Cilantro Pineapple Salsa

Cilantro Pineapple Salsa is a colorful, chunky dip that’s packed with flavor. It’s perfect for game day or summertime gatherings!

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Cilantro Pineapple Salsa Recipe

Summer is the best time of the year for fun foods! Give me all the margaritas, queso, fresh salsa and tacos, please.

Today I’m bringing you a recipe for pineapple cilantro salsa. It’s perfectly paired with your favorite tortilla chips or bread for dipping. Not to mention, it’s absolutely incredible on top of tacos. Served with a round of pineapple margaritas, of course. Seriously so good!

If you are looking for an alternative to regular salsa, this is it! The sweet flavor of pineapple and the kick of peppers is a delicious combination. Truly, it’s one of the best salsa recipes I’ve made to date. You’re going to love this spicy flavor with a tropical twist!

Why you’ll love this recipe

You’ll love this recipe, for a few reasons:

• Juicy pineapple makes for a tangy, sweet-and-sour addition to salsa. It’s a unique and slightly addictive combination of flavors. You have been fairly warned!
• It makes a great appetizer or you can spoon it over your favorite Tex-Mex dishes like fish tacos, pork tacos, or even nachos!
• Serve fresh fruit salsa as a refreshing snack or appetizer on a hot summer day or make it for a game day snack.

Ingredients

This salsa combines chunks of fresh pineapple, lime juice, onion, green peppers (mild or spicy — your choice!) and flavorful cilantro.

Here’s what to snag at the grocery store:

• fresh pineapple
• fresh cilantro
• white onion
• serrano pepper (for spicy salsa) or green bell pepper (for mild salsa)
• fresh lime
• sea salt
• black pepper

…And don’t forget to pick up a bag of chips! (Or two, especially if you’re adding guacamole to the dip table too.)

Substitutions and Variations

I like using fresh pineapple for an even better taste, but you can use 1 can of drained, diced pineapple chunks instead. Or if you use the rings, you can just chop them into cubes.

You can skip cilantro in this easy pineapple salsa recipe and substitute basil or parsley.

Feel free to make it as mild or as spicy as you like. For milder salsa, don’t add any of the seeds. If you like it spicy, keep the seeds in. You could use a jalapeño pepper instead of serraño if you prefer.

If you can’t find a green bell pepper, you can use red bell peppers or yellow bell peppers in its place. The flavor will be slightly different but will still taste amazing!

For a stronger onion flavor, use red onion instead of white onion. Yellow onion is a great substitution too.

Mix in canned corn to make a corn salsa. Black beans would also be a yummy addition to the best pineapple salsa ever!

How to Make Pineapple Salsa with Cilantro

Putting together this salsa is super easy!

Dice the tangy pineapple, white onion, and green peppers. Then chop up the fresh cilantro.

Mix all of the fresh ingredients together in a bowl.

Squeeze lime juice over the salsa and then sprinkle lime zest, salt and black pepper on top.

Stir everything together until thoroughly combined, then serve!

If you make it the way I do, this spicy pineapple salsa is definitely on the chunky side. I like using the scoop-shaped chips for this sometimes.

Tips & tricks

Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:

• If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can omit it from this pineapple jalapeño salsa.
• Make a smooth salsa by tossing all of these fresh ingredients into the blender and pulsing until it reaches the desired consistency.
• For the best flavor, cut fresh whole pineapple instead of using pre-cut pineapple or canned pineapple. Be sure to dice the ripe pineapple into small chunks that can be easily eaten on chips.

What to serve with pineapple salsa

I really love the bright yellow and green hues of this dip! It adds a lot of color to any menu.

For a light appetizer, I paired this delicious salsa with some multigrain tortilla chips but any kind of crunchy tortilla chip would be so good! You can’t really go wrong here. Really.

You could also serve it alongside your favorite queso fundido and guacamole for the ultimate dip trio. Or serve it with other dips like this Tuscan white bean dip.

Another idea is to set up a salsa bar with a few kinds of chips and several different types of salsa, like peach salsa or this mango salsa recipe. It’s great as a dip, of course, but it would also be stellar spooned into pork tacos or any of your favorite tacos!

You could also enjoy it with a pineapple cocktail like a Mai Tai, pineapple mimosas or pineapple mango tiki punch.

How to Store Leftover Cilantro Pineapple Salsa

Place leftover salsa into an airtight container and store for up to 5 days. Keep the salsa in the coldest part of your fridge so that it stays fresh. I do not recommend freezing this homemade salsa since it is likely to change texture after being thawed.

FAQ

More salsa recipes

• Bloody Mary Salsa
• Peach Salsa
• Watermelon Blueberry Salsa