My vibrant pineapple salsa is a brighter, juicier version of pico de gallo ~ we serve it with chicken, steak, pork, and fish. But it’s also the best excuse I know of to buy a big old bag of chips!
pineapple jalapeño salsa is sweet and zesty
Salsa is pretty much my middle name, I think it’s the perfect food. Not only is it bright, colorful, and healthy, but you can make it out of just about anything! Salsa translates to sauce in Spanish, but it’s so, so much more. If you’re not a salsa fanatic already, I think this fresh pineapple salsa will do the trick.
Salsa is one of the healthiest foods I know of, you get dose of fresh fruit, fiber, and vitamins with no fat or additives. Its a delicious way to get one (or two, or three) of your five servings of fruits and veg a day. The beer and chips are your reward for being so virtuous 😉
what you’ll need for an uber simple pineapple salsa
Salsa is so bright and fresh there are only a few ingredients needed. A quick tour of your supermarket’s produce section will set you up for this vibrant salsa.
- a fresh pineapple (available all year round) Don’t try to make this out of canned pineapple, it won’t have nearly the same zing.
- fresh lime juice ~ none of that bottled stuff! Fresh limes can be pricey, but they’re absolutely necessary for salsa. Their tart flavor is even more powerful than lemon. Fun Fact: did you know you can freeze whole limes? Just pop them into a heavy duty freezer bag, squeeze out the excess air, zip up, and pop in the freezer for up to a year.
- jalapeño pepper ~ jalapeños generally have a moderate heat, making them perfect for salsa. Just leave out the seeds for less heat. The combination of a little bit of spice with the sweet pineapple is the highlight of this salsa. Even if you don’t love super spicy food, I recommend using a little jalapeño in this recipe.
- red onion ~ I never make salsa without it, it gives the most wonderful bite and balances out the sweetness. White or yellow onions just aren’t the same, it has to be red.
- fresh cilantro ~ this is also essential, hopefully you love it 😉 Don’t worry about plucking off each leaf, the tender stems are good. Just lop off the head of a whole bunch and chop it up.
pineapple salsa starts with a fresh pineapple
Don’t be intimidated, it’s easy to cut up a whole pineapple, I’ll show you exactly how to do it here: How to Cut a Pineapple.
how are your knife skills?
You’ll want to slice everything nice and small so it’s chip-friendly, so a sharp serrated knife is your friend. I love my stainless steel Alligator chopper for the peppers and onion, it chops them in perfectly even itty bitty pieces. It’s worth every penny, I use it constantly all year long for salsas, soups, salads, etc.
I don’t recommend a food processor for this salsa
Some salsas, like my Better Than Restaurant Salsa, are best made in a blender or processor. But for this one you’ll get a better result with a knife.
how to use your salsa
Obviously serve your bright fresh salsa with your favorite chips and ice cold beer. With a chunky salsa like this I often include a small spoon to make it easier to load up your chips ~ the more salsa the better!
Salsa is wonderful on top of all kinds of fish and chicken. Check out Salmon with Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa. And my Grilled Chicken with Peach Jalapeño Salsa could easily be made with pineapple instead of peaches.
My vibrant pineapple salsa makes a nice change from jarred salsa on tacos.
Obviously on burgers and hot dogs!
Wake up a pan of nachos, or plain quesadillas.
When I’m having eggs for dinner, I always add a big dollop of fresh salsa.
more chip friendly appetizers
Fire Roasted Salsa Negra (black salsa)
Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 cups finely diced pineapple
- 1 jalapeño, finely minced
- 1 bunch cilantro, leaves and top stems only, minced
- 2 thin slices red onion, minced. Use more to taste.
- juice of 1/2 lime, more to taste
Instructions
- Finely dice about 4 cups of fresh pineapple.
- Put the diced pineapple in a large bowl.
- Finely mince the jalapeños and add them to the bowl. If you'd like less heat you can use half a pepper, or remove the pith and seeds first. I like to use the whole pepper, seeds and all. Note: Jalapeños vary in their heat, so add to taste.
- Add chopped cilantrol to the bowl. I lop off the top of a bunch of cilantro and chop the leaves and fine stems. If you wash your cilantro, be sure to get it as dry as possible before chopping.
- Add finely diced red onion. Again, add this to taste.
- Add the fresh lime juice and toss. Taste to adjust any of the ingredients. I didn't feel that it needed salt, but add if you like.
- Refrigerate until needed. Will keep 1-2 days but is best the same day.
Nutrition
Delicious
I do like this recipe…I used canned pineapple in it’s own juice because I didnt have time to go to the store. It tasted great so I can imagine what fresh pineapple does!
I have made this and really like it however, the last time I made this I grilled the pineapple slices before chopping and also added about a 1/2 teaspoon of grated lime zest along with the other ingredients. Elevated this to a whole new level. Delish!
Fabulous idea!
Can I use canned pineapple?
You could, but I highly recommend the fresh, it has such a different flavor.
This looks so delicious! I love pineapple salsa on fish. Two questions: Do you think mint would work in this? I have a bunch that I’m trying to figure out what to do with. Also, what brand tortilla chips are in your photos? They look so much better than the ones I usually buy.
You know, I never thought about mint, but yes, I think that would work well. As for the tortilla chips, I don’t remember, sorry. But I always look for the biggest chips I can find ~ more square footage for the salsa 😉