A pineapple bowl filled with fresh pineapple salsa with text overlay. - 1 A collage of images of fresh pineapple salsa with text overlay. - 2 Half a pineapple that has been hollowed out to create a bowl that is filled with fresh pineapple salsa with text overlay. - 3

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!

Pineapple salsa in a hollowed out pineapple with corn tortilla chips around it. - 4
  1. Why We Love This Recipe
  2. What You’ll Need
  3. How to Make Pineapple Salsa
  4. Recipe FAQ’s
  5. Tips for Success
  6. Substitutions and Variations
  7. More Summer Side Dish Recipes
  8. Fresh Pineapple Salsa Recipe Recipe

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 !

A hollowed out pineapple filled with pineapple salsa. - 5

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.
  • Jalapeños – Dice whole jalapeños for the best flavor.
Ingredients for making pineapple salsa. - 6

How to Make Pineapple Salsa

  1. Chop fresh ingredients. Begin by chopping up your pineapple, tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeño into small pieces by hand with a sharp knife.
  2. Combine ingredients. In a small bowl, mix together diced pineapple, tomatoes, chili, red onion, pepper, salt, pepper, lime juice, jalapeño and cilantro. Stir until well combined. Serve in a pineapple bowl or serving bowl.
Adding lime juice, salt, and pepper to diced vegetables and fruit in a bowl to make pineapple salsa. - 7

This easy Pineapple Salsa recipe uses fresh pineapple, jalapeños, 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.

Pineapple salsa on a small plate in front of a half pineapple filled with pineapple salsa. - 8

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 .

A close image of fresh pineapple salsa in a pineapple bowl. - 9

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 jalapeños, 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.
A pineapple bowl filled with fresh pineapple salsa. - 10

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
An image of a bowl of fresh pico de gallo. - 11

Appetizers

Fresh Authentic Pico De Gallo

a bowl of homemade guacamole surrounded by tortilla chips - 12

Appetizers

The BEST Homemade Guacamole

An overhead image of a serving spoon in a large bowl of cowboy caviar with a few tortilla chips in it. - 13

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.

Pineapple salsa in a hollowed out pineapple with corn tortilla chips around it. - 14

Fresh Pineapple Salsa Recipe

Ingredients123

  • ▢ 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 2/3 cup)
  • ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ▢ 3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (2-3 limes)
  • ▢ 1-2 jalapeños stem and seeds removed, finely diced
Fresh Pineapple Salsa - 15

Instructions

  • Begin by chopping up your pineapple, tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeño. 1 medium pineapple, 4 roma tomatoes, ½ medium red onion, 1 orange bell pepper, 1 bunch cilantro, 1-2 jalapeños
  • In a small bowl, mix together diced pineapple, tomatoes, jalapeño, red onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper, lime juice, and cilantro. Stir until well combined. 1 medium pineapple, 4 roma tomatoes, ½ medium red onion, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, 1 orange bell pepper
  • 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.

Nutrition

Pineapple salsa in a hollowed out pineapple with corn tortilla chips around it. - 16

Fresh Pineapple Salsa Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 medium pineapple diced (about 3 1/2 to 4 cups)
  • 4 roma tomatoes diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • ½ medium red onion diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 orange bell pepper diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 bunch cilantro chopped (about 2/3 cup)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (2-3 limes)
  • 1-2 jalapeños stem and seeds removed, finely diced

Instructions

  • Begin by chopping up your pineapple, tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeño. 1 medium pineapple, 4 roma tomatoes, ½ medium red onion, 1 orange bell pepper, 1 bunch cilantro, 1-2 jalapeños
  • In a small bowl, mix together diced pineapple, tomatoes, jalapeño, red onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper, lime juice, and cilantro. Stir until well combined. 1 medium pineapple, 4 roma tomatoes, ½ medium red onion, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, 1 orange bell pepper
  • 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.

Nutrition

QR code

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.