Pico de Gallo

By Maria Lichty

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Quick Summary

Pico de Gallo is a classic fresh salsa that is great with tortilla chips or any Mexican meal. You only need six ingredients to make the BEST Pico de Gallo recipe!

Pico de Gallo in bowl with chips and cilantro.

Chips and salsa (and guacamole)are one of my all-time favorite appetizers and snacks. If I open a bag a chips and start dipping, you can count on that bag of chips being gone by the end of the hour. I have no self control when it comes to snacking on chips and salsa! I want to eat them all and I usually do.

I love making Pico de Gallo because it is so simple and fresh! You can’t go wrong with this classic salsa. It is also great with tacos, burritos, quesadillas, taquitos, enchiladas, nachos, and MORE!

What is Pico de Gallo?

Pico de Gallo is a fresh, chunky salsa, sometimes called salsa fresca. I love it because it is simple to make and SO fresh! It is a fun salsa to say and a delicious salsa to eat!

Pico de gallo is made with:

  • tomatoes
  • onion
  • jalapeño
  • cilantro
  • lime juice
  • salt

These six simple ingredients make one amazing salsa! Pico de gallo is served at most Mexican restaurants, but it is SO easy to make at home.

It only takes 10 minutes to make and is a staple at our house, especially during the summer when tomatoes are in season. We probably make it once a week when our garden tomatoes are ripe and ready.

pico de gallo in white bowl.

How to Make Pico de Gallo

  • Because there are only six ingredients necessary for making pico de gallo, you need to make sure that all of the ingredients are fresh and top quality. It is especially important that you pick the best ripe tomatoes.
  • Remove the seeds from the tomato and dice the tomatoes.
  • Dice half of a large white onion. You can use a yellow or red onion, but I prefer a white onion for pico de gallo.
  • I like to use jalapeño peppers for pico de gallo, but you can use serrano chili peppers.
  • Use 1-2 jalapeño peppers, depending on how spicy you like your salsa. Make sure you remove the seeds and ribs before dicing the peppers. Cut the jalapeño in half lengthwise, then take a spoon and scrape out the ribs and seeds, working from the bottom to the top of the pepper. Pro tip-wear plastic gloves when working with jalapeños to prevent burning. And never rub your eyes after dicing up a jalapeño, trust me!
  • Chop up fresh cilantro. If you are one of those people who think cilantro tastes like soap, I am so sorry because fresh cilantro is a MUST for pico de gallo.
  • Place the tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro in a bowl. Squeeze fresh lime juice over all of the ingredients and season generously with salt. You want the pico to have a nice salty kick.
  • You can serve the pico de gallo right away, but it is best after it sits for 30 minutes so all of the flavors can come together and get juicy.
  • Pico de gallo is best the day it is made.

What do you Serve with Pico de Gallo?

Pico de gallo with chips is a great appetizer for parties, game day, Cinco de Mayo, or any day. Pico de gallo also goes great with any Mexican meal. You can serve pico de gallo with:

How to Store

Pico De Gallo is best the day it is made, but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir before serving and add more lime and/or salt, if necessary.

More Salsa Recipes

PIco de Gallo in bowl with lime wedge and tortilla chips.
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Pico de Gallo

You only need six ingredients to make the BEST Pico de Gallo recipe! It is great with chips or any Mexican meal.
4.75 from 4 votes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups medium diced tomatoes, seeds removed (about 1 ½ pounds)
  • 1/2 large white onion, diced
  • 1-2 large jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and minced
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • Juice of 1 large lime, 2 tablespoons
  • Kosher salt, to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, combine diced tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Stir and let the salsa sit for 30 minutes for the best flavor. Stir again and serve with tortilla chips or with any Mexican meal.
  • Note-you can serve the salsa right away, but I think it is best after it sits for awhile and the flavors have time to meld. This pico de gallo is best the day it is made, but you can keep it in a container in the fridge and enjoy the next day.

Nutrition

Calories: 13kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Sodium: 3mg, Potassium: 138mg, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 530IU, Vitamin C: 10.6mg, Calcium: 7mg, Iron: 0.1mg
Keywords pico de gallo, tomatoes

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Maria

I'm Maria and my husband is Josh. We share a love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. We enjoy creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly. We love sitting around the table with good food, good conversation, and good friends and family! Our kitchen is always open!
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  1. I make salsa similar to this in the summertime when produce is fresh and sometimes add a bit of chopped Persian cucumber to the mix. Also, I put my chopped onion in a strainer and pour hot water over it before adding it to the salsa–it mellows the sharpness a bit. (I am one of the unfortunate ones who can’t “do” cilantro.)

  2. I find it a good idea to put the diced roma tomatoes in a colander with a generous amount of salt then toss and let drain for 1\2 hour to drain off excess water. A less watery salsa.

  3. I hear you on the chips and salsa!!! Sooo good! I LOVE Pico! I don’t know if it’s just simplicity of the ingredients or what, but it’s one of my favorites!! Definitely going to make a batch of these for Cinco De Mayo!