Pico de gallo, also known as “Salsa Fresca” or “Salsa Cruda,” is a household favorite as it takes little to no time to whip up. If you’re wondering what pico de gallo is, it is a chunky Mexican salsa consisting of mainly chopped tomato, onion, and peppers.
We love having a bowl on the side when we make tacos, enchiladas, nachos, or quesadillas. It even works as a topping on proteins like plain chicken or fish to change things around. It’s refreshing, zesty, and flavorful without requiring a ton of ingredients!
Key Ingredients You Need
- Tomatoes — I recommend using Roma or plum tomatoes as they are not very watery or contain a ton of seeds. If you use larger tomatoes that are more watery, be sure to remove the core and seeds before dicing.
- Onion — Feel free to use your onion of choice. I use yellow onion, but you can also use red or white.
- Lime juice — Since the ingredient list is so short, you’ll need freshly squeezed lime juice. Bottled lime juice does not give you the same bright, fresh flavor that makes this pico de gallo so tasty.
How to Make Pico de Gallo
Step 1: Dice the tomatoes.
Step 2: Dice the onions into the same size as the tomatoes.
Step 3: Dice the jalapeño pepper and add it to a bowl alongside the tomatoes and onions.
Step 4: Add the cilantro and lime juice.
Step 5: Season with some salt and pepper.
Step 6: Mix until everything is combined and let marinate in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
Tips For This Recipe
- I remove the seeds from the jalapeño pepper to make it less spicy. After doing so, be sure you wash your hands immediately afterward, as the residue can give you “jalapeño hands” where your skin might feel like it’s burning. You can also wear gloves when cutting jalapeño peppers to avoid it entirely.
- If you prefer a spicier dish, you can keep some of the seeds and ribs. Alternatively, you can swap the jalapeño pepper for a serrano pepper.
- Make sure everything is diced to the same size so each bite has a little bit of everything.
- I recommend letting the pico de gallo rest in the fridge before serving, as the salt will draw out moisture and flavor, making it taste even better.
- As there’s no cooking involved with this recipe, using the best quality ingredients you can is best. A wrinkly tomato you find at the back of your fridge will not give you a fresh and delicious tasting pico de gallo like a fresh tomato will.
- If you are serving this with just some chips, try serving it with my guacamole as well! They go wonderfully together.
- Get more juice out of your lime by rolling it under your hand on the kitchen countertop before cutting and squeezing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pico de gallo is a salsa but not all salsas are pico de gallos! There are salsas that tend to have a thinner consistency with more liquid, whereas pico de gallo is chunky, and you’re able to make out each ingredient. Salsas can also include cooked ingredients, but pico de gallo is always uncooked.
Store the recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. There will be some liquid drawn out from the ingredients over time, but you can drain it before serving. This recipe is also not meant to be frozen.
Feel free to make this recipe your own by adding in other ingredients that you may have on hand. Try adding corn, bell peppers, avocado, mango, pineapple, peaches, strawberries, and cucumber.
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If you’ve tried this recipe, then don’t forget to leave me a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Pico de Gallo Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 medium tomatoes diced
- ½ medium onion (red, yellow, or white) diced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and diced
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix until everything is combined. Best if you let the mixture marinate in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
Video
Notes
- I remove the seeds from the jalapeño pepper to make it less spicy. After doing so, be sure you wash your hands immediately afterward, as the residue can give you “jalapeño hands” where your skin might feel like it’s burning. You can also wear gloves when cutting jalapeño peppers to avoid it entirely.
- If you prefer a spicier dish, you can keep some of the seeds and ribs. Alternatively, you can swap the jalapeño pepper for a serrano pepper.
- Make sure everything is diced to the same size so eat bite has a little bit of everything.
- I recommend letting the pico de gallo rest in the fridge before serving, as the salt will draw out moisture and flavor, making it taste even better.
- As there’s no cooking involved with this recipe, using the best quality ingredients you can is best. A wrinkly tomato you find at the back of your fridge will not give you a fresh and delicious tasting pico de gallo like a fresh tomato will.
- If you are serving this with just some chips, try serving it with my guacamole!
- Get more juice out of your lime by rolling it under your hand on the kitchen countertop before cutting and squeezing.
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