Easy Pickled Pineapple (2024)

by Laura Miner, Updated: September 3, 2021 6 Comments | This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Meet your new favorite easy-to-make condiment: Pickled pineapple! It’s sweet, sour, and much more mellow than you’d think, with just a touch of heat from the jalapeños. Use it on fish tacos, shredded pork, or anything that just needs a little extra acid and oomph!

You might be wondering, “What in the world is pickled pineapple?” Well, you’re in for a treat! Pickled pineapple is a juicy and sweet condiment, mellowed out by the vinegar, and slightly spicy from the jalapeño. It pairs great with spicy, tropical flavors, and once you try it, you’ll be hooked!

Now you might be familiar with my love of all things pickled already- Just check out my Pickled Onions or Pickled Red Cabbage recipes! And pickled pineapple is no exception.

The juicy pineapple is absolutely wonderful pickled, so if you just give it a whirl, I promise you won’t regret it!

🍍 Recipe Ingredients

• Pineapple. To choose a ripe pineapple, look for pineapple with skin that’s golden in color (not too green), with green, fresh looking leaves. It should have a sweet scent when you sniff the base and be tender to the touch.
• Apple cider vinegar. I like to use raw apple cider vinegar for the probiotic benefits. Feel free to substitute rice wine vinegar or white vinegar – they both will work great.
• Lime juice. Freshly squeezed lime juice is better than the jarred stuff, and you’ll need about 2 large limes.
• Cilantro. This adds a lightly herby punch, but if you don’t like cilantro, go ahead and skip it!
• Salt.
• Jalapeño, optional. The jalapeno also gets pickled, and it adds just a tough of muted heat, which perfectly compliments the sweet pineapple. But if you don’t like any heat, just leave it out. It’ll still be delicious!

🔪 Making Pickled Pineapple

This quick pickled pineapple comes together with just a few minutes of hands on time. To make it, you’ve got to start with the pineapple. Dice it into bite-sized cubes.

One pineapple normally yields about enough to fill a 32 oz. mason jar, give or take. But if you wind up with more pineapple than you’d like to pickle, have a snack while you cook or freeze some for later!

Finish up the prep work by dicing the jalapeños and juicing the limes. Grab a citrus juicer to make your life easier while you juice the limes, trust me!

Next, heat the vinegar and water in a small sauce pan. Bring it to a simmer. Pour the mixture into a large mason jar, and stir in the salt and lime juice. Next, add the pineapple.

Last, add the diced jalapeños and cilantro. The contents of the jar should be fully submerged in the liquid. If you need to add a little more water, go right ahead.

Set the jar on the counter, and you’ll have perfectly pickled pineapple in about an hour. If you’re not in a hurry, set it in the fridge overnight.

👉 To store: Store the pickled pineapple in any airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Recipes that use Pickled Pineapple

The possibilities are endless! I love pickled pineapple on anything lightly spicy that could use a punch of acid. Top your grilled fish tacos, shredded pork, baked salsa chicken, and more. For a really fun twist, add it to your favorite homemade salsa or relish recipes!

On a silly note: If you felt reading this blog post felt dangerously close to reading the Peter Piper tongue twister, you’re not alone! Let me know if you picked up on any particularly provoking pickled pineapple alliteration (wink).

And if you made this recipe, I’d love to hear about your experience making it!
Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.