What do you do when you receive ten pounds of beautiful cherries? You throw a cherry party.
Recently, Northwest Cherries and OXO challenged a group of bloggers to create recipes using ten pounds of the season’s best cherries. I had never cooked with so much fruit before, so I enlisted some foodie friends to help. We turned my small kitchen into a cherry workshop—pitting, chopping, and tasting until we had several dishes to share.
We aimed to make a drink, a sweet treat, and a savory dish. The savory option felt like the biggest challenge since there aren’t many savory cherry recipes circulating, but Angela arrived with a winner: a fresh cherry salsa.
The cherry salsa quickly became the group’s favorite. We first spooned it over coconut-crusted chicken and it was a perfect match. Then we spread it on bread with goat cheese and found it even more irresistible—so much so that we jokingly called it “the best salsa ever.” It’s versatile: it works on chicken, toast with cheese, or simply with tortilla chips. Bright lime juice, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and garlic balance the cherries’ sweetness and make this salsa bright and lively.
Cherry Salsa (with Coconut Chicken)
25 minutes
15 minutes
40 minutes
Fresh cherry salsa paired with coconut-crusted chicken makes a bright and satisfying summer meal.
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 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
For the salsa:
- Combine the cherries, red onion, cilantro, lime zest and juice, jalapeño, garlic, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir until evenly mixed and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes to let the flavors meld. If you plan to wait longer than an hour to serve, add the avocado just before serving to keep it fresh.
For the chicken:
- Mix the panko, shredded coconut, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dip each chicken piece into the beaten eggs, then press into the panko-coconut mixture to coat well.
- Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken about 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Serve the chicken topped with a generous spoonful of cherry salsa.
Notes
If you plan to wait longer than an hour to serve the salsa, wait to add the avocado until just before serving to prevent browning.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4
Serving Size:
1/4th
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 453
Total Fat: 26g
Saturated Fat: 10g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 15g
Cholesterol: 144mg
Sodium: 336mg
Carbohydrates: 30g
Fiber: 8g
Sugar: 12g
Protein: 26g
