This easy and fresh Pineapple Salsa goes great with fish, chicken, tacos and tortilla chips and it a must at a summer BBQ! A zesty and light, chunky salsa that can liven up any meal without too many extra calories. It's colourful, a little sweet and a little spicy.
Pineapple salsa might sound a little bit crazy, but trust us on this. The sweetness of the pineapple combined with the chilli and chunky vegetables just works. You would use tomatoes usually, and they are a fruit too don't forget. It's a fantastic side dish at a BBQ and so easy to make, as you just mix it all up in a bowl.
Jump to:
Why should you try it?
- A really fun way to serve salsa
- Less than 100 calories per serving
- Quick and easy to make
- Easy to adapt with different ingredients
- Make it as spicy or mild as you want
Step by step
One: Using a large, sharp knife cut the pineapple in half, length ways. A good knife is important for this and we highly recommend the Robert Welch Chef's Knife(aff).
How to choose a pineapple
You want to make sure that you pick a pineapple that is ripe and ready to eat. Although cooking it will help to bring out the flavours, it will still struggle if it isn’t ripe.
You want to look out for a pineapple that is a vibrant gold colour. A dull green means that it isn’t ripe yet and a red/brown colour with wrinkled skin means that it is past its best.
When you are picking your pineapple, give it a little squeeze and it should give slightly. If it is rock hard, then it isn’t ripe and a pineapple that feels mushy is on its way out. Also, a nicely ripe pineapple with have a lovely sweet smell, rather than a fermented smell of an off pineapple.
What other ingredients to add
This recipe used bell peppers, red onion, tomatoes and jalapenos, which is pretty much a standard base for salsa. You could also add some corn, chopped cucumber or some diced courgette (zucchini). You could add some diced celery or even small florets of raw broccoli for a nice crunch. And of course, diced avocado always works well in a salsa,
Grilled pineapple salsa
To really bring out the sweetness of the pineapple, try grilling it before dicing it. Put the strips of pineapple under the grill (broiler) for 3 minutes each side. Or you can cook on a BBQ grill for 3 minutes each side. Once cooked, cut them in to chunks and mix with the other ingredients.
Canned or fresh pineapple?
We used fresh pineapple as it's really cheap in the summer and so juicy. However, in a pinch you could use canned pineapple. Use a can of pineapple chunks and follow the recipe as normal.
Health benefits of pineapple
Pineapples are a good source of fibre, vitamins A and C, as well as folic acid. Pineapple also contains bromelain which is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects.
An 80g portion of pineapple counts as one of your five-a-day.
What to serve it with
Tortilla Chip are a must! Just grab a chip, dive into the salsa and scoop a big pile! This salsa is a great accompaniment to many dishes. Serve it with any of your favourite Mexican dishes for a simple, fresh side dish. You could top grilled chicken or fish with it or put it on top of scrambled eggs for quick and tasty breakfast or lunch.
We love it with Fish Tacos, or any kind of burrito or quesadilla.
How to store
This salsa can be stored in the fridge in air-tight container for up to a week. If you want to freeze it, put it into an air-tight container and store in the freezer, where it will be good for up to one year. Defrost in the fridge and make sure it it fully defrosted before serving.
Other ways to use pineapple
We have lots of other pineapple recipes on the blog. Of course pineapple makes a perfect dessert - we have an amazing Honey Grilled Pineapple or we caramelise it and use it on top of our Coconut Rice Pudding. Pineapple also makes up part of our Immune Booster Juice and Pina Colada Smoothie.
As well as desserts, like this salsa, pineapple works really well with savoury dishes. Why not put it on a pizza? (Controversial, I know!) Or use it in a sweet and sour dish, like our Sweet and Sour King Prawns.
Extra tips
- Swap the veg to things like corn, celery, courgette (zucchini) or avocado.
- Store in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to a year.
- This is really good with grilled pineapple.
- You can use canned pineapple instead of fresh.
- A good knife is important for this and we highly recommend the Robert Welch Chef's Knife(aff).
More salsa recipes
| Do you want to be kept up to date on more delicious posts like this? Please subscribe to the blog mailing list (it takes 30 seconds). Click here to sign up. |
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
DON’T FORGET TO RATE THE RECIPE ↓
Recipe
Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 pineapple halved, flesh removed and diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 red onion diced
- 3 tomatoes diced
- 1 lime (juice only)
- 15 g coriander (cilantro) finely chopped
- 4 tbsp pickled jalapeños
- 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Slice the pineapple in half length-ways and scoop out the flesh.
- Chop the pineapple into chunks and mix with the other ingredients.
- Fill the pineapple halves with the salsa and serve.
Notes
- Swap the veg to things like corn, celery, courgette (zucchini) or avocado.
- Store in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to a year.
- This is really good with grilled pineapple.
- You can use canned pineapple instead of fresh.
- A good knife is important for this and we highly recommend the Robert Welch Chef's Knife(aff).
Nutritional Information
* All links marked (aff) are affiliate links. Please read our Privacy Policy for more information *
Catstello
Your recipes always look so great! I really need to start cooking more.
Rebecca
Omg this looks delicious. I am definitely going to make this after a quick stop at Tesco for some pineapple!
Harriet Emily
I love salsa!! It's so refreshing and delicious. This recipe is beautiful Dannii! I love the addition of grilled pineapple. Such a great idea! Yum!
marcie
I LOVE salsa, and one of my favorites is pineapple! I've never grilled it however, and I definitely need to try that!
Emily Rose
This sounds so good! I'm a massive fan of pineapple and salsa so it's definitely one for me to try!
Charlotte
This sounds lovely! I would have never thought about putting pineapple in salsa! x
Alida @My Little Italian Kitchen
I do love salsa and pineapples too! Very inventive recipe. I love the grilled taste too.
nicol
this looks amazing. ive never been much of a salsa fan but i do like the sound of pineapple
Jessica
Salsa never went wrong with my taste. I would love to try this recipe!
Rebecca Smith
I might have to make this for my other half, he adores pineapple! I would have never thought to have made this!
Charli Bruce
This sounds absolutely delicious, I would have never thought to put pineapple in a salsa like this!
ami@naivecookcooks
Recently I had pineapple salsa at taco place and it was superb!! So happy that you got the recipe for us!! Looks super delish :)
Melanie Edjourian
Love the recipe fresh, tasty and very healthy.
Cailee
Girl this looks amazing!! I love pineapple salsa from Trader Joe's! So good, but I bet it's AMAZING homemade! SO fresh! Thanks for the recipe. Also, love this bowl!
xoxo Cailee!
Tori Gabriel
Oh my God, this sounds incredible! It would be awesome as a bruschetta. I love bruschetta! Actually this would be great in a variety of things. It would go brilliantly in chicken fajitas.
Brittany
I LOVE homemade salsa, and all salsa in general. It's the perfect addition to any meal.