If you want to elevate an entree, serve it with pineapple salsa. It's one of the most delectable salsas that is both sweet and savory and rich with many textures and flavors.
Pineapple salsa is both sweet and savory, refreshing and bursting with flavor. It is amazing served as a side dish to many different entrees. It completely transforms anything that you add it to and elevates it to something exotic and interesting.
The tropical flavor of the pineapple really takes center stage. Most of the time, I use fresh pineapple, but sometimes, I like to grill the pineapple first to add some charred flavor to the salsa too. The jalapeno adds some flavor and heat, and you can use more or less, depending on the heat level that you prefer. The fresh herbs and rice vinegar brighten the dish and give it a clean, crisp taste.
As soon as you add in the shallot and fresh herbs, the dish becomes savory. Serve it with some tortilla chips or on the side of many other recipes. It is the perfect pairing to pork tenderloin, grilled fish or chicken. Since the salsa is so flavorful, I like to keep the entree very simple, just pan frying, grilling or poaching it.
Ingredients:
- fresh pineapple
- Fresh pineapple is absolutely the best choice here. The flavor can't compare. However, you can make pineapple salsa with canned pineapple.
- shallot
- Shallot has a more mild flavor than onion, so I really like it here, but you can use red or white onion instead too.
- jalapeno (this adds some nice heat to the salsa. If you want to add more heat, add some of the seeds from the jalapeno, if you want it to be more mild, get rid of all the seeds. Add more jalapeno for more heat. (Sometimes I use a poblano pepper instead, which is even more mild.)
- honey (maple syrup or sugar can be used instead), optional - if your pineapple is really sweet, you can omit the honey. I add it in for the flavor, not for the sweetness.
- fresh herbs - I love green onions and cilantro here, the more the better. If you don't like cilantro, you can use parsley.
- rice vinegar - instead of rice vinegar, I often use lime juice. You do want to add something acidic, like lime or lemon juice, or use apple cider vinegar instead of the rice vinegar. Rice vinegar is both sweet and acidic and it as a lovely flavor that pairs really nicely with the pineapple.
How To Make Pineapple Salsa
- Prep all the ingredients: chop the pineapple, finely mince the shallot, jalapeno, cilantro and green onions. Place all the ingredients into a medium bowl, mix to combine.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper and then add the honey, rice vinegar and olive oil. Mix everything to combine.
- Store the salsa in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
Try grilling the pineapple first! The charred, smoky flavor is great in the salsa. If you're serving it with something that you are grilling anyway, it's easy to add the pineapple on the grill too.
Cut the pineapple into slices or wedges, brush with oil and grill until charred on both sides, about 5-7 minutes. Cool, then chop and continue with the rest of the recipe as usual.
What To Serve With Pineapple Salsa
- Glazed Pork Tenderloin
- Grilled Chicken Breast
- Poached Salmon
- Roasted Salmon (serve the salmon with the salsa instead of the tomato topping)
Pineapple Salsa
Pineapple salsa is incredibly flavorful; it is both sweet and savory, bursting with fresh ingredients. The fresh pineapple is sweet with some tartness, the jalapeno adds a bit of heat and the shallot and fresh herbs transforms the fruity tropical to something savory. It is wonderful served with pork tenderloin, grilled fish or poultry.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 5 ½ cups
- Category: Side Dish
Ingredients
- 1 pineapple, chopped (about 5 ½ cups of chopped pineapple)
- 2-3 Tablespoons oil, for grilling pineapple (optional) (you can drizzle some in to the salsa as part of the dressing too)
- 1 small jalapeno, finely chopped (remove seeds if you want the salsa to be more mild, add the seeds if you want more heat, use a larger jalapeno or 2 smaller jalapenos if you want more heat)
- 1 small shallot, minced (red or white onion can be used instead)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1-2 Tablespoons parsley or cilantro, minced
- 1-2 Tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup (I use it for flavor, not sweetness, so you can omit it if your pineapple is really sweet)
- ½ Tablespoon rice vinegar or 1 Tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Chop the pineapple, mince the shallot and jalapeno. Finely chop the cilantro and green onions. Place them into a medium bowl. Mix to combine.
- Add the honey and rice vinegar or lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle in a bit of olive oil, if using.
- Store the pineapple salsa in the refrigerator for about 5 days. Serve with tortilla chips or added to an entree, such as glazed pork tenderloin, grilled fish or chicken.
Notes
If you are serving the pineapple salsa with something grilled, grilling the pineapple is another great option. Grilling the pineapple will intensify its flavor and bring out its sweetness.
Slice the pineapple, brush it with oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill until brown on both sides, 5-7 minutes. Cool and chop, then continue with the rest of the recipe.
Chop the pineapple. If you have a grill handy, brush the pineapple with oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill until brown on both sides. Cool and chop. Grilling the pineapple will intensify its flavor and bring out its sweetness. Fresh pineapple works fine too. Add the green onions, parsley or cilantro, honey, rice vinegar. Mix it all together, season with salt and pepper. (You can also add a jalapeno pepper and shallots/red onions, if you want, for a more robust flavor.) Serve with pork tenderloin, salmon, or chicken.
Yum!