Fresh Pico de Gallo
This pico de gallo recipe is an easy Mexican salsa made with simple, fresh ingredients like tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime. We can’t get enough and add it to everything! I’ve made this pico de gallo recipe more times than I can count, and I am always happy that I did! We love it with tortilla chips, with all of our favorite tacos, inside burritos, on top of rice bowls, and I love it spooned over scrambled eggs for breakfast. This recipe is quick and easy, and with a few simple tricks, you can make it taste truly authentic. For the ultimate spread, consider serving with Homemade Tortilla Chips or next to a bowl of Guacamole! Key Ingredients Tomatoes: For the best pico de gallo, use ripe, juicy tomatoes and chop them small. Look for tomatoes that feel heavy for their size and really smell like a tomato! Roma tomatoes (or plum tomatoes) are popular for their firm texture, but I usually go with whatever smells the best at the store. Onion: I use white onions when I can find them since they are the most authentic choice, but you can swap for yellow, sweet, or red onion. Jalapeño: This adds a bit of heat and more flavor. For a mild salsa, remove the seeds and white membrane inside the peppers. For spicy pico de gallo, leave some or all of the seeds and membrane in. Serrano peppers are a good substitute, but pack a little more heat. Cilantro and Lime: Fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice are a must for authentic pico de gallo. Don’t miss these! Tomatoes: For the best pico de gallo, use ripe, juicy tomatoes and chop them small. Look for tomatoes that feel heavy for their size and really smell like a tomato! Roma tomatoes (or plum tomatoes) are popular for their firm texture, but I usually go with whatever smells the best at the store. Onion: I use white onions when I can find them since they are the most authentic choice, but you can swap for yellow, sweet, or red onion. Jalapeño: This adds a bit of heat and more flavor. For a mild salsa, remove the seeds and white membrane inside the peppers. For spicy pico de gallo, leave some or all of the seeds and membrane in. Serrano peppers are a good substitute, but pack a little more heat. Cilantro and Lime: Fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice are a must for authentic pico de gallo. Don’t miss these! Find the full recipe with measurements below. My Tips for Making Pico De Gallo Anyone can make pico de gallo! Here are a few simple tips for making it the best! Tip 1: Soak your onions. Letting raw onions sit in cold water for 10 minutes tones the raw flavor of the onion. This way, your onions will have crunch crisp and taste sweet, but won’t leave you with onion breath! I call it “de-flaming” the onions, and use this trick for guacamole, too! Tip 2: Salt the tomatoes and let them sit. Salt does magical things to fresh tomatoes. For the best flavor, season your tomatoes and other pico de gallo ingredients with salt, and then let them sit for 20 minutes on the counter before serving. The salt draws out flavor and liquid from the tomatoes and further tones down the bite of raw onion. It’s worth the wait! Just make sure you give the salsa an extra toss before serving to distribute all the flavorful juices. Serving Suggestions Serve pico de gallo with tortilla chips for a perfect appetizer, or spoon it over your favorite tacos, nachos, enchiladas, fajitas, and rice bowls. I especially love this fresh salsa with breakfast tacos, our pork tacos, and this amazing taco salad! You can also serve it alongside other salsas and dips. Try our roasted tomato salsa, easy red salsa recipe, homemade queso, 7 layer dip, pineapple avocado salsa, or my favorite roasted tomatillo salsa. Fresh Pico de Gallo PREP 20 mins TOTAL 20 mins PREP 20 mins TOTAL 20 mins Pico de gallo is a fresh tomato salsa popular in Mexico (also known as salsa Mexicano, salsa fresca, and salsa cruda). Use ripe tomatoes for this, and look for tomatoes that are deeply colored and heavy for their size. If they don’t smell like anything, skip them. They should smell like a tomato (sweet and woody). Serve with Homemade Tortilla Chips! Makes 8 servings or 3 cups Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need 1 ½ pounds of tomatoes, chopped, 4 to 5 medium (680g) 1 medium onion, chopped, about ⅔ cup 1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced, remove seeds and membranes for a mild salsa ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves (15g) Juice of 1 lime Salt to taste Directions 1Soak the onions: This is optional, but to remove the raw bite of your onion, add the chopped onion to a bowl with cold water. Leave for 10 minutes, drain and rinse. 2Make the salsa: Add the tomatoes, soaked and rinsed onion, cilantro, diced peppers, and lime juice to a bowl. Generously season with salt (start with 1/2 teaspoon and go from there). Set aside for 20 minutes. 3To finish: Stir to distribute the juices left at the bottom of the bowl. Taste and adjust with more salt. Serve! 1Soak the onions: This is optional, but to remove the raw bite of your onion, add the chopped onion to a bowl with cold water. Leave for 10 minutes, drain and rinse. 2Make the salsa: Add the tomatoes, soaked and rinsed onion, cilantro, diced peppers, and lime juice to a bowl. Generously season with salt (start with 1/2 teaspoon and go from there). Set aside for 20 minutes. 3To finish: Stir to distribute the juices left at the bottom of the bowl. Taste and adjust with more salt. Serve! Adam and Joanne's Tips Storing: Pico de gallo is best the day you make it, but leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. In his book, “Authentic Mexican,” Rick Bayless says that a fresh salsa like pico de gallo is at its best for an hour or two. We agree, but I must admit that we’ve still been plenty happy with this recipe after a few days in the fridge. Spicy salsa: Increase to 2 jalapeño peppers. You can also swap the jalapeños for a serrano pepper, which packs a bit more heat. Also, remember it is the seeds and white membrane inside the pepper that hold most of the heat, so leave that in for more spice. Fun fact: Pico de gallo translates to “rooster’s beak,” but there’s not really a consensus for why. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Storing: Pico de gallo is best the day you make it, but leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. In his book, “Authentic Mexican,” Rick Bayless says that a fresh salsa like pico de gallo is at its best for an hour or two. We agree, but I must admit that we’ve still been plenty happy with this recipe after a few days in the fridge. Spicy salsa: Increase to 2 jalapeño peppers. You can also swap the jalapeños for a serrano pepper, which packs a bit more heat. Also, remember it is the seeds and white membrane inside the pepper that hold most of the heat, so leave that in for more spice. Fun fact: Pico de gallo translates to “rooster’s beak,” but there’s not really a consensus for why. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/4 cup / Calories 33 / Protein 1 g / Carbohydrate 8 g / Dietary Fiber 2 g / Total Sugars 4 g / Total Fat 0 g / Saturated Fat 0 g / Cholesterol 0 mg AUTHOR: Adam Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? 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