This easy Fresh Pineapple Salsa is the perfect side dish for a casual weekend BBQ or dinner on hot summer days. It pairs wonderfully on top of tacos, chicken, grilled fish, or pork, and can also be enjoyed as an appetizer with some crispy tortilla chips!
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Fruity, juicy, sweet, tangy, and simply delicious, this colorful Pineapple Salsa recipe will take your summer dining to the next level!
Fruit salsa is where it's at for summertime, and using sweet pineapple makes it perfectly refreshing!
We love the classic flavors of Mexican Restaurant-Style Salsa, and Authentic Pico de Gallo, but we also love to mix things up a bit. This easy salsa recipe has the perfect combination of spicy and sweet—it's mouthwateringly addicting!
If you love this fruity salsa variation, try my Fresh Mango Salsa, Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips, and Cranberry Salsa with Cream Cheese!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Easily turn up the heat or make it milder as you like.
- Using the freshest ingredients to enhance those great summer flavors!
- Quick and easy, you can throw a batch together in just 10 minutes!
What You'll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Pineapple - Use a medium pineapple that you can dice yourself for the best possible flavor.
- Tomatoes - Roma tomatoes have a great flavor and aren't as watery as other tomato varieties.
- Vegetables - Red onion and orange bell pepper will give the salsa sweet and savory flavors as well as a warm color palette. You can use red bell peppers or green peppers if you prefer.
- Cilantro - Chop a bunch of fresh cilantro for a classic salsa flavor.
- Salt & Pepper: Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to enhance all the flavors.
- Lime - Use freshly squeezed lime juice to add a punch of sharp citrus that complements the pineapple well.
- Jalapenos - Dice whole jalapenos for the best flavor.
How to Make Pineapple Salsa
- Chop fresh ingredients. Begin by chopping up your pineapple, tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeno into small pieces by hand with a sharp knife.
- Combine ingredients. In a small bowl, mix together diced pineapple, tomatoes, chili, red onion, pepper, salt, pepper, lime juice, and cilantro. Stir until well combined. Serve in a pineapple bowl or serving bowl.
Recipe FAQ's
This easy Pineapple Salsa recipe uses fresh pineapple, jalapenos, onions, and peppers with cilantro and lime juice. Some recipes add garlic too. Other recipes may vary in the amounts used as well, but I think this recipe has the perfect balance of fresh, sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors!
Salsa made with pineapples will go with so many main dishes, including seafood, poultry, pork, and an array of vegetables. Try it with my Brown Sugar Glazed Ham, these Blackened Salmon Tacos, Baja Fish Tacos, or my Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos! It also pairs really well with other citrusy or tropical-flavored sides like Cilantro Lime Rice, and Coconut Rice.
Store your homemade salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Tips for Success
- Make sure you use fresh tomatoes that aren't overripe or turning, so they hold their shape and don't go mushy when chopped.
- Chop all the ingredients as finely as you can. I wouldn't recommend using a food processor (affiliate link), though, as it will chop them too finely. You'll get the best results with a sharp chef's knife and a cutting board, plus you get a chance to practice those knife skills!
- You can use pre-cut pineapple if you want to save some time or don't want to chop a whole pineapple. Avoid using canned pineapple where possible.
How To Cut A Pineapple
Cutting a pineapple can seem like a tricky, prickly task, but it doesn't have to be.
Some of the main points to note would be:
- Pick a ripe pineapple. A pineapple that is ripe and ready for eating will be easier to prepare, and your work won't have been in vain!
- Use a large knife. A larger knife will give enough depth in the cut to slice the whole diameter of the pineapple in one swift chop, rather than trying to stab it into submission.
- Make sure your knife is sharp. This one seems like a no-brainer, but while pineapple can be mushy and juicy, it's a big fruit, so the sharper the knife, the easier your task will be.
Check out my tried and true method for cutting a fresh pineapple into chunks or rings in my post How to Cut a Pineapple.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use different fruit. If you're not a fan of pineapple, you can try using other fruits or vegetables like diced mango (like in my Fresh Mango Salsa), cherries, strawberries, cucumber, melon, or even tomatoes like in a Classic Pico de Gallo (you can also skip the bell pepper if you prefer).
- Spice level. Increase the heat by adding more spicy jalapenos, or you could also use serrano peppers or poblano peppers instead. You can also add in other spicy flavors like cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes.
More Summer Side Dish Recipes
- Summer Fruit Salad
- Heirloom Tomato Salad with Burrata
- Watermelon Basil Feta Salad
- Grilled Corn Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
Appetizers
Fresh Authentic Pico De Gallo
Appetizers
The BEST Homemade Guacamole
Appetizers
Texas Cowboy Caviar
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Fresh Pineapple Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium pineapple, diced (about 3 ½ to 4 cups)
- 4 roma tomatoes, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- ½ medium red onion, diced (about ½ cup)
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (about â…” cup)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (2-3 limes)
- 1-2 jalapenos, stem and seeds removed, finely diced
Instructions
- Begin by chopping up your pineapple, tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeno.
- In a small bowl, mix together diced pineapple, tomatoes, chili, red onion, pepper, salt, pepper, lime juice, and cilantro. Stir until well combined.
- Transfer the salsa to the pineapple bowl or any bowl for serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
- Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Storage: Store pineapple salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
This was fresh and amazing. I served it with fish tacos. and with tortilla chips! So much yum!
Made this for a nice twist on traditional salsas for our Cinco de Mayo gathering. Shared the recipe with many folks there!
What a beautiful presentation and delicious recipe. I made this salsa and served it as shown along side some shrimp and fish for homemade tacos. It was such a hit and I can't wait to do it again.
Yum, yum, and more yum! Oh the flavors, loved this! Took it to a dinner party the other night, had a little fresh mango and tossed that in too.
Well this was DELISH! We added a little orange juice alongside the lime juice. Will be making again for sure!