Bring bold tropical flavor to the party with Spicy Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa! Made with fresh ingredients and shredded coconut, it's perfect for summer barbecue favorites like burgers, sausages, and New England seafood, or to enjoy with chips.
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When testing flavor combinations for a fruit salsa, I looked to a favorite cocktail for flavor inspiration: a piña colada. (If I have now put that song in your head, I'm sorry.)
My Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa is made with fresh pineapple chunks and coconut. They're paired with citrusy lime, spicy jalapenos, and diced red onion, for a salsa that's spicy, savory, and a little sweet. This pineapple salsa is delicious with chips, or when enjoyed on burgers, white fish, and lobster.
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What this is: A tropical-inspired recipe that's perfect for celebrating New England summers! It's a bright salsa of pineapple, jalapeño, and coconut.
- You'll love this part: It's a crowd-pleaser at cookouts and parties, and a refreshing change from tomato salsas. It's delicious with chips or atop seafood dishes.
- How it's made: Dice fresh pineapple and red onion, char a jalapeño pepper, and toss them with coconut and lime juice.
Jump to:
Notes from fellow home cooks:
"This looks sooooooooo good!" —Tammy
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Why THIS is the best salsa
Shake off the heavy comfort foods of the long, cold winter and make something fresh and bright: this Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa! Instead of regular tomato-based salsa, fresh pineapple salsa is a vibrant change-up. It's delicious to eat with tortilla chips, with the unique flavor of pineapple tossed with red onion and charred jalapeño.
Pineapple salsa is one of my favorite summer potluck recipes, one that's always a popular snack and condiment at backyard cookouts and get-togethers. Try the salsa on top of burgers or grilled chicken. Spoon some onto hot dog or grilled sausage with peppers and onions.
This tropical salsa also pairs very well with many types of favorite New England fish and seafood. Try pineapple salsa with white fish like red snapper, tilapia, and haddock. It's also tasty with shrimp and as a citrusy twist on Maine lobster.
Another plus: this spicy pineapple salsa is made with only six ingredients. Just as is the case with Pico de Gallo, it's an easy recipe where a few, fresh ingredients combine to make a wonderfully flavorful dish.
One more thing: Jalapeño Pineapple Salsa just looks so pretty! The green flecks of lime and purple onion against bright yellow pineapple are beautifully cheery and summery. And I love that this is one of my daughter's favorite snacks!
Love salsa? Try this Fresh Tomato Basil Salsa or some Grilled Corn Salsa!
Pro tips for the best salsa
This salsa is fresh, fresh, fresh. So for the best possible flavor, it makes sense that you must choose good-looking, quality, fresh ingredients. Luckily, the ingredients for this are found in most grocery stores, so you should have a decent selection of onions, limes, and jalapeños to choose from.
The same goes for the pineapple: choose one that has some yellowing in the skin, but no orange or brown. (Overripe.) Skip pineapples that have shriveled areas or all brown leaves.
Finally, take time to slice the ingredients into the same size dice. This will give you a more consistent salsa texture and let you get a little bit of everything in each delicious bite.
🔪 How to make Pineapple Salsa with Jalapeño, Lime, and Coconut
Ingredients:
- Pineapple: For the very best flavor, dice up fresh, ripe pineapple for this recipe.
- Red Onion: I use this onion variety because the reddish-purple hue is beautiful in this salsa.
- Coconut: Pick up a bag of sweetened, shredded coconut to add to the salsa.
- Jalapeño: Use more or less as you like to add a little or a lot of heat.
- Lime: Pick up a fresh lime to use the zest and juice.
- Salt: The finishing, flavor-enhancing touch that makes all of the ingredients in the salsa shine.
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Cut up the pineapple
Slice down the outside to carefully remove the outer skin. Cut the pineapple away from the core in planks, then cut the planks into small pieces.
Add in the onion and coconut
Dice the red onion. Chop the coconut by hand or with a mini chopper and throw this in the bowl, too.
Char the jalapeño
Char the pepper over a stove burner until the outside has blackened and blistered patches. Dice it and add it to the bowl.
Add the lime and combine
Add fresh lime juice, zest, and salt to the bowl and mix everything together. Let the salsa chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
Pineapple Salsa FAQs
I highly recommend using fresh pineapple here, and not canned. The two just don't have the same flavor, and this salsa really shines with the fresh stuff. Don't be intimidated by that whole pineapple—it's easy to slice up!
Fresh pineapple will have just a slight softness when you squeeze it, and it should have some yellow color on the outside. Avoid pineapples that are dark orange or brown, or that look shriveled. A ripe pineapple will also have a fruity smell near the base.
Pineapples don't ripen after they're picked, so don't bother with solid green, rock-hard fruits.
Use a sharp knife to slice off the bottom, and then slice off the crown at the top of the fruit just below the leaves. Next, slice the skin away from the pineapple in vertical cuts, removing just the peel and eyes but leaving as much of the yellow fruit as possible. Finally, slice the pineapple away from the core: cut down through the fruit to remove it in planks. Discard the core. Then slice up your fresh pineapple.
Removing the seeds and membranes will make the pepper less hot. After that, since the pepper goes into the salsa raw (except for a little charring on the outside,) the best way to reduce the heat is to put less of it in the salsa. The recipe calls for a whole jalapeño, but you can reduce that to half or even a quarter of the pepper to suit your heat preference.
Yes. If left out at room temperature, the fruit salsa will get discolored and mushy—and be completely irresistible to fruit flies. Cover and refrigerate any leftover salsa for up to two days.
Tips:
- Take time to slice the ingredients into the same size dice. This will give you a more consistent salsa texture and let you get a little bit of everything in each bite.
Don't just take my word for it...
"Best salsa on planet Earth." — Haley
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This just might become your new favorite salsa!
The recipe for Pineapple Salsa with Jalapeño and Coconut is below. And here are more fresh and vibrant dishes:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa (with Coconut and Lime)
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Ingredients
- 1 fresh, whole pineapple
- ⅔ cup red onion, diced
- ¼ cup flaked sweetened coconut
- 1 small jalapeño pepper
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Prepare the pineapple:
- To cut up the pineapple, use a sharp knife to slice off the top and the very bottom. Hold the pineapple upright and use the knife to carefully slice down and cut away the skin from the outside. Cut away any eyes that remain. Finally, slice the pineapple away from the core using downward cuts to remove the fruit in long planks.
- Discard the skin, top and core. Dice up the planks of pineapple into ½-inch sized pieces. (I did not get perfect cubes so no worries if you don't either! Just try to cut them as uniformly as possible.) Place the diced pineapple in a large bowl.
Add onion and coconut:
- Add the diced red onion to the bowl with the pineapple.
- Chop up the coconut either on a cutting board with a sharp knife or in a food processor. Add to the bowl with the pineapple.
Char and chop the pepper:
- Place the jalapeño into a small nonstick pan over high heat. Turn the pepper every minute or two until the skin is blistered and charred. Remove the pepper from the pan and allow to cool.
- Use gloves if you do not want the oils from the jalapeño to get on your skin. Otherwise, keep your hands away from your face while working with the pepper and wash them well once done.
- Slice off and discard the stem. Slice the pepper in half lengthwise and use a ½-teaspoon-sized measuring spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds and veins. Flatten the jalapeño on the cutting board. Remove and discard the skin. Finely dice the pepper and add it to the bowl.
Finish the salsa:
- Add the lime zest, lime juice and salt to the bowl and mix everything together until well-blended. Cover and allow the salsa to rest for 30 minutes to an hour. Serve the salsa with tortilla chips.
- Makes about 4-5 cups of salsa, depending on the size of the pineapple.
Notes
- Take time to slice the ingredients into the same size dice. This will give you a more consistent salsa texture and let you get a little bit of everything in each bite.
- Store leftover salsa covered in the fridge for up to two days.
Nutrition
Tammy says
This looks sooooooooo good!!!!!! Thank you!!!
Nancy Mock says
I hope you like it! Let me know how it turns out for you.
Haley says
Best salsa on planet earth
Nancy Mock says
Thank you so much Haley! I think so, too! 🙂
Haley says
Best salsa on planet earth
Heidi says
Looks great, Nancy! I'll have to give it a try. Also, your photos look great!
Nancy Mock says
Thanks Heidi, I like the way these photos came out too. Hope you get to try the salsa!
Nan says
Thanks Kerry!
Kerry says
yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
The Armchair Squid says
She ate half the bowl in one sitting? Sounds like a strong review.
Nan says
She is a salsa monster!