Fresh Pineapple Salsa screams summertime! Made with fresh pineapple, bell pepper, cilantro, and lime juice, it pairs perfectly with your favorite taco recipe and tortilla chips. 

Who doesn’t love homemade salsa? I mean seriously. I adore my guacamole salsa and mango ceviche, but this pineapple salsa is truly my favorite. 

This salsa uses just 7 ingredients, and can be prepped in about 10 minutes. It’s the perfect thing to make for a summer pool party or get together. You can even make it ahead of time or enjoy it for delicious leftovers at lunch or an afternoon snack. 

Recipe features

• It’s light and fresh — delicious with chips, in a rice bowl or on tacos 
• Made with easy-to-find ingredients like bell pepper and cilantro 
• An easy way to utilize fresh pineapple 
• The ultimate summertime snack that can be made a few days ahead of time.

Ingredient notes:

• Pineapple – Fresh is best! Frozen pineapple won’t work; instead, buy a whole pineapple (or even pre-cut) so you can easily dice it up. 

• Bell pepper – For added texture and savoriness. The recipe calls for red bell pepper, but you can sub a different kind if that’s what you have on hand. 

• Red onion – A must for all salsa recipes! I don’t recommend subbing yellow/sweet onion though — red onion is best. 

• Cilantro – Again, a must for almost all salsa recipes. No substitution! 

• Jalapeño – For an added kick. Feel free to omit if you don’t want this to be spicy, or double the amount you use for more spice. 

• Garlic – Adding garlic to this is a game-changer. If you HAVE to omit 1 thing though, you can omit the garlic. 

• Lime juice – The lime juice pulls everything together! The recipe needs an acid, and lime juice is best.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Dice the pineapple. Start by slicing off the skin of the pineapple, then slicing it into rounds and finally dicing it up into bite-size pieces. Then, place the pineapple into a large bowl.

Step 2: Add remaining ingredients. Next, add the bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and garlic to that same bowl, then drizzle lime juice overtop of everything.

Step 3 Serve. Stir everything together and viola! Serve the salsa alongside your favorite tortilla chips or on top of tacos (like these vegan walnut tacos).

Expert tips and FAQs

• Do NOT use canned or frozen pineapple — they’re both too watery and won’t yield the same texture and overall quality.
• Instead, use fresh pineapple! Here are a few tips on how to tell if a pineapple is ripe.
• Give the flavors time to mingle by leaving the salsa in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours after it’s made.

Is there anything else I could add to this salsa?

Probably! The one thing that comes to mind is fresh tomatoes. I didn’t include them, but you absolutely can. Along with the lime juice, you could also add a little lime zest to make this even more ZESTY. 

What does pineapple salsa pair well with?

Pineapple salsa is surprisingly versatile! Pair it with my honey garlic pork tacos, my quinoa crusted salmon or on top of these blackened salmon fajitas. Or, serve it on its own with a side of chips!

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes! Prep the salsa 1 day in advance and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. The flavors will actually be more prominent if you prep it a bit in advance (even just an hour or two!).

Storage

• Refrigerator: Store any leftover salsa in a container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

More easy snack recipes

• Fried Tomatoes with Corn Salsa
• Loaded Nachos
• Stone Fruit Ceviche 

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!