These Pineapple Recipes Will Transport Your Taste Buds to a Tropical Island
Fruit salsas, easy dinners, spirited mezcal cocktails, and so much more.
Tropical fruits are stellar in fruit salads, true. But our best pineapple recipes think outside of the box. (Or should we say rind?) From salsa and stir-fries to smoothies and cocktails, these easy pineapple recipes are a breeze to make and are primed to perk up your snack, happy hour, and dinner menus.
Air-Fryer Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple-Avocado Salsa
Skip the tomatoes this time around, and dress up your next taco recipe with a more tropical topping. Pineapple, avocado, red bell pepper, red onion, fresh cilantro, and lime juice team up to take these crunchy air-fryer shrimp tacos over the top.
Test Kitchen Tip: Make a double batch of the fruit salsa to scoop up with tortilla chips as a starter or side dish.
Roast Pork Salad with Ginger Pineapple Dressing
Perk up your pork tenderloin with a zippy pineapple juice-based salad dressing. Then to hint at the flavor of that drizzle, spike your salad with cubes of pineapple. (The fruit is an option instead of the peaches that are pictured here.) The light and sweet-tart fruit acts as a beautiful foil to the savory, hearty roast pork loin.
Pineapple-Spinach Smoothies
For a snack or breakfast that’s “really good! Just the right amount of sweetness and easy to make,” according to a BHG fan, blitz up this vibrant vegetable smoothie recipe. It’s jam-packed with protein (hat tip to you, Greek yogurt) as well as vitamin C from our all-star ingredient, making this a wise way to brighten up any (or every) day.
Spicy Scallop-Pineapple Stir-Fry
This takeout-inspired stir-fry can be on your table in less time than it would take for delivery to arrive. In just 20 minutes, you’ll be treated to a bowl full of spicy seared scallops and sweet pineapple. Serve it over nutty quinoa or slurpable noodles for a well-balanced, low-fuss dinner idea you’ll return to time and time again.
Pineapple Pork Chili
Many chili recipes call for slow-simmering the stew all day to infuse it with flavor. But we’ll let you in on a secret: you need not sweat over the stove to score blue ribbon-worthy bowls of chili. A jar of pineapple salsa, ground meat, canned beans and tomato sauce help you beat the clock in a mere 20 minutes. One home cook declares this is “really fast, really simple, and very tasty!”
Chicken-Pineapple Fajitas
You’re probably more familiar with seeing pineapple make an appearance as part of al pastor on Mexican restaurant menus (more on this shortly), but why stop there? We feature the tropical fruit as part of this fajita recipe that one fan raves is worthy of 5 stars. “Restaurant-quality! There are NEVER any leftovers,” they say. We never have any either, thanks to the juicy, sweet-tart fruit that acts as a delightful counterpart to the fiery jerk-spiced chicken.
Tacos al Pastor
Minced pineapple in the meat mixture for this al pastor remix ensures that the warmly-spiced ground pork patties are ultra-juicy. The tropical flair doesn’t stop there, though. We let diced pineapple step into the spotlight as one of the core taco condiments, alongside a tomatillo salsa, chipotle crema, and fresh cilantro.
Spicy Mezcal Pineapple Smoke Cocktail
Mezcal, tequila’s smoky cousin, lends a lovely extra layer of flavor to this happy hour option that will make you feel like you’re sipping on the patio of the trendiest cocktail bars in the country. Don’t be scared off by the serrano chile pepper. The natural sweetness of tamarind paste and pineapple juice temper the kick, while mango-flavor sparkling water adds festive fizz.
Cumin-Crusted Veggie Burgers with Pineapple Salsa
If you’re convinced frozen veggie burgers resemble bland hockey pucks more than something worthy of the center of a plate, this 20-minute meal might change your tune. A coating of toasted, crushed cumin seeds, sweet-smoky grilled pineapple pieces, and a spoonful of pepper and onion relish guarantee that no one will be asking, “where’s the beef?”
Test Kitchen Tip: If vegetable- or mushroom-based burgers aren’t your favorite, try this same concept with a plant-based meat patty.
Jerk Chicken Thighs with Mango-Pineapple Relish
Chicken thighs braise to tender, moist perfection in the slow cooker, and that low and slow process allows plenty of time for the sweet and spicy sauce to permeate each ounce. Even though the molasses, soy sauce, ginger, jerk seasoning, and jalapeño blend (and the chicken thighs themselves) are full of flavor, this dish doesn’t feel complete until you crown the protein with copious amounts of the mint-spiked mango and pineapple salsa. Everyone will be dancing their way back to the kitchen for seconds of the sweet and summery topping.
Grilled Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers
Fresh seafood and tropical fruit are a dreamy duo that always makes us think of vacation. A culinary getaway is just 30 minutes away when you have this easy, healthy kabob recipe in your arsenal. Simply brush the shrimp and pineapple with a combo of orange marmalade and soy sauce, then grill for 10 minutes or so.
Test Kitchen Tip: Since the produce and protein tends to cook at different rates, thread pineapple and shrimp on separate skewers. Grill the shrimp until opaque, and the pineapple until heated through.
Pineapple-Glazed Ham
Shh…don’t tell our Easter brunch guests, but our go-to centerpiece calls for just four ingredients. This gorgeous, golden glazed ham starts with a spiral-cut piece of pork. After warming that in the oven, brush it with a warmed-up mixture of pineapple preserves, rum, and dry mustard for the final 30 minutes of roast time. Our guests (and we!) devour this so quickly that we turn to this easy ham recipe for nearly every holiday now.
Pineapple-Black Bean Guacamole
If you’re ready to expand your definition of the classic avocado dip, dive into this thoroughly modern guac recipe. This isn't’ for purists, but it is for anyone who’s ready to take their guacamole to new flavor and heartiness heights. The regular crew—avocado, jalapeño, red onion, lime, and fresh cilantro—are all here. As are pleasant party crashers like fresh pineapple, black beans, salsa verde, and a spoonful of sour cream that make it sturdy yet smooth, sweeter and earthier, and a dip that disappears surprisingly quickly any time we share it.
BBQ Chicken-Pineapple Pizza
Regardless of where you think you stand on the pineapple on pizza debate, we highly recommend giving the concept at least one more try in this creative slow cooker chicken creation. It starts with store-bought staples like rotisserie chicken, refrigerated pizza dough, and barbecue sauce. Sweet pineapple tidbits and green onions offer extra color and flavor on top of the savory deep-dish pie. The combination sounds odd, but tastes amazingly balanced.
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