Cherry Salsa (with Coconut Chicken)
What do you do when you are sent 10 lbs. of gorgeous cherries? You have a cherry party, of course!
Last week, Northwest Cherries and OXO challenged a bunch of bloggers to create delicious recipes using 10 lbs. of the most perfect cherries. I have never had to make anything with so much fruit in my life, so I knew I was going to need some help with this one.
Luckily, I work with a bunch of foodies so I immediately requested their assistance with this challenge so we had a cherry party this past weekend! Five of us squished together in my small kitchen and got straight to work with lots of pitting, mixing, and chopping! We wanted to make a few recipes with all of the cherries, so I will be sharing these recipes this week. Then next weekend, I would love if you all could vote for me on OXO’s Facebook page because this cherry challenge is actually a contest! And the winner will get an awesome baking set from OXO, so stay tuned for those details later this week.
Ok, so we wanted to make a drink, something sweet, and then a savory recipe. We knew the savory recipe would be our biggest challenge as there aren’t really a lot of savory recipes floating around out there, but then Angela showed up with one of the best salsa recipes ever…this cherry salsa!
This was definitely the favorite recipe of the day amongst all of the ladies. We served it over some coconut chicken and it was totally perfect. And then we served it on bread smeared with goat cheese and it was even more amazing so we dubbed this salsa as “the best salsa ever.” It’s that serious. This salsa can really go on anything you want. We also ate it with some tortilla chips. Mixed with lime juice, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper, the cherries are the perfect compliment.
Cherry Salsa (with Coconut Chicken)
Cherry Salsa with Coconut Chicken - Fresh cherry salsa made with coconut crusted chicken. Such a perfect summer dinner!
Ingredients
For the cherry salsa:
- 2 cups sweet cherries, stemmed, pitted and chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 avocado, pit removed and diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the coconut chicken:
- 2 large chicken breasts, trimmed and cut in half
- 2 eggs, whisked together
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
For the salsa:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl until well-combined. Chill for 30-60 minutes before serving.
For the chicken:
- Combine the breadcrumbs, coconut, and salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dip each piece of chicken into eggs and then into the breadcrumb and coconut mixture until well-coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a saute pan. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, turn over and cook for additional 5 minutes until golden brown and cooked thoroughly. Spoon the salsa on top of the chicken.
Notes
If you plan to wait longer than an hour to serve the salsa, I recommend waiting to add in the avocado until you are ready to serve it.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1/4thAmount Per Serving: Calories: 453Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 336mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 8gSugar: 12gProtein: 26g
26 Comments on “Cherry Salsa (with Coconut Chicken)”
While visiting food blogs, there are always something that I’ve never tried before and this is my first. I LOVE the idea of cherry salsa, Stephanie! I think you just lured all the cherry fan including myself. :D YUMMY!!!
Thanks, Nami! I couldn’t get enough of it!
Steph, this salsa sounds and looks fantastic. How creative! I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love cherries!
Thanks, Jennie! I highly recommend it! :)
I used to live in Oregon and go cherry picking every season. I’m in Alabama now and very much miss the cherries. I love making yummy in your tummy dishes with fresh cherries! Love your recipe!
Thank you Debra! These were the most perfect cherries I have ever seen!
Love the idea using cherries in a salsa! So creative!
Thanks, Jessica! The cherries work so perfectly in this salsa!
Cherry salsa? Brilliant! I love this idea, and topping coconut chicken with it sounds totally tasty!
Thanks, Georgia! This was a very refreshing and perfect summer meal!
That cherry salsa…droooool.
I’ll join you with the drooling! :)
What a cool challenge… 10lbs of cherries. My husband and son would have eaten them all… so I would have had to work quickly to make something with them. :) Love the salsa and the coconut chicken sounds amazing too. :)
Lol, it’s a good thing my husband wouldn’t touch them. He only likes cherry if its candy :p
This is definitely a culinary masterpiece! I love cherries so much and to see them in a salsa paired with chicken is totally new to me. Looks amazing :)
Haha, thank you Emily! The salsa is quite brilliant!
This is a beautiful and creative salsa, Stephanie!
Thanks so much, Cassie!
I love the idea of coconut anything. So this sounds amazing, I just bought some cherries so I’ll make this tonight!
I hope you enjoy the recipe, Heather!
A cherry party sounds like fun…Love the coconut chicken and how you’ve paired it with the salsa. A very unique combo when gawking through foodgawker. Glad I stumbled upon your blog.
Thanks, Ashley! Glad you stopped by! :)
What a great idea to make cherry salsa! Looks so good!
Thanks, Julie! It was a fabulous idea indeed!
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