30 Pineapple Recipes That Are Refreshing and Unexpected (original) (raw)

What’s not to love about pineapple? Its juicy, sweet-tart flavor complements everything from spicy grilled chicken to tangy teriyaki (and don’t get us started on dessert). But did you know its peak season is March through July, aka right now? From tacos to pizza to upside-down cake, here are 30 pineapple recipes that are refreshing, unexpected and oh-so-tropical.

How to Pick a Ripe Pineapple

Because a pile of fruit at the grocery store can be overwhelming, here’s how to know if that pineapple is ripe and ready to eat: It should feel firm but yield slightly when squeezed, feel heavy for its size, and smell sweet and tropical. If it’s mushy, measly or vinegar-scented, it’s not the one.

pineapple recipes spicy pineapple prosciutto tarts recipe

1. Spicy Pineapple Prosciutto Tarts

They’re like fancy, mini Hawaiian pizzas that actually taste good. (Wink, wink.)

pineapple recipes pineapple and ginger upside down cake recipe

2. Pineapple And Ginger Upside-down Cake

This dessert is sweet and spicy and practically decorates itself. For the most flavor, use the ripest fruit you can get.

pineapple recipes grilled pineapple split sundae with cherry sauce recipe

3. Grilled Pineapple Split Sundae With Cherry Sauce

Confession: We’d like to bathe in this sauce. Grilling the pineapple brings out even more of its natural sweetness.

pineapple recipes sweet and sour pork skewers with pineapple recipe

4. Sweet-and-sour Pork Skewers With Pineapple

Behold, finger food at its finest.

pineapple recipes korean pineapple chicken thighs recipe

5. Pineapple Korean Chicken Thighs

If you haven’t tried gochujang, you’re missing out. The Korean chile paste happens to be a perfect pair for pineapple.

pineapple recipes jackfruit tacos with grilled pineapple recipe

6. Jackfruit Tacos With Grilled Pineapple

These are definitely not just for Tuesdays. (Read: They’re really good.)

pineapple recipes ginger pineapple shrimp stir fry recipe

7. Ginger-pineapple Shrimp Stir-fry

It’s single-serve, so you don’t have to share (but can easily be doubled, too).

pineapple recipes green pineapple smoothie mint basil spirulina recipe

8. Juicy Green Pineapple Smoothie With Mint, Basil And Spirulina

It’s nutritious and delicious, aka worth getting out the blender for.

pineapple recipes pina colada italian ice pops recipe

9. Piña Colada Italian Ice Pops

This is the closest you can get to a vacation without ever leaving your kitchen.

pineapple recipes halloumi tacos with pineapple salsa and aji verde recipe

10. Halloumi Tacos With Pineapple Salsa And Aji Verde

The salty halloumi gets charred on the outside and gooey on the inside without totally falling apart, making it a top-notch taco filling.

pineapple recipes charred pineapple salad recipe

11. Charred Pineapple Salad

We bet you won’t find this at your neighborhood salad bar…just saying.

pineapple recipes sweet and sour pork recipe

12. Sweet And Sour Pork

It’s tastier than takeout and happens to be better for you too. Win-win.

pineapple recipes instant pot hawaiian chicken tacos with jalapeno ranch slaw recipe

13. Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken Tacos With Jalapeño Ranch Slaw

The filling cooks in about 30 minutes, which is plenty of time for you to gather the toppings.

pineapple recipes pineapple coconut cake recipe

14. Pineapple Coconut Cake

Homemade pineapple curd and cream cheese frosting…well, it’s not our birthday, but we’re making this anyway.

pineapple recipes jerk salmon with pineapple salsa recipe

15. Jerk Salmon With Pineapple Salsa

A weeknight dinner that tastes like a Caribbean vacay? Sign us up.

pineapple recipes hot honey pineapple wedges recipe

16. Hot Honey Pineapple Wedges

We found just the thing to end your snack rut.

pineapple recipes two ingredient pina colada recipe

17. Two-ingredient Piña Colada Smoothie

And it’s only three ingredients, if you count the addition of booze.

pineapple recipes strawberry bottomed pineapple margaritas recipe

18. Strawberry Bottomed Pineapple Margaritas

It’s kind of like drinking a fruit salad…so it’s good for you. (The things we tell ourself.)

pineapple recipes brown sugar honey marinated salmon with caramelized pineapple quinoa recipe

19. Brown Sugar Honey Marinated Salmon With Caramelized Pineapple Quinoa

Healthy and easy—what more could you want?

pineapple recipes ten minute pineapple black bean tostadas recipe

20. Ten-minute Pineapple Black Bean Tostadas

We were hooked the moment we read "10 minutes."

pineapple recipes korean pineapple pork lettuce wraps recipe

21. Korean Pineapple Pork Lettuce Wraps

This is what you make for that sweet-salty-tangy-crunchy fix.

pineapple recipes prosciutto hawaiian pizza recipe

22. Cheater’s Prosciutto Hawaiian Pizza

Think you don’t like pineapple on pizza? Think again.

pineapple recipes grilled pineapple chicken and avocado salad recipe

23. Grilled Pineapple, Chicken And Avocado Salad

This is what we like to call “sunshine in a bowl.”

pineapple reicpes easy pineapples foster recipe

25. Easy Rum-soaked Grilled Pineapple

It’s like pineapples foster but without the blow torch.

pineapple recipes shrimp bowls with coconut cilantro lime rice and pineapple salsa recipe

26. Shrimp Bowls With Coconut Cilantro Lime Rice And Pineapple Salsa

A sweet and spicy salsa is the best foil to smoky shrimp.

pineapple recipes pineapple sheet cake recipe

27. Pineapple Sheet Cake

The sprinkles are optional; the cream cheese frosting is not.

pineapple recipes pineapple pulled pork sandwich recipe

28. Pineapple Pulled Pork Sandwich

Toss everything in the slow cooker and dinner will make itself. (Bonus: You won’t heat up the entire kitchen.)

pineapple recipes coconut pineapple fried rice with shrimp recipe

29. Coconut Pineapple Fried Rice With Shrimp

A trio of coconut—in the form of flakes, milk and oil—gives this quick dinner maximum tropical flavor.

pineapple recipes 30 minute sweet thai chili peanut chicken and grilled pineapple stir fry recipe

30. 30-minute Sweet Thai Chili Peanut Chicken And Grilled Pineapple Stir-fry

It tastes like you were cooking for hours.

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Former Senior Food Editor