Fresh Pineapple with Citrus Herb Glaze is a refreshing and cooling dish. Fresh cut pineapple gets mixed with sweet honey, fresh orange, tangy lime and the bright flavor of cilantro. All the ingredients mix together perfectly, into a sweet, citrusy, and tropical fruit salad.
This pineapple side dish is wonderful for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. It also pairs perfectly with spicy flavors, dinner on the grill, Mexican dishes, or BBQ.
Tips on How to Pick a Ripe Pineapple
There is nothing worse than getting home from the grocery store, cutting into your fresh pineapple and finding that you bought a tart under-ripe pineapple. Here are 4 tips to help you pick the sweetest, ripest pineapple at the store:
- Use your nose! Give that pineapple a big whiff. If the smell of sweet pineapple is coming thru it’s thick spiney skin then you are in luck. You have found a nice ripe one.
- Give it a little squeeze! If the fruit has a tiny give and is not rock hard, then you are in business. This is a good one.
- Take a good look! The fruit will change colors on the inside AND the outside as it ripens. Unfortunately we cannot cut into the pineapple at the store to make sure the inside is a deep golden color. But if the outside has a nice yellow glow from top to bottom, you can bet the inside is nice and ripe. Just make sure the pineapple is not starting to turn orange. At that point it is over-ripe.
- Give it a tug! Pull gently on the very top leaves of the pineapple. If the leaves pull out with very little effort, it’s ready to go.
If for some reason you end up with a tart pineapple (like someone brought you a pineapple that didn’t know these tips), this Citrus Herb Glaze recipe is the perfect way to sweeten up your under-ripe fruit. Just make sure you have time to let it sit and marinate in the fridge for 6+ hours. That will give you a sweeter flavor.
How to Cut Fresh Pineapple- Step by Step Guide
Step 1.
Cut the base and the top from the fresh pineapple, cutting into the pineapple by about 1/2-1 inch. See the photo below:
Step 2.
Stand the pineapple up on one of the cut ends. Cut down the sides, peeling all the rough outer skin from the pineapple, and discard.
See the pine “eyes” below, They are the round brown hollow spots on the yellow pineapple flesh. You want cut down far enough to remove them. If some are left on the pineapple you will want to skim/cut those off with a knife. They can be tough to chew.
Step 3.
Lay the pineapple on it’s side and cut 1 inch thick slices from end to end.
Step 4.
Each slice of pineapple will have two parts: the edible sweet fruit and a round hard core in the middle. The core is too tough to chew so you want to get rid of it. Make 4 cuts around the hard center- see the photo below- and discard the hard core piece.
Step 5.
Cut the remaining fruit into bite size chunks.
How to Make Fresh Pineapple with Citrus Herb Glaze
Now that you have the fresh pineapple cut, place the chunks in a glass serving bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the honey, fresh squeezed orange juice, fresh squeezed lime juice, lime zest, and finely chopped cilantro.
Pour the Citrus Herb Glaze over the fresh pineapple and stir to coat. At this point you can cover and refrigerate it for 6 to 24 hours OR you can serve it immediately. However, if you have at least a few hours to pop it in the fridge the flavor will intensify with time- AKA get’s a whole lot yummier!
When to Serve Fresh Pineapple with Citrus Herb Glaze
Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, or Dinner… you name it! It is always a good time to serve Fresh Pineapple with Citrus Herb Glaze.
It makes an amazing side dish for a breakfast or brunch:
- Sausage Egg Cups
- Fresh Pineapple with Citrus Herb Glaze
- Store Bought Pastries & Bagels
- Coffee & Mimosas
Perfect fresh fruit side for a lunch:
- Store bought Chicken Salad on Croissants
- Fresh Pineapple with Citrus Herb Glaze
- Easy Parmesan Truffle Fries
This makes a wonderful cooling side dish with a spicy dinner:
The cilantro and pineapple make a perfect match with Mexican flavors:
I hope you give this recipe for Fresh Pineapple with Citrus Herb Glaze a try in your kitchen.
Love- Susie
Fresh Pineapple with Citrus Herb Glaze Recipe
Fresh Pineapple with Citrus Herb Glaze
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups fresh cut pineapple (1 small-medium pineapple)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
- 2 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp lime zest tip: zest your lime before you cut it or squeeze the juice
- 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Peel, core, and chop the fresh pineapple into 1 inch chunks. Place in a glass serving bowl
- In a separate bowl whisk together the honey, orange juice, lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro.
- Pour the citrus herb glaze over the fresh cut pineapple and stir to coat.
- This mixture can be served immediately. Recommended- If you have time, cover and refrigerate for 6-24 hours, stirring the pineapple at least one time while it is marinating. It will get more flavorful and sweet with time.
Jennifer says
Super fresh and yummy! Even the kids enjoyed it.
Susie says
Thank you for trying it!!! It’s a great side dish for Mexican food
Soniya says
Me and my family are a big fan of pineapple 🍍🍍! You are correct about picking up the correct or ripe pineapple from store 🙂 can’t wait to try this delicious combination!
Susie says
You are going to love this! The cilantro and pineapple make a great combo
Alyssa says
I love the idea of adding cilantro. So fresh tasting!
Susie says
They make a great combo! Perfect for summer
Renee @ The Good Hearted Woman says
I’ve sweetened tart pineapples up with a brown sugar glaze a couple of times, but this sounds so much better! I will have to try it next time. Thanks!
Susie says
Definitely give it a try
Lisa | Garlic & Zest says
I love pineapple so this type of refreshing, healthy dessert is just what i want for the summertime. BTW – I was on a pineapple farm in Costa Rica and learned that they don’t harvest the pineapple until they are READY TO EAT – which means that the more yellow a pineapple is — the older and LESS SWEET it is. I always thought it was the other way around, but the greener — the better, which can be tough to do since the pineapples take 3-5 days to travel to the U.S.
Susie says
Hmm, that is good to know. All my research says that if it is yellow on the outside than the pineapple is dark golden and sweeter on the inside. Ill have to do some more investigating.
ali randall says
We eat pineapple all summer long but I never thought of adding a citrus dressing or even cilantro. This is something I need to try. Yum!
Susie says
It definitely dresses it up, especially if you are entertaining.