired. Use immediately, or refrigerate.
Notes
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
🥭 Fresh Fruit Salsa Recipes
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