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Home » Meal » Sides

Published: Sep 22, 2022 by Genevieve · This post may contain affiliate links.

Pineapple Pico de Gallo

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Pineapple pico de gallo in a black bowl with title of recipe and URL for Two Cloves Kitchen.
Pineapple pico de gallo in a black bowl with title of recipe and URL for Two Cloves Kitchen.
Pineapple pico de gallo in a black bowl with title of recipe and URL for Two Cloves Kitchen.
Pineapple pico de gallo in a black bowl with title of recipe and URL for Two Cloves Kitchen.
Pineapple pico de gallo in a black bowl with title of recipe and URL for Two Cloves Kitchen.
Pineapple pico de gallo in a black bowl with title of recipe and URL for Two Cloves Kitchen.

This bright, fresh Pineapple Pico de Gallo combines ripe tomatoes, jalapeño, white onion, garlic, sweet pineapple, earthy cilantro, and tart lime juice for a lively, tropical condiment that will bring any dish to life.

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A black bowl of pineapple pico de gallo sits on a white marble counter with a halved lime, a spoon, and a yellow linen.
Jump to:
  • What You'll Need
  • How to Make
  • Variations
  • FAQ
  • Expert Tips
  • How to Store
  • How to Make a Meal
  • Recipes You'll Love
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

There is no cooking necessary to create this flavorful condiment. Just chop your ingredients, dress with lime juice, season with salt, and it's ready to serve.

Try it on your favorite Mexican dishes, mixed into salads, or as a condiment for pork, chicken, fish, or steak. It's delicious with scrambled eggs, served as a snack with tortilla chips, or on a simple meal of beans and rice.

Labeled ingredients for pineapple pico de gallo sit on a white marble counter.

What You'll Need

Two Cloves Kitchen, as an Amazon Affiliate, makes a small percentage from qualified sales made through affiliate links at no cost to you.

  • Roma Tomatoes You can also use other varieties of tomato - whatever looks best and is available to you. The key is to find a good balance between your ingredients.
  • Pineapple You can use fresh pineapple or canned pineapple here. Be sure to drain the pineapple if it is canned.
  • White Onion You could also try a red or sweet onion. White onion is the most traditional here.
  • Fresh Cilantro I would not substitute this for another fresh herb or a dried herb.
  • Fresh Garlic A clove or two of minced garlic is a nice addition to this recipe. Again, I would not substitute with garlic powder here. If you don't have fresh garlic available, feel free to omit.
  • Fresh Limes You can also use an equivalent amount of bottled lime juice.
  • Kosher Salt This is my favorite kosher salt to cook with. Kosher salt is an excellent option for cooking because it is less concentrated, making it easier to salt to taste without oversalting.

How to Make

Step One: Devein the jalapeño by cutting in half and using a spoon to scoop out the membrane and seeds. Leave some membrane intact for a spicier salsa.

A halved jalapeno sits on a cutting board.
A silver spoon scoops out the membrane and seeds from a jalapeno.
Half of an intact jalapeno and half of a jalapeno with the membrane and seeds scooped out sit on a cutting board.
A jalapeno is sliced four times lengthwise for three quarters of the length of the pepper, leaving the tip intact.
The sliced jalapeno has been cut widthwise to create a small dice.

Step Three Finely dice the tomatoes, onion, and pineapple and add to a large bowl. Chop and add the cilantro. Mince and add the garlic.

The chopped ingredients for pineapple pico de gallo sit in a stainless steel bowl topped with minced garlic.

Step Four Dress with lime juice and season with plenty of kosher salt. Taste for seasoning. You can serve right away, but salsa is best after sitting in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors combine.

Finished pineapple pico de gallo is shown in a stainless steel bowl with a wooden spoon.

Variations

Traditional Remove the pineapple for a traditional pico de gallo.

Different Tropical Fruit Try using mango in place of pineapple for another variety of sweet, fresh fruit salsa.

Spicier In place of jalapeño, use a serrano pepper.

FAQ

What is pico de gallo? Are pico de gallo and salsa the same thing?

The most common version of pico de gallo you will encounter in the US is a fresh salsa made with tomatoes, onion, lime juice, cilantro, and a hot pepper like jalapeños or serranos.

Pico de gallo is a type of salsa. "Salsa" literally translates to "sauce" and can mean a wide variety of different condiments.

The three primary sauces are: pico de gallo, salsa roja (red salsa with cooked, blended ingredients), and salsa verde (green sauce using tomatillos in place of tomatoes).

Is pico de gallo spicy?

It can be. There is typically either jalapeño or serrano in pico de gallo, which can be quite hot. You can minimize the spice by deveining the peppers or using a smaller amount than the recipe calls for.

Can pico de gallo go bad?

Yes. Be sure to store it in the fridge in an airtight container with a lid, or seal the bowl with a fresh piece of plastic wrap each time you take some salsa out of the container.

Is pico de gallo healthy?

While the markers for a healthy dish can be different depending on your diet, pico de gallo has fresh produce, no preservatives, no added sugar or fat, and very few calories.

It contains vitamin C, A, E, K, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium.

Can pico de gallo be frozen?

I do not recommend it. A fresh salsa like this is best eaten within a few days of making it.

Expert Tips

  • For spicier pico de gallo, skip deveining your jalapeño, or add two. You could also try using serrano peppers in place of jalapeños.
  • Taste your salsa as you go. You may need more salt than you think, but you will want to add it incrementally to avoid oversalting. Add just a bit, taste, then add more if needed, keeping in mind that flavors will intensify as it sits in the fridge.
  • If anything seems off balance, try adding more of the other ingredients to balance it. If it's too sweet, add salt or jalapeño. If it's too salty, add more tomato, pineapple, and lime.

How to Store

This salsa is best stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Be sure to move to the fridge within 2 hours for food safety reasons.

I do not recommend freezing as the texture will be unpleasant.

How to Make a Meal

This salsa is incredibly versatile and bring life to otherwise plain food. Here are some ideas:

Steak Grill up some Carne Asada, make a Carne Asada Quesdilla and spoon some of this salsa over top.

Mexican Dishes Add a scoop to your favorite Mexican dishes - tacos like these Spicy Potato Soft Tacos, burritos, Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas - or spice up your favorite taco salad with a scoop of pico.

Breakfast Try potatoes with bacon or sausage, and scrambled eggs with a spoonful of this salsa.

Tortilla Chips Add some of this salsa to a bowl and serve with your favorite tortilla chips, or use it to top your nachos.

Grilled Fish or Chicken Serve as a condiment for simply grilled fish or chicken.

Beans and Rice Enjoy a dinner of beans and rice made exciting with the addition of this pico de gallo.

Recipes You'll Love

Here are some other delicious spicy condiments to try:

Pineapple Habanero Salsa

Chipotle Southwest Sauce

Spicy Pickled Onions

Skhug

📖 Recipe

A black bowl of pineapple pico de gallo sits on a white marble counter with a halved lime, a spoon, and a yellow linen.

Pineapple Pico de Gallo

This incredibly flavorful, fresh, tropical Pineapple Pico de Gallo can be used on everything from nachos to salads to steak. Just chop the ingredients, mix them together, dress with lime juice, and enjoy!
5 from 39 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Condiment, Sauce, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword: Easy Recipe, Quick, Salsa
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8 approximately ½-cup servings
Calories: 47kcal
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Equipment

  • Large Bowl
  • Wooden Spoon

Ingredients

  • 4 roma tomatoes small to medium
  • ½ onion white
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 cups pineapple
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 1 cup cilantro
  • 4 to 8 tablespoons lime juice from 2 to 4 fresh limes
  • kosher salt to taste

Instructions

  • Devein jalapeño by slicing in half lengthwise and using a spoon to scoop out the membrane and seeds. Finely dice the jalapeño.
  • Finely dice the tomato, pineapple, and onion.
  • Mince and add the garlic. Chop and add the cilantro.
  • Dress with lime juice and season with plenty of salt.
  • Pico de gallo is best when it sits in the fridge for 20 minutes to 2 hours before serving to let flavors mingle, but feel free to serve when ready!

Notes

  1. You can make this recipe less spicy by using half of a jalapeño or more spicy by using serrano peppers. 
  2. Be sure to store pico de gallo in the fridge in an airtight container, or seal the bowl with a fresh piece of plastic wrap each time you take some salsa out of the container. Move to the fridge within 2 hours of making.
  3. Eat within 4 days of making.
  4. Freezing is not recommended. 
  5. Taste your salsa as you go. You may need more salt than you think, but you will want to add it incrementally to avoid oversalting.
  6. If anything seems off balance, try adding more of the other ingredients to balance it. If it's too sweet, add salt or jalapeño. If it's too salty, add more tomato, pineapple, and lime.

Nutrition

Calories: 47kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 443IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rebekah Kuk says

    September 23, 2022 at 4:35 pm

    5 stars
    I make Mexican food every week, and sometimes it gets a little hum drum. I made this pineapple pico de gallo to freshen up our typical beans and tortillas, and it was amazing! Will definitely be making it again. 🙂

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      September 23, 2022 at 7:46 pm

      Thanks Rebekah! I put this salsa on eggs for the same reason. Adds a little kick to a plain meal!

      Reply
  2. Cindy says

    September 23, 2022 at 7:33 pm

    5 stars
    I absolutely love this “tropical” twist! So tasty and fresh. Thanks for a great recipe:)

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      September 23, 2022 at 7:47 pm

      Thanks Cindy! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  3. Glenda says

    September 23, 2022 at 9:01 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely mouthwateringly delicious! The pineapple and tomato complement each other so well and that little pop of tart sweet was a surprising and welcome addition. We loved it!

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      September 24, 2022 at 5:25 am

      Thanks so much, Glenda! So happy you liked it!

      Reply
  4. Jamie N says

    September 24, 2022 at 12:24 am

    5 stars
    Loved the pineapple in this pico de gallo! So fresh and delicious!

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      September 24, 2022 at 5:24 am

      Thanks Jamie!

      Reply
  5. Heidi says

    September 24, 2022 at 4:56 am

    5 stars
    This was perfect for our game night! We had it with tortilla chips. Everyone loved the addition of pineapple sweetness to the pico de gallo. I wish I would have made more!

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      September 24, 2022 at 5:25 am

      Yay! Thanks Heidi!

      Reply
  6. Journa Liz Ramirez says

    September 26, 2022 at 6:04 am

    5 stars
    This pico de gallo recipe made our tortilla more lively and vibrant! The pineapple fits so well. Highly recommended!

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      September 27, 2022 at 5:08 pm

      Thank you, Journa! I'm glad you liked it.

      Reply
  7. Jennifer says

    September 26, 2022 at 8:45 pm

    5 stars
    I didn't think tomato and pineapple would work but wowsers! This has to be my new fav pico! Yum!

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      September 27, 2022 at 5:07 pm

      Yay! Thank you, Jennifer!

      Reply
  8. MacKenzie says

    September 27, 2022 at 2:25 am

    5 stars
    Loved, loved, loved this pico recipe. The pineapple adds the perfect amount of color and flavor.

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      September 27, 2022 at 5:07 pm

      So happy to hear that, MacKenzie! I love how colorful this is, too.

      Reply
  9. Emily says

    September 27, 2022 at 3:29 pm

    5 stars
    This was super addicting. I'm going to have to make another batch of it today!

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      September 27, 2022 at 5:07 pm

      Thanks Emily! So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  10. Dana says

    October 09, 2022 at 7:40 pm

    5 stars
    This pico went so fast! We loved the fresh, bright flavor. Way better than store bought!!

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      October 09, 2022 at 8:47 pm

      Thank you! I definitely prefer it to jarred salsa. So happy you enjoyed it!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Gen! Welcome to Two Cloves Kitchen. I am a certified professional cook, lifelong recipe creator, writer, editor, and food lover. I use my culinary knowledge to teach you how to utilize your ingredients and equipment to their fullest potential, turning ordinary meals into something exciting with bold, fresh, innovative ideas and flavors.

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