Add flavor to anything from fish tacos to chicken burritos with the simple pineapple Pico de Gallo salsa. This sweet and spicy salsa can be a perfect side dish for your grilled chicken, fish or shrimp. You can also serve the chunky salsa with baked tortilla chips as an appetizer or a healthy snack.
About the recipe
Pineapple jalapeno salsa with a superfood like avocado is the best you can get out of a simple salsa. Salsa always amazes me with its ability to combine a few simple ingredients to give you an easy and healthy side dish loved by the whole family.
Why you’ll love this Pineapple Pico de Gallo
Pineapple is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants and its enzymes can ease digestion.
Avocado is full of heart-healthy fatty acids, nutrients and fiber. However, avocado is also a higher FODMAP food, meaning it contains carbohydrates that may not be digested or absorbed well.
Pineapple comes to our rescue here. Pineapple, with its digestive enzymes, helps absorb the nutrients not only from the avocados but also from other ingredients.
The reason this fruit pico de gallo tastes so good is that avocado naturally complements the flavors of other fruits. Like the guacamole with berries and avocado mango smoothie.
In this salsa recipe, the creamy avocado with citrusy pineapple makes a great flavor combination.
Love avocados? You might want to try this versatile 5-minute avocado chutney.
What to do with pineapple avocado salsa
- The sweet and spciy salsa is great for parties as a side or appetizer, based on what you are serving it with.
- It tastes delicious as a side with grilled chicken or salmon. Pair it with:
- pan-seared salmon in place of the mango salsa
- citrus glazed salmon
- Panko-crusted baked cod
- sauteed shrimp with peppers
- juicy baked chicken breasts
- Tastes great as an appetizer, using baked wholewheat tortilla chips to scoop it up.
- Use as a topping for shrimp, fish or pork tacos, fajitas and burritos.
- Add as a garnish on soups.
- Mix it in with salads like beet orange salad or mango pomegranate fruit salad.
- Try serving it in pineapple bowls restaurant-style, and watch your guests’ eyes pop out in amazement. My mom always says you feast with your eyes first before you even start eating, so the sight of food should be enticing. This is absolutely true in the case of the pineapple pico de gallo.
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Ingredients
(You can find the exact measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this page.)
The pineapple jalapeno salsa recipe requires very few ingredients but involves a bit of cutting and chopping. It is completely worth the effort.
- Ripe, juicy, fresh pineapple and avocado.
- Red and green bell peppers/ capsicum- for a pop of color, crunch and veggie goodness.
- Onions and cilantro- added flavor.
- Jalapeno or serrano chilli- for the spicy kick.
- Lime juice for the tang.
How to make pineapple jalapeno salsa
(You can find the exact measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this page.)
Finely dice the fruits and vegetables to make this chunky salsa. If you want it saucy, mince the pineapple, avocado and vegetables by chopping or briefly pulsing in a food processor.
Remove seeds and ribs from the jalapeno and finely chop. Toss with the diced ingredients along with salt, lemon juice and chopped cilantro.
Pineapple salsa in a pineapple boat
- This humble vegetable & fruit pico de gallo gets REALLY elevated when you serve it in a pineapple “boat” or pineapple “bowl”.
- You don’t even need to ‘sneak’ in vegetables. You can proudly showcase ALL the ingredients in the pretty pineapple boat. I assure you, all the fussy little eaters at home will be only too eager to feast on the salsa.
- It may remind you of your favorite beach resort, so be ready to take a ‘mini-vacation’ right now at the comfort of your home. By just scooping out the salsa from the pineapple boat and devouring it. The best example of simple good food being a “stress-buster”!
For the pineapple ‘boat’, cut the pineapple into half lengthwise and then cut along the inner rim of the pineapple, leaving about 1/2 inch of flesh from the shell.
Now slit through the flesh inside into cubes carefully without cutting through the shell, then scoop out the cubes with a spoon. It might seem daunting the first time, but once you practice a couple of times, you’ll get it easily.
Refrigerate the pineapple shells until ready to use. The rest is pretty simple.
Just chop the vegetables and fruits and mix with lemon juice, cilantro and salt in a bowl.
Let it rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, if you can wait. In my kitchen, it rarely happens because the moment the salsa is ready, it gets rushed to the table and eaten immediately.
You can also choose to make a pineapple “bowl”.
Cut off the top part and carefully scoop out the flesh, in the same way as the pineapple boat. Chop up the pineapple flesh with the vegetables, make the salsa as above and fill up the “bowl”.
Show-off time, guys!
Make-ahead option
This homemade salsa is best eaten fresh. However, you can make it 3 to 4 days ahead and refrigerate. You can freeze it up to a month in advance.
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This is great with tortilla chips, in shrimp bowls or over top crab cakes, salmon or fish.
Exactly! You can try this salsa with simple fish cakes also. Thanks, Mary!
The ingredients say lime juice, the directions say lemon juice. Which is it?
Hi Clay,
It is lime juice. Sorry for the error. I’ve corrected the post. Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Pineapple “boat”. wow. never had salsa from it.only eaten fried rice from a pineapple boat in a thai restaurant on a boat. haha. your recipe is good
Thanks, Sam. This salsa is also fancy and you can imagine yourself on a boat when you enjoy this 🙂
Delicious!
Thank you!
Love this beautifully presented delicious salsa! It looks so captivating that nobody could say “no” to this salsa.
Thank you, Megala!
wow !! Yummy !!
Glad you liked it! ?