Okay, so this little gem really deserves a post of its own, rather than being hidden in the Chili Lime Shrimp Bowls recipe post. This easy pineapple salsa is SO good that I could just sit and eat it out of the bowl (and I did while i was making the shrimp bowls!). It’s really simple and extremely versatile. You can use this to top chicken, fish, burritos, quesadillas, salads… the sky is the limit. It should stay good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days but chances are it won’t last that long!
Should I Use Fresh or Canned Pineapple?
You can make this with fresh pineapple when it’s in season and on sale, or you can use canned pineapple in a pinch during the off season. You’ll get better texture with the fresh pineapple, but the lime, cilantro, and red onion have enough freshness to really make this easy pineapple salsa pop even when you have to use canned pineapple.
Want to use fresh pineapple but not sure how to cut one of those crazy things? Check out my tutorial on How to Cut Pineapple.
What to Serve with Pineapple Salsa
Sure, this pineapple salsa makes a great sweet-spicy chip dip, but you can spoon it over so many different types of food! It’s incredible paired with Coconut Jerk Peas, Chipotle Chicken Tacos Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, Roasted Cauliflower Taco Bowls, Cilantro Lime Chicken, or Sweet Potato Tacos.
Easy Pineapple Salsa
Servings 6 1/3 cup eachIngredients
- 2 cups chopped pineapple* ($0.67)
- 1/4 red onion ($0.17)
- 1 jalapeño (optional) ($0.11)
- 1 lime ($0.34)
- 1/4 bunch cilantro ($0.21)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
Instructions
- Chop the pineapple into small pieces. If using canned pineapple, make sure to drain it well before chopping. You can save the juice for smoothies, marinades, or other uses. Place the chopped pineapple in a bowl.
- Finely dice the red onion and add it to the bowl. Remove the seeds from the jalapeño by first cutting off the stem, then cutting the pepper in half length-wise. Scrape the seeds out with a spoon and then finely dice the remaining pepper. Add the jalapeño to the bowl.
- Wash and shake off as much water from the cilantro as possible. Remove the leaves from the stems and roughly chop them. Add the chopped cilantro to the bowl. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the bowl. Stir everything together.
- Add salt to your liking. Start with 1/2 tsp, stir it in, taste it and then add more as needed. I used 1 teaspoon total. Keep the salsa refrigerated until ready to eat. Stir to redistribute juices and flavor before serving.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Pineapple Salsa – Step By Step Photos
Chop about 2 cups of pineapple tidbits into small pieces. You can use fresh (as I did above) or canned pineapple. If using canned, make sure to get the kind packed in juice only, and drain it off very well before chopping.
Finely dice 1/4 red onion. Pull the leaves from about 1/4 bunch of fresh cilantro and give the leaves a good chop. If using a jalapeño, scrape out the seeds before finely dicing (I was using this salsa for a spicy dish today, so I skipped the jalapeño). Add the onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and juice from half a lime to a bowl with the pineapple. Also add about 1/2 tsp salt.
Stir the mixture to combine and then give it a taste and add more salt or lime juice if needed. Refrigerate until ready to eat! Sometimes just a few simple flavors pack a huge punch!
I would eat it with just chips! But, I’d have some regular salsa on hand too, for those who aren’t into new flavors :)
I have a party to attend and have been asked to bring something snacky. How would this be just chip and salsa?
Tried this recently at a friend’s house – delicious! My wife isn’t crazy about red onion, so I substituted an orange bell pepper. That turned out pretty well!
This salsa looks fantastic! I will make this the next time we have chicken for dinner.
Virginia – cucumber and/or green bell peppers would be quite tasty!
Beth, this looks amazing! What would you suggest to substitute for the jalapeno for the more spicy-phobic folks like me? I’m dying to try this!
I made this last night and served it on grilled white fish. I did only slightly different.. added 2 jalapenos instead of 1 and a splash of lemon juice too. REALLY GOOD!!!! THanks. Posted it on my blog today with your link.
I can not wait to try this recipe, looks so delicious.
I made this last night with pineapple left over from an event fruit tray…it was killer. Thanks for the idea!
Thanks for catching that, Adrian! All fixed ;)
This looks amazing. Also, your total cost looks a little off. I wish it was only $0.38!
We had a similar recipe in our house, but used a few dashes (how many depended on how hot you wanted it) of Tobasco sauce or crushed pepper flakes. One reason I love these kinds of recipes is because I’m one of those folks who can’t handle cilantro, so I could make it without the offending ingredient (sometimes I’d do parsley for that “fresh” flavor component).
Last night I went to Tony Roma’s for a family birthday party and ordered a chicken dish with this kind of salsa on it. It was delicious and I think they had red peppers in there instead of the jalapenos. YUM! And how funny that I ate that last night only to open up my blogs today and see your recipe??? Cool! (And MUCH cheaper!)
Hopefully your salaries are also higher? :(
Mmm…looks yummy and easy. Also good for the winter, when there aren’t good fresh tomatoes for salsa.
Sometimes your cost breakdowns make me sad, though. Where I live, at ANY of the grocery stores, a can of pineapple costs $1.99, a bunch of cilantro also costs $1.99, and a lime costs $.59 on sale in season. I usually just don’t look at your numbers because multiplying by two is so depressing, but today I was like “$2.26? how is that possible?” and realized oh, it is not around here!