Chips and salsa is always popular appetizer or snack. How about surprising your party guests with something different? This deliciously tasty dragon fruit salsa makes a great snack!

If you are entertaining, I have tons of crowd-pleasing gluten free appetizer recipes to try!

What is Dragon Fruit?

Dragon fruit is a wild looking fruit that is also known as pitaya.

I found dragon fruit marked way down at our local Oakmont Produce shop. It was on the verge of being overripe and just begging to be put to good use. This is my first time with this fruit, and I found it to have a really mild flavor.

Dragon fruit is usually a bright pink and it looks like it has scales on it. Look for the vivid hot pink outer rind as that means it is really fresh dragon fruit.

Sliced dragon fruit on a cutting board.

When you cut inside the dragon fruit, you will see the fun polka dot center fruit. You do not eat the rind, just the fruit inside.

This is one fruit I have yet to try, so when I saw it at the store, I had to buy it. It has a unique flavor and looks almost like dice when cut up for salsa. Talk about a fun-looking appetizer! You can even make a cocktail like this Dragon Fruit Cocktail out of it.

I kid you not; these bring back those memories of giant fuzzy dice hanging from my rearview mirror when I was a teenager :-).

🔪 Recipe step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Peel the rind off your dragon fruit and chop it into small bite-sized cubes.

A bowl of chopped dragon fruit.

Step 2: Add the dragon fruit to the bowl and add lemon juice, chives, and diced jalapeño. Mix well and allow it to sit in the bowl.

I recommend letting the salsa sit for an hour after mixing the ingredients so that the flavors can blend. It makes a big difference and makes the salsa outstanding!

If you are looking for another delicious dip to serve, try this easy hatch chile hummus, too!

Recipe FAQ:

What does dragon fruit taste like?

As fancy as dragon fruit looks, it is a bit of a buzz kill. Dragon fruit has very little flavor…and tends to pick up flavor from what it is mixed with. This is why dragon fruit is perfect in this salsa recipe.

How long will this salsa keep fresh?

This salsa will keep fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Store it in an air-tight container.

A chile pepper shaped serving dish filled with salsa.

More Delicious Gluten Free Appetizers

Dragon Fruit Salsa

Sandi Gaertner
A fun dragon fruit salsa recipe
5 from 3 votes
dairy free allergen icon
an egg free allergen icon
gluten free allergy icon
nut free allergen icon
soy free allergy icon
a sugar free allergen icon
A vegan icon.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Gluten Free Appetizer Recipes
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4
Calories 22 kcal

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large dragon fruit * see note
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 jalapeno diced
  • 2 tablespoons diced chives
  • dash salt

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients into a medium bowl and toss together.
  • Allow to sit for 1 hour so flavors blend together.
  • Serve with gluten free corn tortilla chips.

Notes

  1. When shopping for dragon fruit, look for a bright pink rind. This means the dragon fruit is fresh and ripe.
  2. Feel free to spice this up with extra jalapeños.
  3. You can substitute lime instead of lemon if you prefer.
  4. This salsa will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Store in an air-tight container. 

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 22kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 16mgPotassium: 48mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 172IUVitamin C: 21mgIron: 1mg
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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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10 Comments

  1. oh WOW – I love dragon fruit – reminds me of spending summers in Hawaii as a kid! I have never thought to make salsa – will have to try this next time I go to my favorite Asian market, they often have GOOD dragon fruit!

    1. Awesome Kristina. This dragon fruit was on the verge of being over ripe so I can’t wait to try a dragon fruit a little fresher.

  2. Seriously loving the use of dragon fruit!! My grandparents ate it with hot sauce in Malaysia or this fish sauce- It was actually really good! Now I’m craving some dragon fruit!

    1. Hi Arman, I love the idea of the hot sauce combining with the sweetness of the fruit….sounds fabulous.

  3. I have always wanted to try dragon fruit! I see it on TV all the time but I’ve never seen it sold locally! This makes me want it even more now. I’m going on the hunt!

    1. I hope you find some Christine…you are so creative I know you would have fun with it 🙂

  4. Wow! What an awesome idea. Never thought of making dragon fruit salsa! This would be so fun for cinco de mayo!