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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Sauces » Homemade Spicy Pineapple Sauce

    Published: Dec 8, 2020 | Last Updated On: Nov 15, 2022 by Neha Mathur | This post may contain affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Homemade Spicy Pineapple Sauce

    5403 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Make the best Homemade Spicy Pineapple Sauce using a few ingredients in under 20 minutes. Slather it on baked ham, grilled chicken, veggies, fish, or shrimp for a sweet, savory, and spicy kick (vegan, gluten-free).

    Here are some more pineapple recipes that I make at home using this summer fruit – Thai Pineapple Fried Rice, Healthy Pineapple Banana Smoothie, Pineapple Mojito, and Kerala Style Pineapple Pachadi.

    Spicy pineapple sauce served in a bowl.
    Jump to:
    • About Spicy Pineapple Sauce
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Pineapple Sauce
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Variations
    • Usage Ideas
    • Storage Suggestions
    • You Might Also Like
    • Recipe Card

    About Spicy Pineapple Sauce

    This Homemade Spicy Pineapple Sauce is a delicious versatile sauce made using fresh pineapples and a few more simple ingredients.

    It is sweet, tangy, spicy, and savory, all at the same time, and can be used in a variety of ways.

    This pineapple sauce recipe is vegan and gluten-free and can be easily halved, doubled, or tripled as per your requirements.

    Slather it over your holiday ham, grilled chicken, fish, or shrimp or use it to make rolls, sandwiches, etc, it’s going to perk up their taste.

    Ingredients

    Pineapple sauce ingredients 1
    Pineapple sauce ingredients 2

    Pineapple – You will need chopped pineapple and pineapple juice to make this recipe.

    I prefer using fresh pineapple but if it’s not available, then you can use drained and rinsed canned pineapple too.

    I also make Pineapple Juice at home but you can choose to use canned juice if you prefer.

    Lemon Juice and Zest – Lemon juice and lemon zest add to the tanginess and make the sauce refreshing and flavorful.

    Garlic – Garlic is one of those ingredients that instantly adds so much flavor to a simple recipe. You can peel the garlic beforehand and store it in the fridge so that it comes in handy whenever you want to use it in everyday cooking.

    Red Pepper Flakes – To compensate for the sweet and tangy taste, add some spicy flavor with red pepper flakes. Adjust the quantity depending on how spicy you want it to be.

    Rice Vinegar – Rice vinegar adds an earthy tanginess to the sauce. You can replace it with white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.

    Sugar – Brown sugar gives a nice dark color to the sauce and also enhances the sweetness.

    Cornstarch – Cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce.

    How To Make Pineapple Sauce

    Preparation

    Peel a medium-sized ripe pineapple using a sharp knife and chop the flesh into small cubes. To save time, you can buy already peeled and chopped pineapple. If using canned pineapple, then drain and rinse it before chopping.

    Make pineapple juice. Skip if using canned juice.

    Peel and chop the garlic.

    Gather the remaining ingredients.

    Make The Sauce

    Add 2 cups (350 g) of cubed pineapple and 1 teaspoon chopped garlic to the jar of a blender or a food processor and blend to make a coarse mixture.

    Note – Do not blend the pineapple too much. We are looking for a coarse texture here.

    Pineapple and garlic added to a blender.
    Coarse mixture made.

    Add the pineapple mixture to a heavy bottom pan.

    Add ½ cup pineapple juice, ¼ cup rice vinegar, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt, and mix well.

    Pineapple mixture, pineapple juice, vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, pepper flakes and salt added to the pan.
    Mixed well.

    Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-8 minutes on medium heat. Stir a few times in between.

    Pan covered with a lid.

    Mix 2 tablespoon cornstarch in ¼ cup water to make a thin slurry and add it to the pan.

    Cornstarch slurry made.
    Slurry added to the pan and mixed well.

    Cook uncovered until the sauce thickens (3-4 minutes), stirring frequently.

    Remove the pan from heat and let the sauce cool down to room temperature.

    Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator and use as desired.

    Ready spicy pineapple sauce.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How to make Asian pineapple sauce?

    Add 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of teriyaki sauce to the existing recipe to give it an Asian twist.

    Variations

    You can add the following ingredients and give a twist to this delicious Pineapple Sauce

    Cranberry – Add fresh or frozen cranberries while cooking the sauce to give it a very unique tangy taste. This Pineapple Cranberry Sauce is one of my fav variations of the classic recipe.

    Habanero – Add some finely chopped habanero peppers in the sauce to give it a very nice spicy kick.

    Jalapeno – You can replace habanero with Jalapeno peppers as well.

    Mango – Pineapple Mango Sauce is a great variation of this classic recipe. Add a few cubed ripe mangoes along with pineapple to make this sauce.

    Rum – Adding rum to my sauces is one of my fav things to do. It changes the taste a lot and gives a very earthy taste to the resultant sauces. Do try.

    You can also replace pineapple juice with orange juicy for a citrusy sauce.

    Usage Ideas

    Pineapple Sauce is very versatile and can be used in many ways. Here are some of my favorites

    Use it as a dipping sauce for appetizers like Baked Sweet Potato Wedges, Air Fryer Potato Wedges, Vegetable Spring Rolls, etc.

    It is a great glaze for baked chicken breast, pork, fish, ham, and shrimp. You can also brush it over grilled veggies like green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.

    Thin it down a little with water and use it as a salad dressing.

    Use it as a topping for hotdogs, meatballs, or tacos.

    Slather it over sandwiches, rolls, etc.

    Storage Suggestions

    You can make this sauce in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.

    If after refrigerating the sauce thickens, you can warm it in the microwave.

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    Recipe Card

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    Make the best Homemade Spicy Pineapple Sauce using a few ingredients in under 20 minutes. Slather it on baked ham, grilled chicken, veggies, fish, or shrimp for a sweet, savory, and spicy kick (vegan, gluten-free).

    Homemade Spicy Pineapple Sauce Recipe

    Make the best Homemade Spicy Pineapple Sauce using a few ingredients in under 20 minutes. Slather it on baked ham, grilled chicken, veggies, fish, or shrimp for a sweet, savory, and spicy kick (vegan, gluten-free).
    4.14 from 23 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Accompaniment
    Cuisine: American, Continental
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 8 people
    Calories: 149kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    • 2 cups peeled and chopped fresh pineapple (350 g)
    • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
    • ½ cup pineapple juice (fresh or canned)
    • ¼ cup rice vinegar
    • ¼ cup lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • ¼ cup water
    US Customary or Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add pineapple and garlic to the jar of a blender and blend to make a coarse mixture.
    • Note – Do not blend the pineapple too much. We are looking for a coarse texture here.
    • Add the pineapple mixture to a heavy bottom pan.
    • Add pineapple juice, rice vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and salt, and mix well.
    • Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-8 minutes on medium heat. Stir a few times in between.
    • Mix cornstarch in water to make a thin slurry and add it to the pan.
    • Cook uncovered until the sauce thickens (3-4 minutes), stirring frequently.
    • Remove the pan from heat and let the sauce cool down to room temperature.
    • Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator and use as desired.

    Video

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdT1m1ns75I

    Notes

    This recipe can be easily halved, doubled, or tripled as per your requirements. 
    I prefer using fresh chopped pineapple but if it’s not available, then you can use drained and rinsed canned pineapple too.
    Adjust red pepper flakes depending on how spicy you want the sauce to be.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 118mg | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 170IU | Vitamin C: 24.6mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 0.5mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Saurabh Verma

      July 02, 2018 at 3:30 am

      5 stars
      I love pineapple slices and Pineapple juice… thanks for Pineapple sauce.

      I will definitely try at home.

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        July 02, 2018 at 6:45 am

        Do try. It came out delicious 🙂

        Reply
    2. Chhavi

      July 02, 2018 at 3:44 pm

      5 stars
      Pineapple sauce on coconut shrimp sounds so delicious!

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        July 03, 2018 at 2:14 am

        Yeah 🙂

        Reply
    3. Silpa

      July 03, 2018 at 5:11 am

      5 stars
      This pineapple sauce is looking so great. Color and texture of the sauce is superb.

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        July 05, 2018 at 6:21 am

        5 stars
        Thnx a lot. Do try the recipe.

        Reply
    4. Michelle

      December 09, 2018 at 8:06 am

      5 stars
      Omg. It’s like making apple pie filling!!!!!♡

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        December 12, 2018 at 4:07 am

        Yeah 🙂

        Reply
    5. Jasmine

      April 28, 2019 at 2:52 am

      So good! We had a similar sauce in Puerto Vallarta this year and wanted to find a good recipe that I thought might mimic it and this did the job! I used 1/2 a jalapeño instead of the red pepper flakes and once it cooled, I blended a bit of cilantro into it, so good! We made it for shrimp tacos.

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        April 28, 2019 at 11:25 am

        I am glad the recipe worked for you Jasmine.

        Reply
    6. Kris

      March 02, 2022 at 10:39 pm

      You mention cornflour in the recipe. Do you mean cornstarch? Cornmeal? Also, can I make with canned pineapple? I assume you can, I hope.
      Thanks! Want to make for pineapple chicken kabobs!

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        March 06, 2022 at 5:40 am

        Hi Kris, yes it’s cornstarch. And yes, you can make the sauce using canned pineapples too.

        Reply
    7. Bridgett

      May 25, 2022 at 10:11 am

      5 stars
      This sauce has a bit of zip to it so we used 1/2 the amount of chili flakes and it was perfect.

      Reply
    8. Jerita

      August 01, 2022 at 10:41 pm

      Can you water bath this and store it in the pantry?

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        August 02, 2022 at 1:14 am

        I am not a canning expert but definitely this can be canned.

        Reply
    9. PRAinAZ

      November 27, 2022 at 10:41 pm

      5 stars
      Very tasty. Reduced the pepper flakes to 1 tsp and it’s still got good spice.

      Reply
    10. Cheryl S

      December 27, 2022 at 6:06 am

      5 stars
      I made this recipe for this year’s family Christmas dinner. I served it over Seared Sea Scallops and Sweet Corn Risotto with Spinach & Bacon. It was a huge hit and with all the delicious food on the table, the pineapple sauce was the item most raved about. It does have a nice kick to it with the crushed red pepper flakes but that is in perfect balance with the sweetness of the brown sugar and pineapple. I had people slathering it across everything, including my baby greens salad. I will be looking for more things to add this pineapple to — and make it again!

      Reply
    11. CherylS

      December 29, 2022 at 7:20 am

      5 stars
      Amazing flavor! The favorite at our family holiday table.

      Reply

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    Neha Mathur, Founder & Recipe Expert at Whisk Affair

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