Salsa criolla (Peruvian onion relish)

Name: Salsa criolla (Peruvian onion relish)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 red onion, halved and sliced paper-thin lengthwise; 60 ml lime juice; 1 tbsp ají amarillo paste; 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped; ¾ tsp salt; 1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil (optional)

Vegetarian

Salsa criolla

Paper-thin red onion briefly rinsed, then dressed with lime juice, salt, sliced ají amarillo and cilantro — a crisp, sharp relish on Peruvian tables.

Salsa criolla (Peruvian onion relish) is a Peruvian condiment, ready in about 25 minutes and made with red onion and lime juice. It serves 6 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep: 15 min
Cook: 0 min
Rest: 10 min
Total: 25 min
Serves: 6
Level: Beginner
Calories: 15

Ingredients

6 servings (about 50 g each)

2 (220 g) Red onion (opens in a new tab), halved and sliced paper-thin lengthwise
60 ml Lime juice (opens in a new tab)From about 2–3 limes.
1 tbsp (16 g) Ají amarillo paste (opens in a new tab)Or 1 fresh ají amarillo, seeded and cut into fine strips.Swap: Jalapeño (One jalapeño, thinly sliced.)
2 tbsp (2 g) Coriander leaves (opens in a new tab), chopped
¾ tsp (4.5 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
1 tbsp (14 g) Neutral vegetable oil (opens in a new tab) (optional)

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Soak the sliced onion in cold, lightly salted water for 10 minutes to soften its bite, then drain well and pat dry.
- 2 min
- Mixing bowl (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels
2
Step 2
Toss the onion with the lime juice (opens in a new tab), ají amarillo, cilantro (opens in a new tab), salt and oil.
- 2 min
3
Step 3
Serve within an hour or so while the onion is still crisp.
- 1 min
How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: Peru · Well documentedMore food from Peru
Dish: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method: Raw, Marinated / cured
Taste: citrusy, sour, fresh, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat
With the listed swaps: Whole-food focused, Paleo-styleWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Budget-friendly · Everyday
Cook more with: Red onion · Lime juice · Ají amarillo paste · Coriander leaves
Techniques: Marinating · Curing

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

15 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 48 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

Protein 9%
Carbohydrate 91%
Fat 0%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g
Energy	15 kcal	32 kcal
Protein	0.4 g	0.8 g
Carbohydrate	3.9 g	8 g
Net carbohydrate	3.5 g	7.2 g
Sugars	2.2 g	4.5 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	0.4 g	0.9 g
Fat	0 g	0.1 g
Saturated fat	—	—
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	295 mg	610 mg
Salt equivalent	0.7 g	1.5 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 66 mg
Calcium: 10 mg
Iron: 0.1 mg
Magnesium: 5 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 3 µg
Vitamin C: 9 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: —
Folate (DFE): —

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
Optional ingredients are not included: neutral vegetable oil.
Ají amarillo paste: Raw hot chilli peppers (FDC 170106) used as a stand-in for puréed Peruvian yellow chilli; jarred pastes may add a little oil and salt.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Slice the onion with the grain (pole to pole) so it stays crisp in the lime juice.

Common mistakes

Dressing it hours ahead — the onion goes limp and the lime turns bitter.

Serve with

Butifarra or chicharrón sandwiches
Tamales and fried fish
Rice and beans

Storage

Best the same day; keeps 1–2 days in the fridge but softens.

Variations

Argentine salsa criolla (Argentina): Finely diced onion, tomato and bell pepper in vinegar and oil, served with asado.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 29 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Goes with

Papa rellena

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & DrizzleCompare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Red onion, halved and sliced paper-thin lengthwise2 piece · 220 g
Lime juice60 ml · 62 g

Used in steps 1, 2

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Reviews & corrections

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