How to Cut a Pineapple Into Perfect Rings and Chunks

It may be daunting, but how to cut a pineapple isn't as hard as it may seem—once you learn the right method.

Much like cutting a mango or a watermelon, slicing your pineapple into edible chunks can be quite challenging if you've never done it before. However, a pineapple's tough shell and intimidating leafy crown shouldn't deter you from including the nutritious fruit in your daily diet.

Pineapple isn't just a sweet snack that upgrades your fruit salads and smoothies, it's also a prime dietary superstar. There are many pineapple benefits you may not know about. For example, just one cup of pineapple packs in 206 milligrams of blood-pressure-stabilizing potassium, 28.9 milligrams of cold-busting vitamin C, and 86 milligrams of eye-protecting vitamin A.

If you're craving the tropical plant and want to reap its benefits, learn how to cut a pineapple with these easy-to-follow tips from Chef Claudia Sidoti, Head Chef and Recipe Developer at HelloFresh.

How to cut a pineapple into rings

Follow Sidoti's simple steps when cutting a pineapple.

1. Place the pineapple on its side on your cutting board.
2. With a sharp cook's knife, slice off the top crown and about a half-inch of the top of the pineapple.
3. Stand the pineapple upright on the cutting board on it's base.
4. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut away the skin from top to bottom, following the shape of the pineapple. The outer edge of the pineapple is the sweetest part, so you want to keep that if you can.
5. Once peeled, lay the pineapple horizontally to chop off the base and cut the fruit into rings by slicing straight down width-wise. Thickness is dependent on your taste.
6. The fiber-rich core is edible, but lots of people remove it because it isn't as flavorful or sweet. Use a small paring knife to cut it out of your rings, if you'd prefer.

How to cut a pineapple into chunks

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Sometimes you don't care about the photo opp. Sometimes you just want to eat the fruit.  On those terms, cut your pineapple into simple chunks by following this advice:

1. Follow the same steps above to prepare your pineapple: top the pineapple, slice off the skin, the cut off the bottom.
2. Next, cut the pineapple lengthwise into quarters with two cuts in an X shape.
3. Cut out the tough core.
4. Then, cut each quarter lengthwise again.
5. Once you have smaller rectangular-like slices, you can the fruit crosswise into chunks.

Pro tip from Sidoti: If you're looking to serve a pineapple for dessert while also impressing your guests, try this hack. "Cut the pineapple in half and then halve that half. Slice chunks and then separate it from the peel. Stagger the slices, and you'll end up with a gorgeous pineapple that is ready to serve—no plates or platters required!" Sidoti says. Consider this hack the healthy equivalent to sabering a champagne bottle, and put it to use at your next soirée!