Pineapple Salsa Recipe: How to Make Pineapple Salsa

Pineapple salsa is a Mexican-inspired condiment that balances the sweetness of pineapple with onions, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime. Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical fruit known for its sweet flavor, golden yellow color, and unique health benefits. If you have any allergy sensitivity to pineapple, feel free to replace it with mango for a mango salsa recipe that is just as flavorful and refreshing.

Tangy pineapple salsa adds brightness to almost any dish. Here are some ideas for how to use it:

1. 1. Alongside tacos, quesadillas, or fajitas: In addition to sour cream, pineapple salsa is a superb option to serve with tacos, quesadillas, and fajitas. For something truly special, try Gabriela Cámara’s quesadillas doradas recipe.
2. 2. On broiled, grilled, or seared fish: A spoonful of pineapple salsa transforms a simply prepared fish filet into an elegant meal. Try this easy BBQ fish recipe.
3. 3. With chips, pico de gallo, and guacamole: Pair freshly deep-fried tortilla chips with a trio of dips: pico de gallo, guacamole, and pineapple salsa for an easy appetizer. Fresh pineapple salsa is also superb when served drizzled over nachos topped with black beans, sliced red bell peppers, and cheese.

When sourcing whole pineapples at the grocery store, use the following tips to identify truly ripe fruit: check the base, smell it, and avoid brown spots. A ripe pineapple smells sweet and delicious. Choose a pineapple with as much bright yellow skin as possible. Also, squeeze the pineapple. A fully ripe pineapple will have firm outer skin with just a bit of give, while underripe pineapples will be completely hard. Here’s how to cut it properly:

1. 1. Cut off the ends. Slice off the pineapple’s crown and its root at the bottom to reveal the yellow flesh.
2. 2. Remove the prickly skin. Holding the pineapple up on its bottom side, use a paring knife in a top-to-bottom motion to closely shave away the outer skin, working your way from the top of the pineapple to the bottom, around the entire fruit.
3. 3. Cut out the brown eyes. Once you’ve removed the skin of the pineapple, you’ll be left with tough, brown spots called “eyes” that dot the flesh in a diagonal pattern. They are too tough to eat, so you must remove them. To remove the eyes, use a small paring knife to cut a series of diagonal, V-shaped trenches around the fruit along the lines of the eyes.
4. 4. Core your pineapple. Pineapples come with a tough inner core that you need to remove before you can eat them, but how you remove them depends on how you cut (or are cutting) your pineapple. For salsa, cut around the core, breaking your pineapple into manageable planks or chunks before cutting them down into a small dice, similar to the size of chopped tomatoes in a traditional salsa.

Pineapple salsa can vary wildly depending on the methodology and the ingredients used. Here are some tips to help you find your ideal version:

1. 1. Balance the flavors. To make a refreshing, slightly sharp, spicy but sweet salsa, ensure you taste test expeditiously until you’ve reached the perfect flavor.
2. 2. Incorporate plenty of acid. It’s important to add acid to offset the inherent saccharine notes of pineapple. Lime juice is ideal, but any citrus or vinegar will be a welcome addition.
3. 3. Get spicy. If you’re a heat-seeker, add jalapeño peppers, serrano chilies, or perhaps a pepper that ranks even higher on the Scoville scale. Fresh chilies will also help to balance the sweetness of the pineapple.
4. 4. Incorporate bright herbs. Any herb is welcome to the pineapple salsa party. Try cilantro, mint, parsley, or a combination of the three. Add a pinch of dried Mexican oregano if you don’t have fresh herbs.
5. 5. Grill the pineapple. Grilling your pineapple slabs before dicing them and making the salsa adds an appealing charred flavor that deepens the caramelization of the fruit’s natural sugars. Use this grilled pineapple recipe as a guide.