Looking for fresh flavors to add to your tacos, seafood and more? Pineapple mango salsa has got your back! Juicy mango, tangy pineapple, savory red onion, spicy jalapeño with fresh cilantro and lime. This salsa is so much more than a taco topping!
With two kids and three restaurants in the mix now (yes that happened, more details to come soon!) life is v busy, so I've been experimenting here and there with some convenience food to make life a little easier. Which is how I stumbled into the world of pineapple mango salsa.
My current Wednesday routine involves bringing Shea to gymnastics then popping over to Whole Foods to pick up a few things (e.g. their Vietnamese Cold Brew coffee that I'm addicted too). Picking up a package of their pineapple mango salsa was a splurge but wowza, it just adds so damn much goodness to whatever you put it on.
But, do you know what else tastes real good? Saving money.
So let's make this sweet and savory, herbaceous and a little spicy salsa just the same, but at home. We're going to get way more salsa for way less money than an in-store made container.
How to make Pineapple Mango Salsa just like Whole Foods
Making fruit salsa is very similar to making savory salsa, you've got your staple ingredients:
- Cilantro
- Lime
- Jalapeno/Peppers
- Onion
With those four building blocks you can really customize salsa to any kind you wish. What makes this salsa just like the grocery store version is the small dice of the jalapeños, the use of red onion over yellow onion, and the ratio of pineapple and mango.
Even better than the use of easy to find ingredients is that the preparation of ingredients is so simple. Just grab your favorite cutting board, a nice sharpe knife and you're ready to make pineapple salsa. An optional kitchen tool that I love is this fruit squeezer. It really makes squeezing those limes a breeze whether it's for salsa or you know...margaritas.
At this point it's just a matter of chopping, dicing and mincing. A good salsa really comes down to good ingredients and proportions. For the pineapple, I like to remove the top, bottom and core then slice it the size I want the pieces to be while it's still attached to the skin. Then you can just slice it off in layers until you hit the skin. You want you pieces to be about ¼" cubes.
The mango is easy to prep too, though it is a little slippery once you get it off the skin. The easiest way to cut the mango is to slice it off the core into four pieces, then cut the mango from the skin. On the larger pieces you can simply use a spoon to scoop it out, just like an avocado. Then cut the mango in ¼" pieces as well.
To slice the onion, you'll want to cut a medium sized red onion in half and keep the root side in tacts. Remove the stem side and skin, slice into thin layers vertically and horizontally then chop. Here's a great instructional video, dicing instructions come on at about 1m 25s.
For the jalapeño, you want nice small pieces so the spiciness is laced throughout the salsa but not overwhelming. Same goes for the cilantro. As a proclaimed cilantro hater, I still need to have it in my salsa, but as small as possible. So mince it up real fine before adding it in. Then just whip out your lime juicer, combine everything with a sprinkle of salt and it's salsa time!
How to serve pineapple mango salsa
Well let's just cut to the chase. The very best way to enjoy this pineapple mango salsa is with a slather of Jalapeño Avocado Crema on top of some Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Tacos with a little Pickled Red Cabbage.
If it's not taco night, here are a few other ideas for you:
- any sort of grilled fish
- currently in love with pan seared arctic char topped with this spice rub and this salsa
- alongside tortilla chips
- grilled chicken
- on top of salad greens for a burst of sweet
- over quinoa with chicken or pork
Really, the possibilities are endless because it's sweet fresh fruit and a little savory so there are so many pairing options out there. If you've got a favorite way to enjoy pineapple mango salsa, be sure to tell me about it in the comments or tag #hungerthirstplay so I can see your delicious eats!
Pineapple Mango Salsa {Whole Foods Copycat Recipe}
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced pineapple about ½ a pineapple
- 1 cup diced mango about 1 mango
- ½ cup red onion diced
- ½ jalapeño pepper minced
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 ½ tablespoons cilantro chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prep the fruit. Remove the top and bottom of the pineapple. Slice in half and remove the core. Dice into ¼" pieces. Slice the mango from the core and remove the skin. Dice into ¼" pieces.
- Prep the veggies. Dice the red onion into small pieces and set aside. Remove the top of the jalapeño and slice in half. Remove the seeds and ribbing and mince into small pieces. If you want a spicier salsa, mince the whole jalapeño. Chop the cilantro leaves finely.
- Combine ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix together the pineapple, mango, red onion, cilantro. Season with salt and pour the lime juice over the ingredients. Mix again until all the ingredients are well distributed. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
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