Caribbean

Serving

Pineapple Chow

Name: Pineapple Chow
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or culantro; 1 scotch bonnet pepper, minced (or to taste); juice of 1 lime; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Fresh pineapple tossed with garlic, cilantro, and pepper into a sweet-savory Caribbean fruit chow.

10 minutes

Serves 4

Snack

5 min prep

8 min cook

No common allergens detected

Based on this recipe's ingredient list. Always verify with your own brands and labels.

Good to know

Ready in under 30 minutes

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals

Instructions

7 steps

1
Peel and core the pineapple, then cut the flesh into small, bite-sized pieces.
2
Place the diced pineapple in a bowl and add the minced garlic and scotch bonnet pepper.
3
Squeeze the lime juice over the top and toss well to coat all the pieces.
4
Season with salt and black pepper, adjusting to balance the sweetness of the fruit with the heat and acidity.
5
Fold in the chopped cilantro or culantro.
6
Let the chow sit for at least 5 minutes at room temperature so the flavors combine before serving.
7
Serve immediately as a sweet-savory snack, chilled or at room temperature.

Pineapple Chow — plated and served — Serving moment. How Pineapple Chow looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

70/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 100

Kid-friendly 27

Weeknight-easy 86

Budget-friendly 72

Great leftovers 50

Pantry-friendly 62

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

Calories

0 g

Protein

1 g

Carbs

0 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Chow is a Trinidadian street snack of fresh fruit tossed with garlic, hot pepper, and chadon beni, eaten cold as a sharp, mouth-puckering treat. Pineapple is one of the most popular bases, and the dish blurs the line between snack and condiment, sold from roadside trays and made at home in minutes.

Listahan note

This version tosses the diced pineapple with raw garlic, cilantro, and pepper and then chills it, letting the fruit drink up the seasoning so the flavors are sharp and fully married before serving.

Technique cues

Dice the pineapple into even bite-size pieces so each cube picks up the same amount of seasoning in the toss.
Use the garlic and pepper raw and minced fine; chow is meant to bite back, and cooking the aromatics would mute the punch.
Chilling is not just for temperature: the rest lets the salt and acid pull juice from the pineapple and turn the seasonings into a quick brine that coats every piece.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Mince the garlic, pepper, and cilantro into the bowl first, then dice the pineapple straight in and toss.
Make-ahead: Toss it up to a few hours ahead and chill; the flavor only improves as the fruit absorbs the seasoning.
Leftover move: Spoon leftover chow and its juice over grilled fish or chicken as a quick bright relish.
Cleanup rhythm: It is a one-bowl dish, so the only cleanup is the cutting board and knife from breaking down the pineapple.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Pineapple

Fruit base

Purpose: Ripe pineapple brings the sweet-tart juiciness that the sharp seasonings play against.

Handling: Choose a ripe, fragrant pineapple and dice it evenly so it seasons uniformly.

Adaptation: Green mango or firm cucumber makes a classic chow with a tarter, crunchier bite.

garlic

Pungent aromatic

Purpose: Raw garlic gives chow its characteristic sharp, savory bite against the sweet fruit.

Handling: Mince or grate it fine so it disperses through the toss rather than landing in raw chunks.

Adaptation: Garlic scapes or a milder roasted garlic soften the punch if raw garlic is too aggressive.

cilantro

Herbal lift

Purpose: Cilantro, standing in for Trini chadon beni, adds the green, citrusy herb note that defines chow.

Handling: Chop it just before tossing so it stays bright and fragrant.

Adaptation: Culantro or chadon beni is the authentic choice and pushes the herbal flavor stronger.

pepper

Heat

Purpose: Fresh hot pepper brings the fire that makes chow a true mouth-puckering snack.

Handling: Mince finely and adjust the amount to taste, since Scotch bonnet heat builds as it sits.

Adaptation: A milder jalapeno or a pinch of pepper flakes dials the heat down for sensitive eaters.

Technique notes

Salt the pineapple as you toss it; the salt draws out juice that becomes the seasoning brine.
Add a squeeze of lime for extra acid and to keep the cut fruit looking fresh.
Taste after chilling and adjust the heat and salt, since both mellow and shift as the chow rests.

Ingredient swaps

Milder direction: Cut the hot pepper and lean on extra lime and cilantro for brightness without the burn.
Lower-sodium direction: Use a light hand with salt and add lime zest for punch that does not rely on sodium.
Weeknight shortcut: Use pre-cut fresh pineapple and a squeeze of jarred minced garlic to get chow on the table in five minutes.

Serve alongside

Grilled jerk chicken
Doubles
Fried plantain chips
Grilled fish
Cold Carib lager
Coconut water
Sorrel punch

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days; the pineapple softens and the heat intensifies over time.
No reheating; serve cold straight from the fridge.
Not suitable for freezing, as the fresh fruit turns mushy and weeps once thawed.

Equipment

Sharp knife for the pineapple
Cutting board
Mixing bowl with a lid
Microplane or fine grater for the garlic

Make this household-aware

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