Salsa de Piña con Habanero Chile
If you’re looking for a fiery-hot, yet fruity salsa for your chicken, fish or pork dish, then this pineapple salsa recipe is for you. Made with one of the hottest types of chilis in Mexico — the habanero — this salsa de piña packs on the heat and the flavor, bringing your everyday dishes to life!
What to Expect from This Recipe
This uncooked salsa made with fresh pineapples and habanero chilis, is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy (heavy on the spicy!). But, if you prefer less heat, simply use fewer habaneros. The recipe calls for two, but you can use one, a half or even less depending on your taste.
This easy pineapple habanero salsa recipe comes together in only 15 minutes. Simply chop the ingredients, squeeze a couple of limes, throw it all in the blender, and you’ve got yourself a beautiful, tasty topping for your next meal.
Learn How to Make Pineapple Habanero Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh pineapple chunks
- 2 habanero chili peppers, seeds removed and deveined
- ½ red onion
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 limes, juice only (Key limes are best)
- ½ teaspoon salt*
How Much Salt?
* Start with ½ teaspoon salt. If your salsa tastes a little flat, add a little salt at a time and taste until the flavor pops. Many times you’ll need to add more salt than you think.
Prepare and Chop the Ingredients
Pineapples: Peel and cut the pineapple into chunks. You’ll only use 1 lb. for this recipe. Save the rest in the refrigerator for another use.
Chilis: Carefully cut the habanero chilis in half lengthwise and use the knife to remove the seeds and veins. Then set aside. Note that these chilis are very hot.
Do not touch your eyes or face after handling the chilis because you may get burned. If you’re sensitive to working with chilis, we recommend you wear gloves. Also, if you prefer a little less heat, use only one chili or less.
Cilantro: Pull the cilantro leaves from the stem and place into a small bowl.
Onion and Garlic: Chop the onion and quarter the garlic clove.
Limes: Squeeze the juice from the two limes into a small bowl and set aside, removing any seeds that may have fallen into the juice.
Blend the Salsa
Add all of the ingredients to the blender and blend for 15 seconds, or until the ingredients are combined.
Your salsa should be smooth with a nice, yellow color.
Don’t skip this step: Let the salsa sit for two hours so the flavors can meld.
Serve the Salsa
Once you’ve allowed the flavors in your salsa to meld, serve your pineapple salsa at room temperature. Don’t serve it cold or it will taste flat.
Enjoy your salsa on fish, tamales, shrimp, chicken and pork. Because this salsa is so sweet, it’s not a good dip for chips, so stick with it as a topping for main dishes. Let us know what you topped with your salsa and how it tasted!
Pineapple Habanero Salsa
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- Prep Bowls
- Blender
- Serving bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh pineapple chunks
- 2 habanero chilis seeds removed and deveined (This salsa is very hot. For a milder taste, use only 1 chili.)
- ½ red onion
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 limes juice only (Key limes are best)
- ½ tsp salt If the flavor doesn't pop, keep adding salt and tasting until it does.
Instructions
Prepare and Chop the Ingredients
- Pineapples: Peel and cut the pineapple into chunks. You’ll only use 1 lb. for this recipe. Save the rest in the refrigerator for another use.
- Chilis: Carefully cut the habanero chilis in half lengthwise and use the knife to remove the seeds and veins. Then set aside. Note that these chilis are very hot. Do not touch your eyes or face after handling the chilis because you may get burned. If you’re sensitive to working with chilis, we recommend you wear gloves. Also, if want a little less spice, use only one chili or less.
- Onion and Garlic: Chop the onion and quarter the garlic clove.
- Cilantro: Pull the cilantro leaves from the stem and place into a small bowl.
- Lemons: Squeeze the juice from the two lemons into a small bowl and set aside, removing any seeds that may have fallen into the juice.
Blend the Salsa
- Add all of the ingredients to the blender and blend for 15 seconds, or until the ingredients are combined. Your salsa will have a nice, yellow color.
- Let the salsa sit for two hours so the flavors can meld.
Serve the Salsa
- Once the flavors have had a chance to meld, serve your pineapple salsa at room temperature. If you serve it cold, it will taste flat.
- Enjoy your salsa on fish, tamales, shrimp, chicken and pork. Because this salsa is so sweet, it’s not a good dip for chips, so stick with it as a topping for main dishes.
Notes
- Serve your salsa at room temperature for the best flavor.
- For a milder salsa, use only one chili.
- The amount of salt in the recipe is only a guide. Keep adding salt and tasting until the flavor pops.
Lynda Wilkinson says
I am growing county Carolina reapers and ghost peppers do you think this will work well with this recipe?
Douglas Cullen says
I haven’t tried either of those peppers but I think they probably would work. Keep in mind that the salsa will be very hot. Habaneros are hot but the ones you are growing are even hotter. They may have a similar flavor profile. Let me know how your salsa turns out. Cheers!