Simple, unique & tasty with only 4 ingredients! This Pineapple Carpaccio is a perfect balance of sweet, sour, spicy & salty
Sunshine on a plate
Placing salt on unripe fruits is common in many Asian countries. When my husband, Tomi, and I visited Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, we saw many street food vendors selling bags of green fruits with tiny bags of chilli salt.
Out of curiosity, we bought a bag of green mangoes with chilli salt to try when we were in Siem Reap, Cambodia. What a taste sensation, and we were instantly hooked. The salt enhanced the sweetness of the mangoes, and the chilli adds extra flavour to the imperfect fruit. I’m not a big fruit eater, but I could eat fruit like this every day.
This inspired me to create a little fancy version of fruit with chilli salt. We’re blessed with a few sunny days here in the middle of winter, so I couldn’t pass on some beautiful Queensland pineapple. Here is some sunshine on a plate, my Pineapple Carpaccio with Chilli Salt.
All you need is 4 ingredients for this recipe (excluding the garnish). A medium to large pineapple, sea salt flakes, chilli flakes and sugar. Yes, that’s it, and just a little patience with pounding the chilli salt with a mortar and pestle and slicing the pineapple into ultra-thin slices!
The thin slices of pineapple look so pretty, just like sunshine. They’re so thin, there’s no need to remove the pineapple’s core. Don’t worry, pineapple cores are completely edible and they’re not offensive in this dish. Besides, without Googling this, I’m pretty confident pineapple cores contain nutritional benefits, like fibre! This is also a vegan-friendly snack and gluten-free.
Pineapple Carpaccio with Chilli
Have you seen pineapple plants? Seeing one for the first time surprised me. I had no idea pineapples grew on shrubs so close to the ground. Very fascinating! … But what was I expecting? An enormous tree with pineapples dangling down it? Perhaps 🤔😂
Speaking of pineapples, have you seen the ones in Phuket, Thailand? They’re adorably tiny, around the same size as a small child’s fist. They’re the best pineapples we’ve ever tasted. No hint of tartness, just juicy, sugar-sweet pineapple! We loved them so much that we wanted to bring a bunch of them back home with us, but then we would’ve likely appeared on an episode of Australia’s Border Security.
Anyway, let’s move on to this must-try Pineapple Carpaccio with Chilli Salt!
For the chilli salt, I used a mortar and pestle to pound the ingredients together. It’s quite a workout, but I feel good doing it this way! However, a blender, food processor and spice grinder would also work.
Why sprinkle salt on fruits?
This may sound a little weird, but eating fruit with a little sprinkle of salt brings out the sweetness of fruits and tones down the tartness. Salt also draws out moisture from the fruit making them juicer.
What fruits go best with chilli salt?
This recipe makes a small amount of chilli salt, however, you’ll still have plenty left over. Store the remaining chilli salt in a small jar and leave it in your pantry, it should keep for a year or so.
Lightly dip or sprinkle the chilli salt on green apples, cherries, strawberries, green mango, and guava.
Delicious authentic-tasting Thai dishes to try at home:
Ingredients for Pineapple Carpaccio with Chilli Salt
Pineapple – Choose a ripe medium to large pineapple. If they still have their crowns, pull one off from the centre. If it breaks off easily, the pineapple is ripe.
Sea salt – I used good quality sea salt flakes as they have a more delicate and natural taste. However, any kind of salt would work.
Chilli flakes – I used chilli flakes as they have a mild smoky flavour. Ground cayenne, ground chilli and fresh chillies would also work, but adjust the amount of chillies to your liking.
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Watch how to make Pineapple Carpaccio with Chilli Salt
Written step-by-step guide with photos
For the chilli salt – Pound the salt, chilli and sugar in a mortar and pestle for 2 to 3 minutes. You could also use a food processor, blender or spice grinder to combine these ingredients together. Have a taste of the chilli salt, then adjust it to your liking. If the pineapple is very sour, you may wish to add more sugar.
Slice 1 to 2cm from the bottom and top of the pineapple, then place the pineapple upright. Slice the skin of the pineapple, then place it on its side and remove the ‘eyes’ by slicing them out using a diagonal pattern.
Use a very sharp knife to slice the pineapple as thinly as possible. There’s no need to remove the core.
Lightly sprinkle a small amount of chilli salt onto a large plate, then place a round layer of pineapple neatly over the salt. Sprinkle some more chilli salt onto the pineapple, then place another layer of pineapple on top, then finish with more chilli salt.
Optional – Garnish with mint leaves and edible flowers. Serve immediately.
This recipe makes a small amount of chilli salt. However, you’ll still have plenty left over. Store the remaining chilli salt in a small jar and leave it in your pantry. It should keep for a year.
Lightly dip or sprinkle the chilli salt on green apples, cherries, strawberries, green mango, and guava.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Pineapple Carpaccio with Chilli Salt
Ingredients
- 1 medium to large ripe pineapple (NOTE 1)
- 2 tbsp sea salt flakes (NOTE 2)
- 2 tsp chilli flakes (or adjust to taste) (NOTE 3)
- 1 tbsp sugar
Optional garnish
- mint leaves
- edible flowers
Instructions
- For the chilli salt – Pound the salt, chilli and sugar in a mortar and pestle for 2 to 3 minutes. You could also use a food processor, blender or spice grinder to combine these ingredients together. Have a taste of the chilli salt, then adjust it to your liking. If the pineapple is very sour, you may wish to add more sugar.
- Slice 1 to 2cm from the bottom and top of the pineapple, then place the pineapple upright. Slice the skin of the pineapple, then place it on its side and remove the 'eyes' by slicing them out using a diagonal pattern.
- Use a very sharp knife to slice the pineapple as thinly as possible. There's no need to remove the core.
- Lightly sprinkle a small amount of chilli salt onto a large plate, then place a round layer of pineapple neatly over the salt. Sprinkle some more chilli salt onto the pineapple, then place another layer of pineapple on top, then finish with more chilli salt. Optional – Garnish with mint leaves and edible flowers. Serve immediately.
