Pico de Gallo

Make this Pico De Gallo recipe anytime you want a fresh and crisp topping for tacos, burritos, grilled meat, or a scoopable dip with tortilla chips.

plated Pico De Gallo with a dish of tortilla chips

What is Pico De Gallo? (Vs. salsa)

Pico de gallo (AKA salsa fresca) is chunky and made with raw, fresh ingredients, whereas restaurant salsa is smoother and has more liquid.

Flavor: Bright, tangy, and a little bit spicy, this is the best Pico de Gallo, and full of flavor with a mild kick.
Skill Level: Prep, toss, chill, and serve. This Mexican food staple is so easy to prepare, it’s beginner-friendly.
Time-Saving Tip: Buy pre-chopped onions, tomatoes, and canned chopped jalapenos.
Yield: Make a double or triple batch and use it all week long.

adding ingredients together in bowl to make Pico De Gallo

Ingredients Tips for Pico de Gallo

Tomatoes: Go for the freshest, firmest tomatoes you can find so they hold up better. Garden tomatoes are the best, but you can also go for beefsteak, vine, or Roma tomatoes.
Onions: White onions are sweeter and less pungent than red onions or yellow onions; use your preferred amount to taste. Soak the chopped onions in cold water and rinse them to decrease the flavor a little bit. Sliced green onions are perfect if you want a Pico de Gallo that’s extra mild but still has a little color.
Jalapeño Peppers: Fresh jalapenos add crunch, and if you keep the membranes and seeds in, they can be very spicy. Remove seeds for a milder dish. For a mild, tart flavor, use pickled jalapenos.
Herbs: Cilantro is the standard for fresh Mexican flavors, but you can use parsley if cilantro isn’t your thing.
Lime & Salt: Use sparingly to marry the flavors. Smoked salt, garlic powder, lime zest, or cracked black pepper all add dimensions of flavor to homemade Pico de Gallo.

Variations

This recipe is perfect for extras like green chiles, corn, radishes, avocado, bell peppers, serrano peppers, black olives, or finely diced mangoes. Just be sure the pieces are all cut to uniform sizes for easy scooping (I love this chopper for exactly that!).
Mix Pico de Gallo with sour cream or guacamole for a creamy-style Pico.

Ways to Serve Pico De Gallo

Serve Pico de Gallo as a low-calorie, nutritious dip with fresh veggies like celery, bell pepper scoops, and chips or crackers. Give beef or chorizo tacos extra zing, or use Pico de Gallo as a topping on grilled chicken or fajitas.

Storing Pico De Gallo

Make this homemade salsa a day ahead, and the flavors will blend even more! Stir before serving.
Keep leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It might be softer than fresh, but it can still be added to breakfast burritos or quesadillas.
Freezing isn’t recommended due to the high water content of the ingredients. But Pico de Gallo is so easy to make fresh.

More Fresh Tomato Recipes

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Juicy, ripe tomatoes are mixed with onions, fresh lime juice, jalapenos, and a sprinkle of cilantro to make a bright and zesty salsa fresca!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Wait Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Dice tomatoes and set in a strainer to drain while preparing the remaining ingredients.
Add drained tomatoes, onion, lime, jalapeno, cilantro, salt, and pepper to a small bowl and toss to combine.
Allow to sit at least 20 minutes for flavors to blend.

Allow to sit for 20 minutes for optimal flavor!
Fresh white onion is added. If you find it too strong in flavor, chop it and soak in cold water (rinsing a couple of times) to take a bit of the bite out of the onion.
If you’d like a milder salsa, be sure to scrape out the seeds and membranes of the jalapeno before dicing.
I love cilantro and it truly makes the flavor of this dish. If you don’t like it, you can leave it out or substitute parsley.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Appetizer, Dip, Party Food, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Mexican

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