This refreshing and easy pineapple salsa recipe is vibrant, flavorful, healthy, and delicious! Make it in just 15 minutes and serve it with crispy tortilla chips alongside creamy guacamole, pico de gallo, lime crema, baked chicken tacos, and fresh agua frescas for an epic Mexican spread!
This fresh pineapple salsa recipe is one of my all-time favorite appetizers that I make on hot summer days! Every time I buy a juicy pineapple, I have to make this salsa for tacos! It’s so vibrant and flavorful, tangy, sweet, and spicy. Basically, big flavors for taco Tuesday or any day!
I normally serve this pineapple Mexican salsa as a dip for tortilla chips, but it’s also great to be served with fish, grilled meats, or tacos and fajitas.
All you need is 6 simple ingredients to make this easy salsa, and 15-20 minutes of your time! Basically lots of chopping, but it’s all worth it.
So if you’re looking for a salsa recipe with pineapple, this is the one that you MUST try! It’s also naturally vegan and gluten free.
Key Ingredients
To make this fresh pineapple salsa, you’ll need a few fresh ingredients:
- Fresh pineapple: Use fresh ripe pineapple, avoid canned pineapple in this recipe as it won’t be as good.
- Red pepper: A red bell pepper works best here, it’s the sweetest out of all bell peppers (as opposed to green or yellow bell peppers).
- Red onion: Red onions are sweet and mild, and perfect to be served fresh. If you only have a yellow onion, you can use it, but keep in mind that yellow onions are sharper.
- Jalapeño: I’m using one jalapeño for this recipe, but if you like more heat then feel free to add more.
- Lime and cilantro: Because you can’t make a true Mexican recipe without cilantro and freshly squeezed lime!
- Salt to season the salsa.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make The BEST EVER Pineapple Salsa
Peel and dice the pineapple. You can either remove the core, or choose to keep it. When the pineapple is really ripe, and you’re dicing the pineapple small, the core becomes quite tender to eat and doesn’t need to be removed.
Dice the vegetables small (bell pepper, red onion, jalapeño) and cilantro. Combine everything in a large bowl, season with salt, and squeeze fresh lime juice.
Give everything a very good toss, and season to taste.
Top Tips
- Serve in a hollowed out pineapple for a fun-looking appetizer!
- Try to dice the pineapple and vegetables pretty finely (but not too small). Naturally the pineapple pieces will be a little bigger compared to the bell pepper and onion, but that’s totally fine. You just need a small dice to be able to enjoy the salsa with tortilla chips.
- If you don’t have time to dice a pineapple, buy pre-sliced fresh pineapple and that will save you a lot of time.
- To make this salsa even more fun, try adding diced fresh mango, peach, or sweet corn!
- There is no right or wrong when it comes to what ingredients to add to this salsa, want to add a tomato? Go for it! A cucumber? Sure why not! Have fun with it!
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
While most fresh salsas are usually made in a blender or in a food processor, I don’t recommend blending a pineapple salsa.
Use it to top grilled meat and fish, or mix it in quinoa or rice.
2-3 days if stored in a sealed container.
Yes, you can freeze fruit salsa but keep in mind that the texture will change once frozen and thawed. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
How to Serve Pineapple Salsa
Serve this fresh salsa with:
- Vegan mushroom tacos and chickpea fajitas.
- Baked chicken tacos.
- Roast chicken or spatchcock chicken.
- Barbacoa beef tacos or shredded beef tacos.
- Mexican stuffed peppers.
- As a dip with corn tortilla chips, alongside guacamole, pico de gallo, black bean dip, salsa ranchera, and lime crema.
- And for dessert, you MUST make this delicious fruit salsa with cinnamon chips!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh pineapple diced, about half a large pineapple
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- ½ cup red onion diced, about half an onion
- 1 jalapeño seeds and ribs removed then finely chopped
- ⅓ cup cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Peel and dice the pineapple. You can either remove the core, or choose to keep it. When the pineapple is really ripe, and you’re dicing the pineapple small, the core becomes quite tender to eat and doesn’t need to be removed.
- Dice the vegetables small (bell pepper, red onion, jalapeño) and cilantro. Combine everything in a large bowl, season with salt, and squeeze fresh lime juice.
- Give everything a very good toss, then have a taste, and adjust seasonings to your preference.
Notes:
- Serve in a hollowed out pineapple for a fun-looking appetizer!
- Try to dice the pineapple and vegetables pretty finely (but not too small). Naturally the pineapple pieces will be a little bigger compared to the bell pepper and onion, but that’s totally fine. You just need a small dice to be able to enjoy the salsa with tortilla chips.
- If you don’t have time to dice a pineapple, buy pre-sliced fresh pineapple and that will save you a lot of time.
- To make this salsa even more fun, try adding diced fresh mango, peach, or sweet corn!
- There is no right or wrong when it comes to what ingredients to add to this salsa, want to add a tomato? Go for it! A cucumber? Sure why not! Have fun with it!
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Angela Trillhaase says
Family loved it – great, fresh taste!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you so much for the feedback and the 5-star review!
Michelle says
I love your blog! This was the perfect use for that pineapple languishing on my counter—so delicious and fresh-tasting! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Diana says
Thank you, Michelle! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed your pineapple by making this delicious salsa 😁