Refreshing Pineapple Salsa Recipe

Packed with tropical goodness, this easy pineapple salsa is a sweet-and-savory fiesta in a bowl. With sweet red bell pepper, red onion, and jalapeño for heat, it’ll have your taste-buds dancing with every bite.

Made with crunchy fruits and veggies, all it needs is a drizzle of lime juice and some chopped cilantro to balance out the flavors. Super refreshing and ready in three easy steps, this recipe will begin to take over your cookouts and dinner table in no time. Don’t worry if it’s not pineapple season, though. You can always use canned!

Served chilled with corn chips, it’s a 15-minute appetizer that can transform itself into an impressive taco topping in seconds. What are you waiting for to make a batch? Its colorful fruitiness is too tempting for it to last that long anyway.

How to Select a Fresh Pineapple

Looking for a combination of these characteristics will help you select the best pineapple every time.

Leaves. Look for healthy-looking deep-green leaves. Yellow/brownish leaves are usually a sign of over-ripened pineapples.
Yield. If you press or lightly squeeze the pineapple, it should have a light yield. If it’s rock-solid, it’ll still be a few days before it’s ripe.
Color. Greener pineapples tend to be unripe. Go for yellow/golden pineapples with small bits of light green (if any) for one that’s ready to be sliced into and eaten.

What You’ll Need

This pineapple salsa is all about fresh, fruity flavors. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full ingredient amounts.

Fresh pineapple
Red pepper – Any color of bell pepper is great.
Red onion – Don’t substitute this.
Fresh cilantro
Jalapeño – Swap it for serrano chile for more heat.
Lime – Lemon juice works too.
Salt

How to Make Pineapple Salsa

All you have to do for this salsa is mix and serve. That’s it!

Adding the salsa ingredients to the bowl.

Mixing the salsa ingredients in the bowl.

Fill the bowl. Add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl.
Mix. Toss everything with a spoon until well combined. Refrigerate it until ready to serve.
Serve. Transfer the salsa to a serving bowl and pair it with tortilla or plantain chips.

Bowl with pineapple salsa and a metal spoon.

Tips for Success

Even if it’s not pineapple season, these tips are the solution to some ingredient swaps that’ll help you put this salsa on the table with what’s already in your kitchen.

Used canned pineapple. If you don’t have fresh pineapple on hand, feel free to use canned. Rinse it really well and add it to the recipe as usual.
Add more fruit. Add 1/2-1 cup of fresh diced mango for extra fruitiness. You can also add 1/2 cup of diced cucumber for more crunch.
Use leftovers. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover fruits and veggies to reduce waste.
Strain it. Removing any excess moisture from the salsa will help it stay fresh and crunchy for longer.

Dipping a corn chip into the pineapple salsa.

Ways to Use Your Salsa

The easiest way to use this salsa is to serve it with corn chips. However, it’s even better as a topping for your favorite salmon, seafood, and taco recipes.

Try it with my Honey Blackened Salmon for a mix of sweet and savory flavors. Other salmon ideas include Citrus Baked Salmon and Grilled Lemon Pepper Salmon.

If you’re craving tacos, you have to try this salsa with my Spicy Shrimp Tacos, Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos, and Beer Battered Fish Tacos.

Bowl of pineapple salsa with fresh cilantro on the side.

How to Store Salsa

Refrigerate this pineapple salsa in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Throw it out once the pineapple becomes bitter or funky. Don’t reheat it. This salsa needs to be served chilled. Reheating pineapple makes it spoil faster. Keep it away from heat and the sun when it’s on the table for serving with your favorite meals.

Can I Freeze It?

No. Pineapple, onion, and bell peppers have a high water content, which is not-so-great news when it comes to thawing these ingredients. Their texture changes significantly and they lose their crunch altogether, resulting in a less-than-fresh salsa that’s just not as good.

More Easy Condiments & Sauces to Try