Quick and Easy Pineapple Salsa
A super fresh-slightly sweet & earthy salsa you can serve with chips or with anything you’re grilling!
Hello, friends!
One of my favorite things about summer is definitely the plethora of fresh fruit and vegetables that are available!
Right now everything in our gardens is just starting to produce so it will be a bit before we can begin harvesting our own. But that’s okay. Because we are lucky enough to have plenty at our local market.
This past weekend we stopped there for a few things and along with some other fresh fruit, we picked up a couple of pineapples.
I knew exactly what I was going to make with one of them before I even got to the checkout!
Pineapple Salsa!
It truly is one of our favorite appetizers in the summer because it is so refreshing and goes perfectly with plain tortilla chips or as a side for anything we have on the grill! And it’s SUPER easy to make!
Besides the pineapple, you’ll also need a red onion, peppers, lime juice, cilantro, tomatoes, and cumin!
how do you know if a pineapple is ripe?
The easiest way? Smell it! I learned this years ago from Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa). It should ‘smell’ like a pineapple. If it doesn’t, it’s not ripe enough. But that’s okay, depending on when you’re planning on using it. ***I bought my pineapple on Saturday and it had no smell and was a bit green. I left it out on the counter and by Monday it was ready to eat!
TIP: You can use just red peppers in this salsa, but I like to add more color so I use red, orange, green, and yellow! Since I don’t usually have them all on hand ( I will when my garden starts producing) I always have a few bags of frozen that are locally grown and packaged brand (Sno Pac) in our town. They are super fresh AND organic too!
Once you have all your ingredients assembled, it’s as easy as chopping your tomatoes, pineapple, and onion and adding them to a bowl. Then add the juice of one lime, a bit of chopped cilantro, and a dash of cumin and stir! That’s it!
Serve it with tortilla chips and more lime and you’ve got yourself a SUPER fresh, SUPER yummy appetizer that can be ready in minutes!
Or, like I mentioned make it into the perfect side for whatever you’re grilling! Use it to top grilled chicken or fish. Add to your favorite taco or my favorite:
As the perfect side to my Coconut Rice with Grilled Shrimp!
Friends, I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this dish!!! The combination of creamy coconut rice, garlicky shrimp and pineapple salsa is like a Caribbean party in your mouth for sure!
Here’s the full recipe for the Pineapple Salsa and I’m also including my Coconut Rice and Grilled Shrimp as an EXTRA bonus because…well, I LOVE you all and you just HAVE to try it!
Pineapple Salsa with Coconut Rice and Grilled Shrimp
Creamy Coconut Rice topped with Garlic Infused Grilled Shrimp and fresh Pineapple Salsa!
Ingredients
Pineapple Salsa
- 2 cups chopped fresh pineapple **You can used canned
- 1 medium red onion chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup peppers chopped ** I use all four colors (frozen if I don't have fresh on hand)
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 2 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
Coconut Rice
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 1 1/2 cups Coconut Water
- 1 cup Coconut Milk canned
- 1/2 tsp salt
Grilled Shrimp
- 1 lb large shrimp
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
Instructions
For the Pineapple Salsa
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Combine the pineapple, tomatoes, peppers, and onion in a large bowl. Add lime juice, salt, and cumin. Stir until all is coated well. Sprinkle with cilantro. Chill until ready to serve.
For Coconut Rice
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Combine rice, coconut water, coconut milk, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover. Allow to simmer until liquid has been absorbed. (About 20 minutes). Fluff with a fork and serve.
For Grilled Shrimp
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Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, and minced garlic in a small bowl. Place shrimp evenly on a baking sheet. Pour the olive oil mixture over the shrimp. Toss the shrimp with fingers, coating well. Thread shrimp on to wooden skewers that have soaked in water, or use metal ones. Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Place skewers on grill and let cook for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp is pink.
To Serve
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Place a serving of the Coconut Rice in a bowl or dinner bowl. Remove shrimp from the skewer and place them on top of the rice. Spoon about a 1/2 cup or more of the pineapple salsa over the other half of the rice. Sprinkle with more cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
how long does the pineapple salsa last?
If your family is like ours, you won’t need to worry about that, but… if kept in an air-tight container this salsa should last for 4 days!
I hope you LOVE this Quick and Easy Pineapple Salsa, along with the recipes for our Coconut Rice and Grilled Shrimp!
Looking for more summer dishes?
Thank you for stopping by!
Stay Well!
This looks awesome Christine, thinking it would be tasty with fish too. But you know being down here in Louisiana I’m getting my fill of fresh shrimp too. We’re on a mask mandate down here and because I can’t wear one due to allergies , I’m getting creative as I go about life and decided to resort to curbside grocery shopping.
Have to say it’s pretty awesome so I’ll get these ingredients on my next pick-up and give this a try.
Hugs- Carole
Thank you so much, Carole! I heard that there has been a big uptick there so please be safe my friend! I think and pray for you and Robert daily! Curbside grocery shopping is the way to go! I’ve been picking things up for my mom from her market that way for a while now! I should really do it for us too, LOL! I hope you enjoy the salsa! I just made a BIG batch on Monday and it’s already gone! So yummy! Hugs, Christine
I have never though about putting fruit with seafood, but I do like it on my pizza so this would be something I could try. You can come up with some tasty recipes.
Thank you, Terrie! And yes, this salsa goes well with any fish! We also put it on top of grilled salmon too and that is AMAZING!! Pineapple is awesome on pizza and this would be great too I’m sure! However, you eat it I hope you enjoy it!:)
You had me at pineapple, Christine, this looks amazing! I love how you can pair it with chips for a hearty salsa or add the shrimp and rice for a complete meal. I love all summer fruit so this is right up my alley. Thanks so much for the recipe. Hugs, CoCo
Lol, CoCo! Thank you! I’m right there with you on the pineapple! It is one of my favorite summer fruits! This recipe is definitely so versatile that you could pair it with just about anything! I hope you are enjoying your summer!