Pineapple habanero salsa, or pineapple pico de gallo, is made with fresh pineapple, habanero peppers, red onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and lime. The perfect combination of sweet and spicy that's as easy to make as it is to eat!
Note: that links to products you find in this post are Amazon affiliate links which means I do make a small amount of money when you click and make purchases.
Everyone loves chips and salsa! Salsa is an addictive appetizer and snack that is perfect for serving at a party, but I often find myself eating an entire bowl by myself.
Classic tomato salsa is always a winner, but I also enjoy seasonal variations featuring more unique fresh produce flavors.
In the summertime, this pineapple habanero salsa and my mango pico de gallo are always a favorite. Pineapple and habanero peppers were made for each other! The sweet, tropical pineapple is perfect when paired with fresh, zesty habaneros.
Combine them with bell peppers, crunchy red onions, and fresh lime juice and you have a perfect pineapple pico de gallo recipe that will leave you dipping chip after chip!
Don't wait for a gathering to try this recipe! Make it today and thank me later!
Enjoy recipes using pineapple? You're going to love chocolate covered pineapple and air fryer pineapple.
Jump to:
Ingredients
When making this fresh pineapple habanero salsa recipe, it's important to use high-quality fresh produce.
- Fresh pineapple: Choose a pineapple that is fresh and ripe and avoid canned pineapple as the flavor and texture are quite different.
- Fresh Habanero Peppers: See my guide to selecting and handling habaneros below.
- Bell Peppers: You can use whatever colors you prefer, I like to add a colorful mix! Red, orange, and yellow bell peppers are slightly sweeter than green and purple varieties and not only taste great, but they also look so pretty!
- Red Onion: I prefer red onion in my fruit salsa recipes. Their naturally peppery flavor is excellent when combined with the pineapple and habaneros.
- Cilantro: Cilantro adds a fresh, herbaceous flavor reminiscent of parsley and citrus. The flavor is often used in salsa and pico de gallo recipes and not only adds zip to the taste but adds variation to the texture too!
- Lime Juice: Lime juice is the finishing touch on this habanero pineapple salsa recipe.
- Salt: A pinch of salt is all you need to round out the sweet, spicy, and citrusy flavors.
See the recipe card for quantities of each ingredient.
How to Select Habanero Peppers
If you are new to working with habanero peppers, it's important to understand how to select and handle them.
When choosing habaneros, look for peppers that have a bright green and firm stem. It's equally as important to look at the skin and select peppers with smooth, taunt skin.
Taking the extra time to examine the stem and pepper skin will ensure you are working with fresh ingredients that will result in an extra tasty salsa!
Pro Tip: Habanero pepper flavor and spice level vary greatly depending on where they were grown. Habaneros grown in hot climates produce more capsaicin, which gives the pepper more "heat". Habaneros grown in cooler climates with more precipitation will usually produce less capsaicin which results in a milder pepper.
How to Handle Habanero Peppers
Habanero peppers, like any peppers, should be handled with extra care.
The oils found in the seeds and membrane can be so spicy, they can actually burn your skin! So take care when removing these parts and avoid touching your face until they are discarded.
I like to use gloves when handling habanero peppers and also use a separate cutting board OR cut the peppers last.
Don't let the extra heat scare you, once the membrane and seeds are removed the flesh of the pepper is delicious and quite enjoyable!
Substitutions
When working with a recipe with few ingredients, I always recommend making the recipe as instructed. However, in a pinch, you can make the following substitutions.
- Red Onion: Not a fan of red onion? That's ok! This recipe will still work with white or sweet onions as long as they are fresh.
- Cilantro: Cilantro really rounds out this recipe but I know not everyone is a huge fan of the flavor. Cilantro can be replaced with parsley or alternatively, omitted completely.
Equipment
This fruit pico de gallo is super easy to prepare! You only need a few things to prepare it.
- Knife: A nice sharp knife will be the most important tool you need!
- Cutting Board: I love bamboo cutting boards in my kitchen.
- Gloves: For handling peppers safely.
How to Make Habanero Pineapple Salsa
To make this fruity pico de gallo, start by gathering your ingredients and equipment.
When preparing salsa or pico de gallo, I like to start by preparing the sweet ingredients first. This helps the transfer of flavor from more potent ingredients.
With that said, you will want to start preparing the pineapple first.
- Cut the pineapple in half and remove the rind and core. Dice the pineapple into small pieces. The recipe calls for 2 ½ cups which is about half of a large pineapple.
- Prepare the bell pepper next, as it is the next mild. You want to make sure it is a similar size to the pineapple.
Pro Tip: There are no rules when it comes to size, just prepare as you would prefer to eat when served on a chip.
- Next, chop the onion. Again, you want them similar in size to the pineapple and peppers.
- Chop the cilantro and discard the tough stems.
- Last, cut the habanero peppers. Carefully remove the stem and seeds from the habanero peppers and dice them very small.
- Add everything to a bowl and finish things off by adding the lime juice and salt. Give everything a good stir to combine and finish with a quick taste test. You can adjust the lime and salt as preferred and then it's time to serve!
How to Serve
My favorite way to enjoy this habanero pineapple salsa recipe is simply with chips. But don't stop there!
This recipe is equally delicious when served on grilled chicken, grilled salmon, air fryer salmon, or roasted pork tenderloin.
I especially love making fish tacos with it!
Storage
This pineapple habanero salsa is the ultimate meal prep hero! It is great to enjoy freshly made but gets even better as it sits!
When properly stored in the refrigerator, you can keep it for up to five days.
Avoid freezing this though, as this recipe is best enjoyed fresh.
Expert Tips and FAQS
I can't wait for you to try this habanero pineapple salsa recipe! Remember these helpful tips when making it for the first time:
- Take time selecting fresh, ripe produce.
- Handle habaneros with gloves and cut them last so the heat doesn't transfer to other ingredients on the cutting board.
- You can adjust the flavors to your liking by using less or more of the peppers, lime juice, and salt.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
It is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy! This recipe is made with all fresh ingredients so it has a fresh and zesty flavor that is so addicting.
I have never tried to can this recipe but imagine it would turn out great! If you try to can this recipe, please let me know how it turns out.
No, this recipe is best enjoyed fresh.
Pico de gallo contains less liquid and is often chunkier than salsa. This recipe can be considered both a salsa and a pico de gallo.
More Tasty Sauce Recipes
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card right below! You can also write a review in the comment section further down the page I always appreciate your feedback. And don’t forget to tag me @freshcoasteats in your photos on social media, I'd love to see your results!
Pineapple Habanero Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups pineapple diced, about one-half a pineapple
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- 1 cup bell pepper diced
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 3-4 habanero peppers seeded and diced
- 1-2 tablespoon lime juice
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Cut the pineapple in half and remove the rind and core. Dice the pineapple into small pieces. You will need approximately ½ of a large pineapple for 2.5 cups.
- Dice the red onion and bell pepper, and roughly chop the cilantro. Add to a bowl along with the pineapple
- Carefully remove the stem and seeds from the habanero peppers and dice them very small. Add to the bowl with the other ingredients.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of lime juice to the bowl and stir to combine the ingredients. Add salt to taste, if desired.
Notes
- Take time selecting fresh, ripe produce.
- Handle habaneros with gloves and cut them last so the heat doesn't transfer to other ingredients on the cutting board.
- You can adjust the flavors to your liking by using less or more of the peppers, lime juice, and salt.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Rachael says
This pineapple habanero salsa is perfect for my fish taco bowls. Love how simple and packed with flavor this is. Thank you!
Priya says
I couldn't get the habanero peppers so made this dish without them, and I must say, I absolutely love this recipe!
Melinda says
A delicious and wonderful alternative to serving a tomato-based salsa. We have a friend who is allergic to tomatoes so this was a fantastic starter to share with chips during the appetizer round. The fresh flavors are fantastic- love the cilantro!!
Genevieve says
Oh my this recipe is perfect for January and all of the fresh foods I'll be eating. Delicious!
Lucy says
It's Summer here in Australia, and we have the most beautiful pineapples around! I have made this three times now, and it's so good. Sometimes we serve with chips, but last night I topped some crab nachos - divine! The balance of flavours is spot on - it's sweet and spicy, and just so tasty!
Jen says
Oh wow....this sounds AMAZING! This also would be perfect on oven baked cod!!