Roasted pineapple habanero salsa is the perfect medley of bold heat and delicious sweet flavor! This habanero salsa recipe incorporates roasted pineapple and habanero peppers for a delightfully deep flavor. The best part? It's super easy to make.
Roasted Pineapple Habanero Salsa Recipe
This freshly flavored salsa is wonderfully thick and spicy. It also has just the right touch of natural, vibrant sweetness from the oven roasted pineapple. We REALLY love tomatillos, too, so this is one of our all time favorite salsa recipes!
With summer around the corner, it seems like just the right time to re-introduce the world to this incredible appetizer.
We also may or may not have it on good authority that this salsa pairs perfectly with margaritas and cold cervezas if you'd like to serve it on Cinco de Mayo!
It's got just the right balance of sweet and heat to make it downright addictive, so consider making a double batch if you're hosting a larger crowd.
Roasted Pineapple and Habanero Salsa Ingredients
- Pineapple
- Tomatillos
- Habanero Peppers
- Jalapeño Peppers
- Cilantro
- Lime Juice
- Salt
Don't you love when a list of ingredients is that fresh? You can grab all of it from the produce section!
How to Make Pineapple Habanero Salsa - the Recipe Method
First, slice in half your peeled and rinsed tomatillos, jalapeños and habanero peppers. Set them onto a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Slice open the pineapple. Remove the skin and core from half of the pineapple (save the rest for another use) and slice it into 3/4 inch slices. Spread them out on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Bake both sheets at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the the pepper and tomatillo skins char, bubble up and loosen. You can peel and the skins if you'd like.
The pineapple will have a slight char to them when roasted.
Next, add all of the roasted ingredients to a food processor, along with lime juice, cilantro and a bit of salt.
Process it all until the salsa is nice and smooth. Stop and scrape as needed.
And voila! Your salsa's ready to serve. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Heat things up! You can trust that we’ll always give you the most mouthwatering methods of adding a little spice to your dishes. Toss some extra jalapeños, serrano peppers or habanero peppers into the mix for an even spicier kick. Just note that your sweetness will have some serious competition this way!
- Save the pineapple. Don’t discard the other half of your pineapple. There are so many delicious ways you can use that fruit! One of our favorite recipes is Pineapple Mango Hot Pepper Jam, which is both spicy and tropical as can be.
- Serve it how you'd like. We like to serve our salsas in a traditional manner, with chips for dipping, but instead of salsa being the old party standby, consider it is a sauce alternative. It's also pretty awesome when served over fish or chicken.
How to Store Roasted Pineapple Habanero Salsa
You can keep this salsa stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Give it a good stir prior to storing just in case any of the juices have separated.
Try Some of My Other Popular Salsa Recipes
- Fresh Pineapple-Habanero Salsa
- Fresh Mango Salsa
- Mango-Habanero Hot Sauce
- Fresh Ghost Pepper Salsa
- Cranberry Salsa
- How to Make Salsa - a Guide
Or try this Pineapple-Habanero Hot Sauce Recipe.
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Roasted Pineapple-Habanero Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- Fruit from half a pineapple chopped
- 3 tomatillos
- 2 habanero peppers
- 2 jalapeno peppers
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
- Juice from 1 lime
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- First, slice in half your peeled and rinsed tomatillos, jalapenos and habanero peppers. Set them onto a lightly oiled baking sheet.
- Slice open the pineapple. Remove the skin and core from half of the pineapple (save the rest for another use) and slice it into 3/4 inch slices. Spread them out on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
- Bake both sheets at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until the the pepper and tomatillo skins char, bubble up and loosen. You can peel and the skins if you'd like. The pineapple will have a slight char to them when roasted.
- Next, add all of the roasted ingredients to a food processor, along with lime juice, cilantro and a bit of salt. Process until smooth.
- Transfer to a bowl and cover. Refrigerate about 4 hours to allow flavors to mingle. Can be served right away.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This recipe was updated on 1/13/19 to include new photos and information. It was originally published on 8/23/14.
Kevin says
Any advice for making a large batch of this? Would I just double the amount of everything? Use a whole pinneaple?
Mike Hultquist says
Kevin, yes, really you can just double everything, though check the salt to taste.
CA says
My go to pineapple and habanero salsa. Delicious. Might add some white onion Next time?
Mike Hultquist says
Absolutely!
Jo says
Hi Mike!
I made this with yellow and orange tomatoes. It’s delicious and looks so pretty! Thank you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Very nice! Sounds great to me!
Paul says
I have now made this non stop and can't get enough of using this salsa whenever I can. I've made it with just habanero and also with just jalapeños with the pineapple and still comes out great whatever hot pepper you use. Roasting is the key for sure, brings out the true flavors of the ingredients.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great to hear, Paul! Super happy you enjoyed it! Yes, very versatile. We love this one for sure.
GB says
Excellent. I did substitute mint for the cliantro (per the first response), mostly because I made a tomato/serrano based one that was heavy on the cilantro and wanted something completely different. Will make it again.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent! Thanks, GB! Glad you enjoyed it.
Steve S says
This recipe was SO easy and it tasted awesome!!! I used a whole pineapple in my recipe as half was a bit too spicy for me. I’m about to make it again but I’m going to try to use fresh mint in place of the cilantro for a “fresh” taste... I’ve used it on tacos, as a dip and I even added it to rice for a bit of additional flavor. The sweet leads to a mellow heat that comes on gradually. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Glad you enjoyed it, Steve! I love the addition of the mint. Very nice!
Joshua Harper says
Fixed some the other day with two habaneros and while it had a nice kick, it was still mild enough for my mother, and she can't take raw jalapeños. Excellent recipe, only problem is that I'll end up using all my peppers making more instead of trying different recipes!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Glad you enjoyed it, Joshua! Time to head to the garden to get more peppers! Haha.
Cindy says
I have tons of pineapple I froze from fresh. Do you think I could roast the frozen pineapple for this recipe? If so would you suggest roasting from frozen or letting it thaw first?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Cindy, yes, frozen will work. Yes, thaw them first. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Beto says
This was a quick but awesome recipe! I used 7 habaneros...perfect. I wonder how a bit of onion or shallot would taste with the pineapple or would it ruin it? Thanks again!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
That's great, Beto. Glad you loved it. Onion would be a very nice addition, actually. I've made many sauces and hot sauces with both pineapple and onion. They work nicely together with other ingredients. Let me know how it turns out to your personal tastes.
Rachel Wade says
Have you canned this recipe? If so, any adjustments or is the acid enough?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Rachel, you can pressure can this salsa without any issue. However, if you want to use a waterbath method, make sure the ph is 3.5 or below. If the acidity is not low enough, add in more acid, like a citrus. Enjoy!
Brent Spomer says
This sound great and I'd like to try it but I'm concerned it may be a waste on my group as it may be too hot. I am assuming the pineapple really cuts down on the heat of the hot peppers but how much? I know this is impossible to answer. Maybe I could roast the all peppers as indicated and then add the jalapenos and habaneros a few at a time until I get to a good spot. And it may be that I end up adding all of them. Thoughts, Michael?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Brent, you could certainly use only half of the amount of peppers, or substitute some with milder peppers, test, then add more in to your tastes. The sweetness of the pineapple will cut down on the overall heat, though the habaneros can get quite hot. If you're concerned, a bit of testing might be a smart idea. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Sharon Chen says
Yummy! Pineapple is so good!
Jennifer says
This salsa recipe has my name all over it! You had me at habanero and pineapple.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great combo for sure!
Dannii says
I love a sweet and spicy salsa and the combination of pineapple and habenero sounds amazing.
foodneverythingelse says
Love this Pineapple salsa idea. I love all kind of salsa. ohh and love adding tomatilloes.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
So good!
Danielle says
This looks delicious! I love the fruity salsa from the grocery store, but it’s never spicy enough. Your recipe looks like it will really have the right balance of sweet and spicy.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Danielle! It's definitely got the heat here!
James says
Hi Mike. Just wondering what might be an alright substitute for tomatillos? In australia i dont believe ive ever seen them in the shops... I have a plant growing but no fruit yet. Cheers mate
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
James, green tomatoes are an OK substitute. If you can find canned tomatillos, use those.
Mike Allen says
First, I did make some slight adjustments (in preparation more than ingredients) to this salsa but it was wonderful! The taste began with the pineapple's sweetness and ended with a powerful punch. Here are the adjustments I made:
--I added a teaspoon of cilantro paste
--I added about 1/3c sugar. This brought out the sweetness of the pineapple and cut the acidity a bit.
--I grew and dried habaneros over the summer so only used them (no jalapenis) until the heat level was a bit under where I wanted it to be.
-I blended all but 1/4 the pineapple. The remainder I cut into small pieces so the salsa would be chunkier.
--I simmered the salsa on low heat for 30 min. This blended the flavors well. It also let the habaneros rehydrate and added more heat to the salsa.
--I canned the salsa in Ball jars and can now keep the large batch I made in sealed jars in the pantry.
This was fantastic salsa. Very similar to what I had on the Mexican Pacific coast.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sounds perfect, Mike! Nice!
Justice says
How long will this last for when refigerated?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Justice, this should easily last a week in the fridge.