A boost of flavor to an easy restaurant style salsa is a quick dip and…
Pineapple Habanero Salsa
A killer salsa with a mean bite. Super sweet, extra juicy, crisp and with a perfect amount of heat. This is such an amazing topping for tacos and salads. If nothing else, you can’t go wrong with a bowl of tortilla chips and this spicy salsa!

*Big disclaimer* I want to start by saying I totally forgot the ONIONS in this recipe. Red onions!Ugh! What a stupid mistake. Onions are, however, part of the recipe! They add color, more crunch and I’m just so mad that I made a mistake. Oh well…even without it in this batch, the recipe still worked well.
I am all about fruit salsas. I think it’s probably one of the weirdest combinations and yet it works so well with so many things. Top salads, chicken, tacos, or even add this to a bread and cheese crostini to mimic a fruit compote type deal. Either way, this salsa doesn’t disappoint and it’s always a great snack to keep around for so many recipes.
This recipe is super fast and so simple. Plus with all the fresh flavor going on, you can really feel like you’re lightening up a dish or eating a lean snack. The weird part is, who would have thought tomatoes and fruit (yes, I know tomato can be considered a fruit) would pair so well together?

Here’s the thing about fruit salsas…they’re really easy to make and keep around for a few days. You can substitute other fruits like mangos, peaches (check out my recipe), and even strawberries into some sort of chopped medley. I want to say that fresh is always best, however, there are some REALLY great jarred salsas in the stores right now that taste just as good.
Other recipes that are great to throw together, if you’re feeling the salsa vibe, include
Peach Salsa
Table Side Guacamole and Baked Tortilla Chips
And this salsa ABSOLUTELY needs to be on top of my … Blackened Fish Tacos!
This salsa is a little different than some. Forget those mild chili peppers like a jalapeño. We are really amping up the flavor with habaneros! I could really geek out on the scoville scale and the spiciness of peppers and hot sauce. Jalapeños are definitely still a pepper to be added to a salsa for a little spice but habaneros are around the same spice level as scotch bonnets. These are powerful little peps.
Here’s the trick. If you’re serving this to friends that struggle with heat there are a few different things you can do.
- You can remove the seeds but you absolutely need to remove the veins and whites of the peppers. That’s where a lot of the heat lies.
- You can also use half a pepper and chop it up super fine.

Since I wasn’t planning on making this for the weak, I chose to make it super spicy! I will say that one pepper was enough but honestly, I could have chopped another one to add to the salsa. I took out some of the seeds to see if that didn’t overpower it and I still wanted more spice.
My biggest piece of advice is wear gloves and avoid touching your face at any point throughout the night. I make that mistake often. The gloves, soap and water always help!
Ingredients
- 1 pineapple diced
- ½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes diced
- ½ medium-large red onion diced
- ½ medium bell pepper (red, orange, yellow or green) diced
- 1-2 habaneros seeded, finely diced
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 large lime zest and juice
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep and chop pineapple, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and habaneros and add to a large bowl. Add chopped cilantro.
- Zest and juice a whole lime and then season with salt and pepper for taste. Mix together.
- Refrigerate salsa for at least 30 minutes before serving.