Pineapple Salsa
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This 6-ingredient Pineapple Salsa is a fresh, colorful condiment or appetizer that’s not only healthy but absolutely delicious! Serve as a dip with chips or with recipes like our Hawaiian Pork Tenderloin, Crispy Carnitas, or Asian Salmon.
Ingredients
There are many variations of Pineapple Salsa out there. You’ll see a lot of the same main players in most of the recipes.
After testing out a few different variations, we landed on this outstanding ingredient combo:
Ingredient Notes:
- Pineapple – Fresh is best. Please avoid canned pineapple! To pick a ripe one, look for one that’s mostly yellow, smells sweet at the bottom, is firm but a little soft when pressed, and feels heavy for it’s size.
- Red bell pepper – Adds color and crunch.
- Jalapeno pepper – Don’t worry it won’t be too spicy. You will seed, devein, and mince the pepper.
- Green onions – Brings a mild onion note and fresh pops of green color.
- Chopped cilantro – You can sub fresh parsley if you don’t like cilantro.
- Lime Juice – Use fresh limes if possible!
- Sriracha sauce – Add as much heat as you like, to taste. Sub a little cayenne pepper instead.
- Optional: Ripe avocado – We found adding in some chopped avocado at the end lends creaminess, but it also means the salsa doesn’t last as long before oxidizing (turning brownish). So, we leave this option up to you.
Substitutions and Variations
Feel free to experiment with the ingredients. Here are some ideas to give you inspiration:
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- Try mango, peaches, or kiwi in place of pineapple.
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- Use diced tomato in place of red bell pepper, although I really love the crunch of the bell pepper.
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- Add finely chopped red onion for more color and pungency. (You may want to cut back on the green onion or omit it.)
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- Use lemon juice in place of the lime juice.
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- If you prefer a sweeter salsa, add a drizzle of honey or agave syrup.
What to Serve with Pineapple Salsa
Need some ideas of ways to use this fresh salsa?
- Tortilla Chips – Entertaining a crowd? Just set out some tortilla chips and your people will be good to go. This is a great side for a Taco Bar.
- Pork Tenderloin – Pair with Hawaiian Pork Tenderloin or Grilled Pork Tenderloin.
- Serve over grilled or roasted fish or on fish tacos.
- DIY Burrito Bowl – Serve in a Chicken Burrito Bowl with Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice, veggies, black beans, and guacamole.
- Grilled Chicken – It would be delicious with this Asian Chicken Marinade or our Southwest Chicken Marinade.
- Serve with Slow Cooker Carnitas – Add this to the line-up of toppings for Carnitas.
- Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp and Pineapple Kabobs – A perfect pairing!
- Instant Pot Coconut Rice – mix this salsa in with our coconut rice for a delicious side dish.
Pro Tips
- Sharpen Your Knife: You’d be amazed at the difference between chopping with a freshly sharpened knife vs. a dull one. Since this recipe requires a lot of chopping, taking the extra minute to sharpen your knife will really pay off. Find my favorite (cheap) knife sharpener in our store.
- Bite-Sized Pieces: It’s imperative that you chop the ingredients finely into bite-sized pieces. You want to be able to get a little of everything in one bite, so a small dice on the pineapple and bell pepper and a fine mince on the jalapeno is best.
- Let It Sit: The salsa is best if you can let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving. This gives all the ingredients time to meld together.
- Pick a Ripe Pineapple: This will make or break this salsa. To find the perfect pineapple, use these clues:
- Pick one that’s mostly yellow, not too green or brown.
- Sniff the bottom of the pineapple. It should smell sweet.
- It should be firm but a little soft when you press it.
- Look for green leaves at the top, not brown ones.
- It should feel heavy for its size.
Recipe FAQs
We do not recommend using canned or frozen pineapple for this recipe. Fresh, ripe pineapple is the only way to go. However, feel free to buy the pre-sliced fresh pineapple from the deli area to save some time.
Like most fresh salsa recipes, it will be good for 3-5 days in the fridge. That being said, Pineapple Salsa is best when served really fresh. It has the most texture and fresh flavor this way. Ideally, you’d prep it ahead a few hours in advance instead of days in advance.
Don’t try to freeze this one. Because of the high water content in the ingredients, the texture will end up mushy and watery on the other end of its freezer stay.
According to Healthline, “A ripe pineapple should have a firm shell but be slightly soft with a bit of give when you squeeze it. Pineapples that are completely solid or hard when squeezed are unlikely to be fully ripe.” We’ve also found that once they start to turn a little darker brown (and smell ripe when you sniff the bottom), they are just right!
More Dips to Love
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Pineapple Salsa
Pineapple Salsa is a fun, fresh, colorful condiment or appetizer that’s not only healthy but absolutely delicious! Serve as a dip with chips or on top of recipes like our Hawaiian Pork Tenderloin.
Ingredients
- 1 medium fresh pineapple, cored and finely diced (about 3 cups)
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium to large jalapeno, seeded, deveined, and minced (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (sub: fresh parsley)
- Juice of 2 limes (about 4 tablespoons)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Sriracha sauce or cayenne pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1-2 ripe avocados, chopped
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Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving so the flavors start to combine.
Notes/Tips
- Using fresh, ripe pineapple is the key to this recipe. We strongly urge you not to use canned or frozen pineapple.
- This salsa is best served fresh but keeps well in the fridge for 3-5 days (if you omit the avocado).
- Sharpen Your Knife: You’d be amazed at the difference between chopping with a freshly sharpened knife vs. a dull one. Since this recipe requires a lot of chopping, taking the extra minute to sharpen your knife will really pay off. Find my favorite (cheap) knife sharpener in our store.
- Bite-Sized Pieces: It’s imperative that you chop the ingredients finely into bite-sized pieces. You want to be able to get a little of everything in one bite, so a small dice on the pineapple and bell pepper and a fine mince on the jalapeno is best.
- Pick a Ripe Pineapple: This will make or break this salsa. To find the perfect pineapple, use these clues:
- Pick one that’s mostly yellow, not too green or brown.
- Sniff the bottom of the pineapple. It should smell sweet.
- It should be firm but a little soft when you press it.
- Look for green leaves at the top, not brown ones.
- It should feel heavy for its size.
Photos by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
The flavors in this are perfect. Love it as a dip or to go with pork tenderloin. Would probably be great with salmon too!