Bursting with freshness from fresh ripe tomatoes, a bit of heat from jalapenos, a little crunch from onions, a splash of lime juice, and finished with cilantro, pico de gallo is the perfect accompaniment to a variety of dishes. Not only does it make for an excellent side dish or topping, but this salsa-like condiment also pairs wonderfully with tacos, burritos, and other Mexican food delights.
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Making your own pico de gallo is easy and rewarding – you’ll be able to customize it to your tastes, get creative with the ingredients, and above all, enjoy a delicious condiment that goes perfectly with tacos or chips! This classic Mexican salsa dish is simple to make and can add some exciting flavor to your next meal.
💖 Why You’ll Like This Recipe
- This easy pico de gallo recipe is made with a handful of ingredients.
- Allows you to customize the flavors of your salsa. (For instance, you can use red onion or white onion instead of yellow.)
- Makes for a tasty topping for tacos and chips.
- It’s perfect for serving with your favorite Mexican recipes on Taco Night, Cinco de Mayo, or anytime you simply crave delicious Mexican cuisine.
Let’s look at how to make this homemade pico de gallo recipe:
📝 Ingredients
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
👩🏻🍳 Directions
Wash, dry, and prep tomatoes, onion, and jalapenos. Dice the vegetables in roughly the same size pieces.
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Add lime juice.
Fold and mix the ingredients until they are thoroughly incorporated. Season to taste.
Use a slotted spoon to serve. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
📌 Notes and Tips
- Changing the chopped size of the vegetables can drastically affect their application. Bigger pieces are great for tacos and dish topping, while a finer dice can result in a great dip or salsa starter!
- To truly appreciate all of the best flavors of pico, let it rest in the fridge for 24 hours. This lets the lime juice and other flavors meld and create the best flavor. Of course, you can eat it right away, but if you’re able, make it ahead and enjoy it the next day.
- Getting rid of the middle flesh of the tomato helps to remove a lot of the excess water. This will allow the flavors to blend better.
- Do not freeze pico de gallo. It alters the texture of the tomatoes and it’s no bueno.
- You can use any type of tomato: cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, grape tomatoes, etc.
- If you don’t like jalapenos, you can use a poblano pepper instead. (In a pinch you could use a green bell pepper.)
- You can use a food processor, but you need to be very careful not to blend the ingredients or you will end up with a raw salsa.
- Serve with tortilla chips, on fish tacos, in burrito bowls, or on top of salads!
🤷🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Pico de gallo can be as spicy or mild as you like, depending on how much jalapeno you add to the recipe. By deseeding the jalapeno before adding it to your pico de gallo, you can control the heat level of your salsa. You can also adjust the amount of lime juice or cilantro to suit your tastes.
Pico de gallo stands out from other salsas because of its fresh ingredients and flavor. It also has a unique texture, as the finely chopped tomatoes and onions give it a nice crunch. Pico de gallo is also versatile, as it can be used as a dip, topping, or condiment for tacos, burritos, and other Mexican dishes.
Pico de gallo and salsa are both popular Mexican dishes, however, they have some key differences. While pico de gallo is a type of salsa, it is made from fresh ingredients that are finely chopped and mixed together without being cooked. Salsa, on the other hand, is typically made with cooked ingredients that are then blended or pureed into a smoother consistency than pico de gallo. Some may consider pico de gallo to be uncooked salsa.
📖 Recipe
Easy Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- 1 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash, dry, and prep tomatoes, onion, and jalapenos. Dice the vegetables in roughly the same size pieces.
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and add the lime juice.
- Fold and mix the ingredients until they are thoroughly incorporated. Season to taste.
- Use a slotted spoon to serve. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
- Wash, dry, and prep tomatoes, onion, and jalapenos. Dice the vegetables in roughly the same size pieces.
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and add the lime juice.
- Fold and mix the ingredients until they are thoroughly incorporated. Season to taste.
- Use a slotted spoon to serve. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Changing the chopped size of the vegetables can drastically affect their application. Bigger pieces are great for tacos and dish topping, while a finer dice can result in a great dip or salsa starter!
- To truly appreciate all of the best flavors of pico, let it rest in the fridge for 24 hours. This lets the lime juice and other flavors meld and create the best flavor. Of course, you can eat it right away, but if you’re able, make it ahead and enjoy it the next day.
- Getting rid of the middle flesh of the tomato helps to remove a lot of the excess water. This will allow the flavors to blend better.
- Do not freeze pico de gallo. It alters the texture of the tomatoes and it’s no bueno.
- You can use any type of tomato: cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, grape tomatoes, etc.
- If you don’t like jalapenos, you can use a poblano pepper instead. (In a pinch you could use a green bell pepper.)
- You can use a food processor, but you need to be very careful not to blend the ingredients or you will end up with a raw salsa.
- Serve with tortilla chips, on fish tacos, in burrito bowls, or on top of salads!
Nutrition
Be sure to come back and tell us how your pico de gallo turned out!
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