Strawberry Pineapple Salsa

Fresh, fruity, and spicy, Strawberry Pineapple Salsa is the perfect appetizer for your next party or even just for your next afternoon snack!

I’m totally that person who loads up on chips, salsa, and guac at my favorite Mexican restaurant. 9 times out of 10 I’m not even hungry for my dinner anymore… I LOVE a good traditional Pico de Gallo, but I’ve recently been trying out some more adventurous fruit salsas and this Strawberry Pineapple Salsa is a WINNER!!

It’s got deliciously sweet fruit but with the salty traditional salsa flavors of lime and cilantro (with some added spice from jalapenos!). This is definitely going to be a summertime favorite recipe!

STRAWBERRY PINEAPPLE SALSA
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Is it just me, or is everyone very impatiently waiting for the summer fruit season to get here? Yes, I know you can get strawberries and pineapples and all those other delicious fruits year-round. But, you pay a pretty penny for them when they’re out of season and in my opinion, they’re just not as good as in-season fruit!

Every year around this time of winter I find myself digging through my favorite summer recipes, longing for warmer days, fruity cocktails, and fresh, homemade salsas. When I came upon this strawberry pineapple fruit salsa, I knew that I needed to make it NOW (out of season fruit and all!) and that it would be a staple of my summertime pool-side snacks.

Let me be the first to tell you… the sweet and spicy contrast of the fruit with jalapenos and cilantro is amazing. It’s like a pool party in your mouth. I never really thought I’d be a fruit salsa type of person because of how much I love a traditional spicy salsa, but I am definitely a convert. I’ll be making fruit salsa ALL the time this summer – served plain with tortilla chips, sprinkled on nachos, grilled chicken with pineapple strawberry salsa, the possibilities for this tasty appetizer are endless!

What is Salsa Made of?

I mentioned earlier, this pineapple and strawberry salsa is kind of like a hybrid of traditional salsa and fruit salsa. It’s a happy medley of salty, spicy, and sweet which means you’ll need two main groups of ingredients:

Traditional Salsa Ingredients – First comes the salty/spicy ingredients. These are all ingredients that you would find in a typical salsa. You’ll need a few limes (one for zesting and juicing, and one just for juicing!), some fresh cilantro, a jalapeno, red onion, and salt & pepper.

and…

Fruit – A traditional salsa would usually have a base of diced tomatoes. Instead, to make this a true fruit salsa, you’ll use strawberries and pineapples as your base! You’ll need about a pint of strawberries hulled and diced and 1.5 cups of pineapple peeled and diced.

How to Make Strawberry Pineapple Salsa

Strawberry Pineapple Salsa is one of the most simple, yet most delicious recipes I’ve ever made. It literally takes less than 5 minutes to make and you’ll be on your way to summery, spicy flavor bliss.

1. Start by dicing your strawberries, pineapple, red onion, and jalapeno. (Make sure you take all the seeds out unless you like your salsa!!!) Then chop up your fresh cilantro.
2. Next, zest one of your limes and then juice of both of the limes. You should have 1-2 tablespoons of juice.
3. After everything is prepped, gently stir to combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. I start with 1 tablespoon of lime juice and add more as needed. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
4. Then you can transfer the salsa to a serving bowl if you want things pretty, and serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

This salsa is also SUPER delicious over some grilled fish or grilled chicken. I like it best over some halibut, mahi mahi, or salmon. It’s the perfect summer meal!

What are the Different Types of Salsa?

In my expert opinion (…of course, I’m a self-proclaimed salsa expert.), there are three distinct varieties of salsa: you’ve got your traditional salty spicy variety, your hybrid salsas (like this strawberry pineapple fruit salsa), and you’ve got your straight-up sweet fruit salsas. Here are some examples of my favorites of each kind!

Traditional Salsa – A traditional salsa is what anyone would picture if you said the words “chips and salsa.” It’s a salty (sometimes spicy) delicious treat that is super addicting and one of the best snacks out there. Whether it’s a store-bought jar of salsa, a chunky pico de gallo, or this yummy Southwest Corn Salsa, you really can’t go wrong with a traditional salsa!

Hybrid -This strawberry pineapple salsa recipe is a GREAT example of a hybrid salsa recipe. It’s got the great sweet flavors of a fruit salsa matched with the spicy deliciousness of a traditional salsa. If you love the idea of strawberry pineapple fruit salsa, you HAVE to try this Pineapple Mango Salsa, it’s another delicious hybrid salsa that I make all summer long!

Fruit Salsa – A true fruit salsa is strictly sweet flavors. This delicious salsa can be served as an appetizer or as a dessert and go perfectly with crunch cinnamon chips. My tried and true favorite sweet salsa recipe is this Fruit Salsa made with apples, kiwi, and strawberries.

Looking for some more salsa and dip recipes? Check out these other Real Housemoms favorites!

• Watermelon Fruit Salsa
• Jalapeno Crab Dip
• Homemade Garden Salsa
• Layered Nacho Dip
• Crock Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip
• more APPETIZER recipes…

Tools used to make this Strawberry Pineapple Salsa recipe

Sharp Knife: A sharp knife is a salsa-making game changer! Totally helps to get your fruit diced to perfection.

Lime Juicer: Sure, you can just squeeze them with your hands, but this juicer really helps you get ALL the juice out of your limes.

Microplane: This tool has tons of uses including zesting limes for the perfect strawberry pineapple salsa!