Pico de Gallo
Updated May 20, 2026
Quick Summary
Fresh, easy pico de gallo made with ripe tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and jalapeño. This classic Mexican salsa comes together in minutes and is perfect for chips, tacos, burrito bowls, and all your favorite meals.
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My Favorite Easy Pico de Gallo Recipe
This easy pico de gallo recipe is one of those simple staples I make constantly, especially in the summer when tomatoes are at their peak. It’s fresh, bright, and comes together in just minutes with a handful of ingredients.
If you love classic salsa, you have to give this chunky and fresh salsa a try. It’s made with juicy tomatoes, crisp onion, cilantro, lime juice, and a little jalapeño for heat. That’s it, no blender, no cooking, just fresh chopped ingredients that taste even better as they sit together.
I love making a big bowl of this for taco nights, parties, BBQs, or just snacking with tortilla chips (bonus, if there’s guacamole too). It’s also a great topping for nachos and salads! It disappears fast every single time and boosts the flavor to every meal!
Ingredients (With Helpful Notes)
- Tomatoes: Use ripe, firm tomatoes for the best texture and flavor. Roma or vine-ripened work great.
- Onion: White onion gives the most traditional flavor, but red onion also works for a slightly milder bite.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is key for that classic pico flavor.
- Jalapeño: Adds heat. Remove the seeds if you want a milder salsa.
- Lime juice: Fresh lime is best, it brightens everything and brings the salsa together.
- Salt: Don’t skip it. It enhances all the fresh flavors.
How to Make Pico de Gallo
- Dice the tomatoes into small, even pieces and place them in a bowl.
- Finely chop the onion, cilantro, and jalapeño, then add to the bowl.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice over everything and season with salt.
- Stir well to combine.
- Let it sit for at least 15–30 minutes so the flavors meld together.
- Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Tips for the Best Pico de Gallo
- Use ripe but firm tomatoes. Overly soft tomatoes will make the salsa watery too quickly.
- Finely dice everything for the best texture. Pico de gallo should be scoopable with chips, not chunky like a salad.
- Let it sit before serving. Even 15–30 minutes helps the flavors blend and mellow together.
- Taste after it rests, not just at the beginning. The lime and salt settle in as it sits, so you may want to adjust before serving.
- Drain excess liquid if needed. Tomatoes naturally release juice as they sit, just spoon it off if you want a thicker salsa.
- Use it as more than a dip. It’s amazing on tacos, grilled meats, eggs, salads, and burrito bowls.
- Make it slightly ahead for parties. The flavor actually improves after a short rest in the fridge.
How to Store
- Store pico de gallo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- The flavors deepen as it sits, but it will release more liquid over time, just stir before serving and drain excess if needed.
Pico de Gallo
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.
Notes
- Best with ripe, firm tomatoes for the freshest flavor. Roma or vine-ripened tomatoes work well
- Finely dice ingredients for best scoopable texture
- Jalapeño can be seeded for a milder salsa
- Drain excess liquid if needed before serving
- Let sit 15–30 minutes for flavors to blend
- Store in the fridge up to 3 days
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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Variations
- Add diced avocado for creamy avocado pico de gallo
- Mix in mango or pineapple for a sweet-spicy version
- Add cucumber for extra crunch and freshness
- Stir in corn for a summer street corn-style salsa
- Use serrano pepper instead of jalapeño for more heat
What to Serve with Pico de Gallo
This fresh salsa is perfect with:
- Tortilla chips
- Tacos (chicken, beef, fish, turkey, steak, breakfast, or veggie)
- Burrito bowls
- Grilled chicken or steak
- Nachos
- Taquitos (chicken, beef, or bean)
- Quesadillas
- Burritos
What is the difference if I leave the seeds in the tomatoes?
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.)
I work at a chain eatery that puts pico on their mac n cheese along with some avacodo. It is super yum.
Maria,what is your favorite drink for cinco de Mayo just asking
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.
I noticed the amount of lime juice did not change from recipe for 6 to larger amount of servings.
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!