Sometimes I think that salsa is an almost perfect condiment. Mild, medium or spicy, no matter your taste preferences, it's easy to find a salsa you will like.
And what makes salsa fun is all the creative variations you can make on a typical salsa recipe. The grocery store shelves are bursting with the variety!
But honestly, nothing can beat homemade salsa made with fresh ingredients. Especially fresh, in season tomatoes. My favorite!
Which is why I am now bringing this pineapple habanero salsa to you. Fresh pineapple, fresh tomatoes, fresh peppers- it's bursting with fresh flavors!!
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Why You Will Love this Salsa
The first time I tried this, I was a little hesitant. Pineapple? In salsa? And habanero peppers? Are they super hot?
But nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
And boy was I happy with the result.
This salsa has a slow but pleasing heat that is offset by the sweetness of the pineapple. The heat is "there" but definitely not strong. Same with the sweetness. You don't feel like you're just having pineapple. Or just peppers, or tomatoes. All the flavors blend into a lovely deliciousness.
Heat plus sweet. Yum!
Ingredients Needed
How to Make Pineapple Habanero Salsa
The only work involved to make this salsa is the chopping. In theory, you could use a food processor for this step, but you do run the risk of over processing. I prefer to chop by hand as it gives more control over the size of the chunks. I purchase my pineapple already cored and peeled, as this cuts out a lot of time in the process.
For a single batch of this salsa you only need half a fresh pineapple. Go ahead and use the other half as you like - grilled pineapple is a nice solution. 😀
But once you try this, there's a good chance you'll want to make double batches going forward, in which case you will of course need the whole pineapple and double the rest of the ingredients.
Simply chop everything up, squeeze the juice from the lime and mix it all together.
Give the mixture at least an hour of chill time in the fridge. This lets the flavors develop. Trust me, it's worth the wait.
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Tips for Salsa Success
One important thing I learned when I first made salsa - be sure to remove all the seeds and membranes from the peppers. Those are the super hot parts!! Just use the skins.
Also, handling the peppers can cause a burning sensation on your skin. Especially the habanero peppers. Best practice is to wear gloves while cutting these up. Which of course, I never remember.
A good way to reduce that burn is by using rubbing alcohol. Because the heat in peppers is oil-based, it won't just wash off with water. Alcohol will help dissolve it.
Don't have any rubbing alcohol? Me neither. Turns out, vodka works really well. And I always seem to have that in stock. LOL
Serving Suggestions
Salsa goes with chips. So get a big bag of your favorite tortilla chips and start dipping!
But there are other ways to enjoy this excellent salsa. It's terrific on either grilled chicken or fish. It really livens them up and gives a whole different flavor!
Love Salsa? Here are Some More Great Dip Ideas!
If you're looking for a more traditional salsa, try making roasted salsa - it has a great depth of flavor!
I love having a variety of dips and dippables with my game day food. Here are a few more that still have that "Tex-Mex" vibe:
These easiest dip ever would have to be Pico - Avocado Dip. It is basically pico de gallo with avocado added to give it a whole new personality! Just as easy is my Queso Dip, made with only 4 ingredients. I also make Monterey Jack queso for another option.
If you love avocados, Guacamole is the obvious choice, but for a fun variation on guac check out this Avocado Dip. It's always a crowd pleaser.
And if you want an alternative to chips, try some Mini Bell Pepper Poppers. Delicious alone, but also wonderful when dipped in a little sauce. Delightful!
📖 Recipe
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Pineapple Habanero Salsa
Ingredients
- ½ a fresh pineapple about 2 cups chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 2 habanero peppers seeded membranes removed and minced fine
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded membranes removed and minced fine
- ½ red onion chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- 1 lime juice of
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Add all chopped ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Add lime juice and mix to combine.½ a fresh pineapple, 2 medium tomatoes, 2 habanero peppers, 1 jalapeno pepper, ½ red onion, ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, 1 lime
- Taste and adjust as needed with salt and/or lime juice.Salt to taste
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to develop.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Penny
Can I can this in small jars? If so, will water bath canner be sufficient? Sounds absolutely delish!
Sula
I've never tried to can it. TBH, we eat it all in a day! LOL. I think canning will work, but you will probably lose some of the "freshness". If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out!
Kathy
looks delicious. I was thinking about making some blackened or grilled shrimp tacos. this seems to be a perfect add on.thanks for the ideas running through my head.
Sula
Fantastic idea for shrimp tacos - YUM!
Gabriela Herrera
This pineapple habanero salsa is so refreshing with the perfect amount of zing from the habanero.
Sula
Zing is the perfect word for it!
Shilpa
Love this salsa!! It’s like a burst of flavours.. yumm!
Sula
It really is!
Giangi Townsend
I can only imagine the combination of the sweet pineapple against the hot habanero, WOW!! I cannot wait to try it and see if I can handle the heat.
Your recipe sounds amazing
Sula
I think you'll be able to handle the heat, it really is balanced very well with the pineapple.
nancy
this salsa dip is so tasty - i really enjoyed the heat with pineapple tart/ sweetness
Sula
So good together, right?
Texasgirl
Making this sometime this week. Can’t wait
Sula
I'm sure you'll love it - it's delish!
Katie Youngs
I love this twist on traditional salsa.
Sula
It's so fun!
Erin Gierhart
This is so easy to make! The salsa has the perfect mix of spicy and sweet.
Sula
So glad you love it like I do!
Toni
I love how easy it is to make! So good and delish!
Sula
Isn't that just the best combination?
Kayla DiMaggio
This was so delicious! It was spicy and sweet and it all the right flavor notes! It is my new favorite salsa to make!
Sula
I'm so glad - it's my favorite too!
Emily Flint
I used to buy my pineapple salsa at the fancy grocery store down the street but I don't anymore. This salsa is even better than theirs and so easy to throw together. We will be eating this all summer long!
Sula
The stuff from the store is never enough - I always want more! LOL