Pineapple Salsa, made with pineapple, peppers, red onions, and more, makes a sweet and refreshing summer salsa that goes perfectly on tacos, salads, fish, and chicken!
It adds a light, fresh, tropical topping to any of your favorite summer or Mexican Recipes. Make it for Cinco De Mayo or anytime you want some sweet heat as an appetizer!
If you are a regular reader then you know that I love my salsa, including regular Pico De Gallo, Peach Salsa, Mango Habanero Salsa, Corn And Zucchini Salsa, and now I am bringing you Pineapple Salsa! You can now make your own taco bar using those salsa as topping options!
Living in Texas, I have eaten Tex-Mex food all of my life, which means salsa is a big part of our lives. Some type of salsa is served with just about every meal.
I put Pico de Gallo on everything. However, I have been wanting to change it up more. So I made this Pineapple Salsa and I love the sweet freshness it gives to the salsa and to the foods I serve it on, such as Fish Tacos, Salmon, or Grilled Chicken Salad.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Sweet, colorful, and spicy if you like, this Pineapple Salsa is a fun, fresh twist on salsa.
- Pineapple Salsa makes a great appetizer to serve with tortilla chips.
- Add it to a taco bar for a fresh topping for tacos.
- No cooking is required. Just dice the fruit and vegetables and it can be ready in 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how fast you chop!
- It is versatile. It is easy to customize and goes with so many other dishes, such as tacos, fish, chicken, or salads.
How to Make Pineapple Salsa
Equipment
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- Pineapple Corer / Slicer – Makes it easy to core and slice a whole pineapple.
- Chef’s Knife. You’ll need this knife to cut the pineapple, fruits and vegetables. I like this knife because it is a highly rated knife at a reasonable price.
- Cutting Board. A good cutting board is necessary when dicing the pineapple and other fruits and vegetables. These bamboo cutting boards are all natural, highly rated, and well-priced.
- Bowl. A clear bowl to mix together and serve the pineapple salsa. There are three sizes to choose from.
- Serving Tray. A serving tray to transfer the salsa and other food from kitchen to table.
Ingredients
Below I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions in case you don’t have a specific ingredient on hand. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.
- Pineapple. In this recipe, fresh pineapple yields the best results. I recommend buying a fresh pineapple cutting it in half, and hollowing out the bottom half to make a serving bowl, and dicing the pineapple that was removed to make the salsa. As a shortcut, you can buy sliced pineapple and dice it, or if fresh pineapple is not available, you can use canned pineapple.
- Red Onion. I like to use red onions to add additional color. However, you could use white onion or sweet Vidalia onion.
- Mini Red and Orange Sweet Peppers. For those who like a mild salsa without the heat, then use the mini red and orange sweet peppers. However, if you want to add spicy heat, then use red chili peppers, jalapeno peppers, or habanero peppers. The jalapeno peppers are milder, and the habanero peppers, which are orange, are very hot. If you use the hot peppers, then you may want to leave out the Tajin Seasoning below.
- Lemon Juice. You’ll need the juice from 1 lemon. You could use the juice from one lime as well.
- Fresh Cilantro. Dice up some fresh cilantro. You can add as much or as little as you like. If you don’t like cilantro, just leave it out.
- Tajin Seasoning. This is a seasoning made from a blend of ground, dried chili peppers, including chiles de árbol, guajillo, and pasilla. If you use hot peppers or chili peppers instead of sweet peppers, then you may want to leave out this seasoning to prevent the salsa from being too hot.
- Salt. Add salt to taste. Add the salt after the Tajin Seasoning because that has added salt too.
Directions
- Make The Pineapple Serving Bowl.
- Slice the top of the pineapple off.
- Remove the outside peel of the pineapple to get to the fruit inside by using a pineapple corer/slicer. If you don’t have one, see the recipe tips below for other options.
- Dice the Ingredients.
- Finely dice the pineapple, sweet peppers, and red onion and place in a medium bowl.
- Add Seasoning.
- Add the tajin seasoning, salt, and lemon juice over the top and mix well.
- Serve.
- Serve immediately or store, covered, in the fridge to serve later. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Serve Fresh. This pineapple salsa is best served immediately but will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days if stored properly.
- Mini Sweet Peppers. Mini sweet peppers are small, but if you have bigger ones, you may need to reduce how many you add to the salsa.
- Control the Spice Level. If you want more spice, swap out a sweet pepper or two for fresh or pickled jalapenos instead. If you want really spicy salsa, add a habanero pepper or two.
- Perfect Pairing. Serve with Homemade Tortilla Chips or over the top of chicken, seafood, tacos, etc.
- No Pineapple Corer / Slicer. If you don’t have a pineapple corer/slicer, you can simply cut off slices of the rhine until the yellow flesh of the fruit appears.
- Size of Pineapple. The size of pineapples will vary. I used a medium pineapple for this recipe.
What To Serve With Pineapple Salsa
- Red or Green Salsa
- Sliced Avocados or Guacamole
- Pico De Gallo
- Tortilla Chips
- Blackened Fish Tacos
- Serve over fish, chicken, tacos, or a salad.
Variations On Pineapple Salsa
- Pineapple Habanero Salsa – Instead of orange mini sweet peppers, add diced habanero peppers instead.
- Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa – Instead of red mini sweet peppers, add diced jalapeno peppers instead.
- Pineapple Mango Salsa – Reduce the amount of pineapple by half, and add a cup of chopped mango to the salsa.
- Strawberry Pineapple Salsa – Reduce the amount of pineapple by half, and add a cup of chopped fresh strawberries.
- Peach Pineapple Salsa – Reduce the amount of the pineapple by half and add a cup of chopped fresh peaches.
- Grilled Pineapple Salsa – Slice a fresh pineapple, grill it for a few minutes to get the nice grill marks and smoky flavor. Then dice the pineapple and add to the salsa. It will add a nice smoky flavor to the salsa.
- Pineapple Corn Salsa – Reduce the pineapple by 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup of corn to the salsa.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Pineapple Salsa is best served fresh, but you can make it ahead of time, and refrigerate for an hour before serving.
Store the leftover salsa in an airtight contain in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. However, leftover pineapple salsa may get a little more water after it sits for a few days.
Technically. You can freeze it, but I do not recommend freezing the salsa after it is prepared. You can freeze pineapple slices or pineapple chunks and then thaw them to use in preparing the salsa later.
As mentioned above, Pineapple Salsa is best served fresh but you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Pineapple Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Pineapple
- 1/2 Red Onion
- 3 Mini Red Sweet Peppers (or red chili peppers, if want spicier)
- 3 Mini Orange Sweet Peppers (or habanero peppers, if want very spicy)
- 3 tablespoons Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed is best)
- 2-1/2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon Tajin Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Make The Pineapple Serving Bowl. Slice the top of the pineapple off. Remove the outside peel of the pineapple to get to the fruit inside by using a pineapple corer/slicer. If you don't have one, see the recipe tips below for other options.
- Dice the Ingredients. Finely dice the pineapple, sweet peppers, and red onion and place in a medium bowl.
- Add Seasoning. Add the tajin seasoning, salt, and lemon juice over the top and mix well.
- Serve. Serve immediately or store, covered, in the fridge to serve later. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Serve Fresh. This pineapple salsa is best served immediately but will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days if stored properly.
- Mini Sweet Peppers. Mini sweet peppers are small, but if you have bigger ones, you may need to reduce how many you add to the salsa.
- Control the Spice Level. If you want more spice, swap out a sweet pepper or two for fresh or pickled jalapenos instead. If you want really spicy salsa, add a habanero pepper or two.
- Perfect Pairing. Serve with Homemade Tortilla Chips or over the top of chicken, seafood, tacos, etc.
- No Pineapple Corer / Slicer. If you don’t have a pineapple corer/slicer, you can simply cut off slices of the rhine until the yellow flesh of the fruit appears.
- Size of Pineapple. The size of pineapples will vary. I used a medium pineapple for this recipe.
Ann says
This is such a refreshing recipe, perfect for summer!
Michele says
Thanks Ann!
Allyssa says
Thanks for this delicious pineapple salsa! very tasty and easy to make! loved it!
Michele says
Thank you Allyssa, I’m glad you loved it!