Winter Pomegranate Salsa
Not sure what to make with that pomegranate you just picked up? This easy Pomegranate Salsa is a sweet and savory winter fruit salsa that goes well with tacos, grilled or braised meats, salads, and more!
★★★★★
Marisa says –
“Delicious!! Everyone who ate it yesterday LOVED it!”
My Favorite Salsa During the Cooler Months
You might say I like a fruit salsa. Okay, I LOVE a fruit salsa. From roasted cranberry salsa at Thanksgiving to mango salsa throughout the summer to strawberry mango salsa that I love serving as a dessert with cinnamon chips — I am all about fruit-packed salsas.
This pomegranate salsa is the latest in my fruit salsa lineup. It’s my go-to recipe in the depths of winter when seemingly nothing but root vegetables and squash are in season. Well, that and pomegranates!
Here’s why I love this pomegranate salsa recipe:
✔ Spicy and Sweet Flavors: This winter salsa recipe combines juicy pomegranate arils, fresh cilantro, spicy jalapeño (adjust it to your liking), sweet red onion, a hint of lime, and diced cucumber.
✔ Perfect for Christmas: Hear me out! This kind of looks a little bit like a Christmas salsa with all the red and green.
✔ Super Versatile: Serve scooped and eaten with chips, on top of a plate of greens for a tasty salad, over grilled meat or fish as a relish, or tossed with your favorite grain for a side dish.
Enjoy!
-Katie
How to Make Pomegranate Salsa
This is such a fast and easy salsa recipe! All you have to do is chop up and combine the following in a bowl:
- Pomegranate Arils — Purchase a whole pomegranate and seed it yourself, or buy a container of pre-packaged arils to save time.
- Cucumber — I suggest scooping out the seeds to prevent your salsa from becoming watery.
- Red Onion — Is much sweeter and less pungent than yellow onion, so it’s my top choice.
- Jalapeno — Omit the seeds for a milder heat.
- Cilantro — Fresh is best here.
- Lime Juice — Here are my secrets to squeezing the most juice from your limes.
Katie’s Tip: Now, I know cucumbers aren’t a winter veggie, but they don’t seem to have as degraded a quality during the off season and their flavor is a great match for the pomegranates. However, if you want to keep things strictly seasonal, you can omit the cucumber completely or try substituting it with diced celery or fennel for some color contrast.
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy this pomegranate jalapeno salsa in so many different ways. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Scooped up with tortilla chips. Chips and salsa are a classic combo!
- On tacos. Try pairing this salsa with Instant Pot shredded chicken tacos, pork tacos, fish tacos, or even on top of taco salad.
- On grilled meats. The sweet and savory flavors in this salsa would go nicely with flank steak fajitas, Santa Maria tri tip, balsamic grilled chicken, and more.
- In salads. Add one of the grilled meat ideas from above, your choice of leafy greens, pepitas, and crunchy tortilla strips for a delicious entrée salad. You can also spoon it over this quinoa veggie bowl or winter chicken salad.
- Stirred into quinoa or rice. I have tutorials for making Instant Pot quinoa and Instant Pot rice, which is my preferred cooking method for both.
More Savory Pomegranate Recipes to Make
I have quite a few pomegranate recipes on my site, because it works in both sweet and savory dishes. Here are some all-time favorites:
Stay Inspired in the Kitchen!
Want more delicious recipes, kitchen tips, and meal inspiration? Sign up for the Good Life Eats Newsletter and get:
✔ Tried-and-true recipes—from quick weeknight meals to special occasion favorites.
✔ Seasonal meal ideas—helping you make the most of fresh, in-season ingredients.
✔ Time-saving kitchen tips—boosting your confidence and creativity in the kitchen.
Pomegranate Salsa Recipe
Pomegranate salsa is the perfect winter salsa recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups pomegranate arils
- 1 1/3 cups diced cucumber, seeds removed
- 1 - 3 jalapeños, seeds removed and minced*
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 lime, juiced
Instructions
- Combine all of the prepared ingredients in a bowl, starting with using only 1 jalapeño.
- Stir to combine.
- Test for heat preference and add additional jalapeño if desired.
- Serve immediately, or chill until ready to serve.
Notes
Choose your Heat Preference:
- 1 jalapeño = mild salsa
- 2 jalapeños = medium salsa
- 3 jalapeños = hot salsa
Tip for Dicing Cucumbers: Cut cucumbers down the middle lengthwise. Scrape out all of the seeds and discard. Then, dice the remaining cucumber.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 55Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 3gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Disclosure: POM Wonderful has compensated for my time and provided coupons for POM POM Fresh Arils to create my recipe for Pomegranate Salsa. However, all experiences contained in this post are my honest opinion.
Try Making Salsa with Pomegranate!
Did You Try This Recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and a review below—your feedback helps others and makes my day.
Share Your Creations!
If you took a photo, tag me on Instagram @goodlifeeats and use #goodlifeeatsrecipes—I’d love to see what you’re cooking up in your kitchen!
Anna says
Great recipe! Would be good for girls nite. I’m glad I tried it.
Anna says
The picture alone was enough for me to try this recipe. It’s just so colorful. This is a great recipe for a girls nite. I’m already trying to think of other ways to use the salsa.
Alison @ Ingredients Inc. says
looks amazing Katie
Laura says
I have never eaten a pomegranate….but i love love love POM juice!
ellen beck says
I love pom juice and my favorite way is actually plain!
Tabathia B says
usually in a salad
Debbie Welchert says
I have never tried them until I started feeding them to my parrot. So I tried them and loved them. So far I just eat them plain.
Janet says
I have never eaten a pomegranate before so I thank you for the recipe. I almost picked the arils up last week at Sam’s Club so maybe next week I will reconsider them for this recipe.
Have a beautiful day!
Sharon L. says
I’ve only had them juiced.
Katharine says
In a salad, mixed in greek yogurt or just plain!
Brandie says
Pomegranate Glazed Salmon
Katie says
Hi Brandie – will you please share your recipe for pomegranate glazed salmon? sounds tasty!
Brandie says
I use this recipe from Bridget at the Way the Cookie Crumbles:
http://www.crumblycookie.net/2010/10/28/pomegranate-glazed-salmon/
The only changes I make to the recipe are, I sprinkle some pomegranate seeds on top when its finished. You may also have to adjust the broiling times depending on the thickness of your salmon. I find the 6 minutes is never long enough for the salmon I buy.
Kathy G says
<3 the color and texture they bring to a winter salad. Can't wait to try the salsa.
Evelyn R says
In a salad or just plain
Jen W. says
I like just eating the seeds straight up.
Tanya Phillips says
I just like to pop them out and eat them plain 😀
Andrea D. says
I love to eat them by the handful. Thanks for the chance to enter.