Salsa Criolla

Name: Salsa Criolla
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 3 cups
Ingredients: 1 large red onion, halved and very thinly sliced into half moons (2 cups); 1/2 small orange bell pepper, cored, seeded and very thinly sliced lengthwise (½ cup); 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced or finely chopped; 3 tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes); 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro; Kosher salt

By Kay Chun

Updated Jan. 20, 2022

Salsa Criolla — David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 5 minutes
Rating: 4(170)
Comments: Read comments

This popular Peruvian condiment requires only five ingredients, but it’s bursting with flavor. Slivered onions and fresh peppers are marinated in lime juice to create a tangy and spicy relish. Traditionally, the salsa is made with fresh aji amarillo chiles, which can be difficult to find; luckily, a combination of orange bell pepper and serrano chiles deliver similar flavor, color and heat. (For a milder salsa, remove the seeds from the serrano before using.) Most often served with arroz con pollo, this bright relish is also a perfect accompaniment to roasted chicken, and makes a great topping on tacos and sandwiches. The salsa can be refrigerated for three days.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 cups

1large red onion, halved and very thinly sliced into half moons (2 cups)
½small orange bell pepper, cored, seeded and very thinly sliced lengthwise (½ cup)
1serrano chile, thinly sliced or finely chopped
3tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes)
2tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
Kosher salt

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
In a medium bowl, combine the onion, bell pepper, serrano chile, lime juice and cilantro, and mix well. Season to taste with salt.

Ratings

4 out of 5

170 user ratings

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Comments

Laura3 years ago

My Peruvian mother in law makes several variations of this salsa. Her trick is to soak and rinse the onion slices in cold water 2-3 times while prepping the other vegetables. The onion becomes sweeter and extra crisp. She also adds a tiny drizzle of olive oil. Its refreshing and very delicious.

Cesar3 years ago

Feeling benevolent today so will share a self-discovered modification. To tame the sharpness of red onion, after slicing them plunged them in boiling water for a minute or so. Drain, let them cool off and proceed with the rest of the recipe. It makes it more amenable with whatever dish you are serving the salsa with. It’s divine with grilled fish.

TechGal3 years ago

Delicious! Found this a great topping for any number of meals. Easy to work around. I used jalapeno since that is what I had on hand. Will try with serrano the next time around.

Julie B.1 year ago

I enjoyed this zingy, colorful condiment alongside Kay Chun's delicious Arroz con Pollo. I had only 1 lime on hand so I supplemented it with an equal part white wine vinegar and 1 tsp. neutral oil (grapeseed in this case). Didn't have a serrano pepper (which would have added a nice heat to it), so I used jalapeno instead. Make a few hours or more ahead to allow the veggies to soften and absorb the flavor. It was fun to play with this recipe a bit to get the right balance of flavors.

SS2 years ago

so simple yet so good! i used a thai chili because it was what I had on hand - yowza haha but still delicious

Karen3 years ago

Cover sliced onion in coarse salt & let sit for 10 minutes before rinsing and adding other ingredients to reduce the raw onion breath effect. Fresno pepper is a nice alternative to the serrano. Absolutely delicious accompaniment to the Arroz con Pollo Verde. Total thumbs up from my Colombiano son.

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