Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa

Name: Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 clove garlic; 2 cups halved fresh pitted cherries; 1/4 chopped red onion; 1/4 cup cilantro; 1 – 2 t. chipotle pepper; juice of half a lime; salt (to taste)

Updated: Nov 5, 2025 · Published: Jul 1, 2014 by Kristy Bernardo · 88 Comments

Jump straight to the recipe here (but you'll miss a lot of good info)!

Fresh cherries and smoky heat make this fresh Cherry Chipotle Salsa a sweet and spicy treat! Serve with tortilla chips or over fish or chicken.

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa - it is SO GOOD and is perfect with chips, over fish, on crusty garlic bread!

It's the pick-your-own-cherries season right now and I have fresh cherries coming out of my ears!

What a terrible problem to have, right?

I picked 5 pounds over the weekend just so that I could make this Cherry Chipotle Salsa and a Rustic Cherry Tart. Tomorrow I go back to pick more and I'm thinking a cherry ice cream topping and a cherry-balsamic chicken dish. Ideas are still forming so I'll have to just surprise you.

This cherry-chipotle salsa is so good. A little smokey heat from the chipotle, sweetness from the cherries and garlic & onion to pull it all together. It's perfect with some salty chips and a margarita but it's also delicious over fish or chicken.

I have to admit that I'm not a fan of pitting all those cherries, though. It only took me about 10 minutes but it's a job I'd really rather skip. I thankfully have a cherry pitter to make the job easier. My mom can pit cherries with just a knife faster than anyone I've ever seen! I'm not slow by any means but I'd still rather use a pitter. Or have Mom do it for me when she visits!

You're really going to love this cherry salsa, I promise you. It would be amazing over salsa chicken, too. Now go get picking!

If this recipe looks familiar it's because it was originally published here in 2010. It didn't have photos, however, so I thought I'd give it a little update, especially since I love this recipe so much!

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa

Yield: 1 ½ cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Fresh cherries and smoky heat make this fresh Cherry Chipotle Salsa a sweet and spicy treat! Serve with tortilla chips or over fish or chicken.

Ingredients

1 clove garlic
2 cups halved fresh pitted cherries
¼ chopped red onion
¼ cup cilantro
1 – 2 t. chipotle pepper
juice of half a lime
salt (to taste)

Instructions

Place garlic clove in a food processor and pulse a few times until finely chopped.
Add half of the cherries and the rest of the ingredients (except salt) and process until finely chopped.
Add the rest of the cherries and pulse until cherries are coarsely chopped (you want some larger pieces for a better texture). Season with salt to taste.

Notes

The instructions call for a food processor but you can also just chop it all up by hand and mix well.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 58Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 122mgCarbohydrates: 15gNet Carbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 11gProtein: 1g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

Author
Recent Posts

Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is a five-time cookbook author, travel writer, and culinary instructor who has been developing recipes for national brands since 2009. A former personal chef, she learned to cook from her mother and grandmother before refining her skills at the Culinary Institute of America’s Boot Camp.

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About Kristy Bernardo

Comments

Zia says

July 20, 2015 at 12:37 am

Fresh cherries - sweet or sour?

Reply
- Kristy Bernardo says
  
  July 29, 2015 at 10:01 am
  
  Hi Zia...sorry for my late reply, I just found your comment in the spam folder. I use sweet since it balances nicely with the spice 🙂
  
  Reply
Inspired Edibles says

July 12, 2014 at 11:17 am

Gorgeous!!

Reply
@alittlebiteof says

July 07, 2014 at 1:02 am

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa http://t.co/efm1L4Y9Oz via @thewickednoodle

Reply
@Tumbleweedconte says

July 03, 2014 at 5:11 am

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa http://t.co/MEaR0p6JSy via @thewickednoodle

Reply
@OrgasmicChef says

July 03, 2014 at 3:05 am

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa http://t.co/I4jHLkjsLH via @thewickednoodle

Reply
@aawhitehead says

July 02, 2014 at 11:20 am

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa http://t.co/TfAZw0AfXC via @thewickednoodle

Reply
@SGPbySherron says

July 02, 2014 at 2:23 am

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa http://t.co/5YqPQAX4No via @thewickednoodle

Reply
@AsBestRecipes says

July 02, 2014 at 12:41 am

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa http://t.co/WXvH620qRo via @thewickednoodle

Reply
@SusanPCooper says

July 01, 2014 at 11:17 pm

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa http://t.co/s37Sv5HAfo via @thewickednoodle

Reply
@TheSpicedLife says

July 01, 2014 at 9:08 pm

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa http://t.co/VLE9FIe9tg via @thewickednoodle

Reply
@CrunchyCreamySw says

July 01, 2014 at 8:55 pm

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa http://t.co/FDoW8PT9xC via @thewickednoodle

Reply
@manusmenucom says

July 01, 2014 at 8:27 pm

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa http://t.co/ZxtiD8oEyR via @thewickednoodle

Reply
@Wchestermasala says

July 01, 2014 at 7:38 pm

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa http://t.co/bdBdgJNLCE via @thewickednoodle

Reply
@BerryRipeBlog says

July 01, 2014 at 6:29 pm

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa http://t.co/iOCQII4B2g via @thewickednoodle

Reply
@SoVerySheri says

July 01, 2014 at 6:07 pm

Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa http://t.co/yP2QRcu9e1 via @thewickednoodle

Reply
Toni | Boulder Locavore says

July 01, 2014 at 4:44 pm

This is the most creative recipe ever!

Reply
- the wicked noodle says
  
  July 01, 2014 at 4:52 pm
  
  awww, thanks Toni!!
  
  Reply
Christie - Food Done Light says

July 01, 2014 at 11:05 am

OMG! This sounds so tasty. I love the idea of cherries in salsa especially with a little smoky chipotle.

Reply
- the wicked noodle says
  
  July 01, 2014 at 4:02 pm
  
  You'll love it, Christie!! Thanks 🙂
  
  Reply
Becca from It's Yummi! says

July 01, 2014 at 9:40 am

I absolutely LOVE spicy salsas, and this one sounds amazing with the sweet cherries added to it!

Reply
- the wicked noodle says
  
  July 01, 2014 at 10:04 am
  
  Thanks so much, Becca!
  
  Reply
Janelle Dangerfield Shank says

July 01, 2014 at 9:28 am

love the color! will definitely try this!

Reply
Dorothy Reinhold says

July 01, 2014 at 9:25 am

stunning dip!

Reply
Jocelyn Brubaker says

July 01, 2014 at 9:21 am

That sounds amazing!!!

Reply
Brenda Bennett says

July 01, 2014 at 9:12 am

that looks fantastic!

Reply
Amy Heck Stafford says

July 01, 2014 at 7:54 am

I picked up a cherries at the store yesterday, this salsa is in my future.

Reply
the wicked noodle says

July 01, 2014 at 7:52 am

As are you, friend 🙂

Reply
Amy @ A Healthy Life For Me says

July 01, 2014 at 7:44 am

This is so beautiful, and looks just delicious.

Reply
- the wicked noodle says
  
  July 01, 2014 at 7:46 am
  
  Thank you, Amy!
  
  Reply
Sumptuous Spoonfuls says

July 01, 2014 at 7:41 am

oh that's a gorgeous salsa! Love the bright red color

Reply
Sherri Dube says

July 01, 2014 at 7:41 am

Love this- super creative 🙂

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Serene @ House of Yumm says

July 01, 2014 at 7:39 am

This looks absolutely gorgeous. I'm so glad you added pictures because they are stunning!! Loving the flavors of the fruit with the spicy. Can't wait to try it!

Reply
- the wicked noodle says
  
  July 01, 2014 at 7:46 am
  
  Thanks so much, Serene!
  
  Reply
Claudia Colenzo Lamascolo says

July 01, 2014 at 7:37 am

looks great!

Reply
Taylor Kiser says

July 01, 2014 at 7:25 am

This sounds fab!!

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Lisa Norris Riedl says

July 01, 2014 at 7:22 am

I love the cherry-chipotle combination!

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DessertForTwo says

July 01, 2014 at 7:22 am

I can't get over the colors of this dish! So pretty!

Reply
- the wicked noodle says
  
  July 01, 2014 at 7:48 am
  
  aww, thanks girl 🙂
  
  Reply
Liza Hawkins says

July 01, 2014 at 7:20 am

Yum!

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Christina Lane says

July 01, 2014 at 7:19 am

wow! the colors! the flavors! want it!

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Serene Herrera says

July 01, 2014 at 7:19 am

This is gorgeous the wicked noodle ! Love the flavors and this photo!

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Melissa Kerr King says

July 01, 2014 at 7:16 am

Love this twist on salsa!

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Stephanie Manley says

July 01, 2014 at 7:04 am

I love the color in this recipe.

Reply
Wendy Read says

June 30, 2014 at 9:13 pm

Gorgeous.....:)

Reply
the wicked noodle says

June 30, 2014 at 8:43 pm

Thanks, Anna! xo

Reply
Anna Hinman says

June 30, 2014 at 8:37 pm

Love this!!!

Reply
Dani S. says

July 19, 2010 at 6:38 am

I'm a HUGE fan of cherries and find as many uses for them as I can in the summer. I can't wait to give this a try. 🙂

Reply
the domestic mama says

July 15, 2010 at 12:03 am

I need a cherry pitter. Now. off I go! This sounds really good, and I love the photo!

Reply
Beau @ SomethingEdib says

July 14, 2010 at 5:53 am

There's a pork chop in my freezer that would like to meet this salsa. neat-o idea!

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City Share says

July 14, 2010 at 3:58 am

That looks wonderful. I made some cherry chutney and we loved it. We'll have to keep venturing into the world of savory, spicy cherry condiments. Alas, I don't have a cherry pitter, so my hands will be bright red.

Reply
Lauren (healthy deli says

July 13, 2010 at 2:57 pm

I have that pitter too, and it really does make things easy! This salsa sounds great - I love chipotles too, and over fish sounds wonderful.

Reply