Perk up plain chicken breasts, elevate grilled pork tenderloin and take your fresh seafood to the next level with my quick and easy pineapple chutney recipe. This Caribbean condiment will make your tongue tingle. It’s a simple pineapple rum blend layered with assertive flavors that make a sweet, tangy, spicy topping perfect for grilled meats and seafood. Use fresh fruit instead of canned for the best flavor. Pineapple chutney is even good with a Sunday ham. You’re gonna love it.
I had a pineapple that was sitting on my countertop MOCKING ME for nearly a week. I’d purchased it with visions of desserts, fruit salads and cocktails. 6 days later it was looking SAD — and almost daring me to use it. Don’t challenge me. Ta-da! Caribbean style pineapple rum chutney.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Pineapple Chutney
- Red Onion
- Sweet Bell Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Fresh Pineapple
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Brown Sugar
- Fresh Ginger
- Jalapeno
- Mustard Seed
- Ground Coriander
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Golden Rum
At first glance, you might think that chutney and salsa refers to the same thing. After all, it’s usually a fruity condiment to serve with meats, poultry and seafood, but there is a difference.
The difference between chutney and salsa
- Salsas are blends of fresh chopped vegetables (and/or fruits) with fresh aromatics like herbs, garlic, onions and sometimes citrus juices or zests. Salsas generally don’t use vinegar (though fresh lime or lemon juice will provide a fresh acidity).
- Chutneys are usually made from fruit and they are cooked over the stove to blend the flavors together. Chutneys usually include dried spices, which bloom to life when they’ve been heated through. Chutneys typically are cooked with a bit of sweetener (sugar, brown sugar, honey) as well as some type of vinegar to give it a sweet/sour pop.
How to make pineapple rum chutney
- Sweat the onions and sweet bell peppers in olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the brown sugar and cider vinegar and cook down until the liquid is reduced and syrupy.
- Add the pineapple, jalapeño, ginger, coriander, mustard seed and crushed red pepper flakes and simmer until the pineapple has softened, the spices are well blended and the liquid has almost evaporated.
- Add the rum and simmer for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Best rum to use
I add a few tablespoons of golden rum to this pineapple chutney recipe to smooth out the vinegar bite. It mellows the flavors and I’m of the opinion that “what grows together, goes together”. Pineapples are generally grown in the same tropical climates as sugar cane (used for making rum). A few tablespoons of a mid-range, drinkable golden rum is perfect here. Save your Rhum Agricole for sipping.
Will the alcohol cook off?
Yes. Most of it should cook off in the last two minutes of simmering.
Is the rum flavor strong?
No. In fact you won’t notice the rum so much as how it softens the flavors in the recipe. If you taste the pineapple chutney before adding the rum and again after, it’s not quite as acidic.
Uses for this chutney recipe:
- Add a few tablespoons to steamed rice and toss to give an island flavor the side dish.
- Spread cream cheese on a cracker and top with a spoonful of pineapple chutney.
- Stir into sour cream and mayonnaise for a tropical dip for chips, crudité
- Mix with mayo and spread onto a chicken or pork sandwich.
What does pineapple chutney go with?
- Grilled Chicken
- Brined Grilled Pork Chops
- Grilled Shrimp
- Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze
- Hawaiian Pineapple Rice
More salsa and chutney recipes:
Pineapple Rum Chutney
Ingredients
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups fresh pineapple chopped to 1/2" pieces
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 inch knob ginger peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)
- ½ jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
- ½ teaspoon whole mustard seed
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons golden rum
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the red onion and bell pepper and sweat the vegetables until they're softened but not browned, stirring occasionally.
- Add the apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer with the lid off the pan for 5-7 minutes or until the the liquid has reduced by half and has become syrupy, stirring occasionally.
- Add the pineapple, ginger, jalapeno, mustard seed, coriander and red pepper flakes and simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the jalapenos are softened and most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the rum and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and taste for seasonings. Adjust as necessary.
- Store the chutney in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Nutrition
Pin “Pineapple Rum Chutney” for later
I am drooling with the look of this delicious picture perfect Pineapple Chutney. Love the Sweet, Tangy and flavorful flavors to this recipe.
This is a go to recipe over the summer. So loaded with flavor and so hard to stop eating (in the best way)!
I love chutney and you have such amazing flavors in this! I could gobble up spoonfuls of this one!
This pineapple chutney was so delicious! Everybody loved it! And what a great kick from the rum! Excellent idea!
It’s a tropical explosion of flavor for my chicken! Yummy!