Name: Summery Pineapple Salsa
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 3 cups finely diced pineapple ((usually 1 pineapple)); 1 cup finely diced red onion; 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1-2 large finely dice jalapeños, (deseeded & deveined); juice of 1 large lime; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

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Grab a handful of tortilla chips and get ready to load them up with fresh Pineapple Salsa. This easy fruit salsa recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy and has all the right happy summer vibes! It’s going to be your go-to snack, dip, topping for tacos, nachos and favorites from the grill all season long.

fresh pineapple salsa is a wonderful appetizer dip or topping for grilled chicken and fish.

What is Pineapple Salsa Made Of

Pineapple salsa is a simple mixture of diced pineapple, red onions, jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice, garlic and spices. Some recipes even include tomatoes, bell pepper, mango or cucumber.

No matter which ingredients you decide to include, this dip always quickly vanishes every time it’s served. It’s bright, refreshing and filled with eye-catching color. And did we talk about flavor? Fresh pineapple salsa is a sweet and savory dream, bringing loads of sweet acidic flavor to every bite!

Ingredients

I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in this section along with helpful tips!

Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.

fresh pineapple
red onion
fresh cilantro
jalapeno
lime juice
minced garlic
salt
chili powder

How To Make This Easy Pineapple Salsa Recipe

Combine. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl. Mix very well.

Chill. Chill for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to get acquainted with one another or until you are ready to serve your salsa.

Serve! Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for your favorite grilled protein, taco or nacho.

how to make fresh pineapple salsa with diced pineapples, diced onions, diced jalapenos, chopped cilantro and spices

Tips for Making the Best Pineapple Salsa

If you’re pressed for time or don’t want to cut your own pineapple, use precut pineapple found in the produce section of your grocery store. (see below for “how to cut a pineapple”)
Avoid canned pineapple for this recipe. Neither the flavor nor the texture is the same as fresh pineapple.
Additionally, fresh lime juice is also recommended. It has much more flavor than bottled juice.
Dice all of the ingredients to the same size and dice them small. This will make sure you get a little of all of the ingredients in each bite.
Don’t skip the chill time! You can even make this salsa a day ahead of time, giving the flavors maximum time to mingle before serving.
For parties, serve your pineapple salsa in a pineapple boat. Carve out half a pineapple and fill it with your salsa.

A bowl of fresh pineapple salsa ready to eat with tortilla chips as a dip

How To Choose a Ripe Pineapple

Delicious dishes always start with the best ingredients. To choose ripe, sweet pineapples every time, I look for two things.

Color. Ripe pineapples should be greenish-yellow or green turning to yellow in color. Pineapples that are solid green and hard aren’t ripe.
Smell. Like a cantaloupe, you can tell if a pineapple is ripe by how it smells. A quick sniff towards the end where the stem was attached (not the fronds) should smell faintly sweet and pineapple-y.

How to Cut A Pineapple

Step 1. Cut the top and bottom from the pineapple. Stand the pineapple on end. Slicing downwards, cut the tough, prickly covering off. The little brown spot left are “eyes”; remove those.

Step 2. Turn the pineapple on its side and slice it in ¼- ½ slices. Use a coring tool or a small round cookie cutter to remove the core from each slice.

Step 3. Finely dice each slice. Stack the slices to dice more than one slice at a time.

A salsa dip recipe made with pineapples served with tortilla chips

What to Serve with Fresh Pineapple Salsa

We love this fruit salsa with salty tortilla chips as an appetizer or snack, but we like it just as much piled high on fish, chicken or pork tacos, pulled pork nachos or grilled fish, shrimp, chicken and pork chops.

Recipe Variations/ Substitutions

Try adding mango for more tropical fruit salsa taste.
Finely diced red bell pepper adds a bit of crunch and even more color! Use it along with the rest of the ingredients (See Hawaiian Hot Dogs recipe) or use it as a substitute for the jalapeños if you don’t want any heat.
A little finely diced cucumber can lend a light, refreshing touch to your pineapple salsa.

Blue corn tortilla chips and yellow pineapple salsa with lime wedges and jalapeños.

Storing Instructions

Pineapple Salsa needs to be covered and stored in the refrigerator. If stored properly, it can last 4-5 days. However, this salsa does not freeze well.

More Salsa and Dip Recipes to Love

If You Make This Recipe, I Can’t Wait To Hear About It!