Homemade Pico de Gallo
How to Make Pico de Gallo – This homemade pico de gallo recipe includes a perky combination of fresh tomatoes, onion, jalapeño and cilantro. It’s a slightly spicy and wholly delicious chunky salsa dip that’s delicious to scoop with chips and add to your favorite Mexican dishes!
Why We Love This Pico de Gallo Recipe
If you love freshness, big flavor, and recipes that are easy to make, this salsa crudo is perfect for you! In fact, (or at least, in my opinion,) Pico de Gallo is the ultimate fresh topping for any Mexican dish.
But exactly what is pico de gallo? It’s a simple, fresh, and chunky salsa comprised of tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. We also add some diced jalapeño for a little kick, and lime juice to keep the produce bright and tangy… However, as much as we are big fans of this traditional recipe, there are several easy variations you can try, too!
The salsa fresca comes together in mere minutes, and is great to prep ahead of time. This is super since you absolutely want to keep a bowl in the fridge at all times for snacking and serving with classic Tex-Mex dishes!
Ingredients You Need
- Ripe tomatoes – whatever kind you prefer, like Roma tomatoes, plum tomatoes, or on-the-vine
- Onion – your choice of sweet white onion or red onion
- Jalapeño – seeds and stems removed, then diced
- Cilantro – fresh chopped
- Lime juice – freshly squeezed is best, but bottled will work in a pinch
- Salt and pepper – a bit of both to taste
How to Make the Best Pico de Gallo
- First, dice the tomatoes, remove the seeds (as much as possible), and place the diced tomato in a large mixing bowl.
- Then dice the onion, de-seed and dice the jalapeño pepper, and add both to the bowl as well.
- Next, chop the cilantro leaves and juice the limes, and add them to the mixing bowl. Toss well to evenly combine the ingredients. Taste a bit, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss again, give the fresh salsa another taste, then salt and pepper as needed.
Get the Complete (Printable) Homemade Pico de Gallo Recipe + VIDEO Below. Enjoy!
- Allow the salsa to rest for 15 minutes on the counter (or in the refrigerator) before serving. This lets all of the flavors meld together, and give some of the liquids a chance to settle at the bottom of the bowl.
Then serve the dip immediately, or cover it and keep it in the fridge until ready to enjoy. Fresh pico de gallo is great to prep ahead early in the day when you’ve got some extra time!
Recipe Variations
There are several different ways to kick up the flavors in this homemade salsa crudo recipe! Here are a few ideas to consider:
- Spiciness – Want more heat? Leave the seeds in the jalapeno when chopping and adding to the salsa. Or go the opposite direction and make this a mild dip by reducing the amount, or totally omitting the jalapeno.
- Peppers – Speaking of jalapenos and heat, you can switch them with much spicier serrano peppers, if you prefer.
- Avocado – Add chopped fresh avocado to make a buttery, rich, but refreshing avocado salsa.
- Spices – Sprinkle in Tex-Mex style seasonings like cumin, garlic powder, or chili powder.
- Fresh Herbs – Swap out cilantro or stir in additional fresh chopped herbs like mint or parsley.
- Garlic – Give the savory flavors some oomph by adding minced fresh garlic.
What to Do With Pico de Gallo
The first thing that comes to mind is, of course, to serve the chunky salsa as a dip with tortilla chips or on nachos. It’s incredibly refreshing and balances the saltiness and crunch of corn chips!
Next, you definitely want to use homemade pico de gallo as a fresh topping on all of your Mexican food favorites. (Seriously, I’m not exaggerating.) Use a slotted spoon and add a scoop or two on classics dinner dishes like:
- Mexican Sopes
- Easy Baked Tacos
- Tacos al Pastor
- Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Slow Cooker Carnitas
- Homemade Chipotle Burrito Bowls
- Enchiladas Suizas, Verde, or Black Bean Skillet Enchiladas
- Bubbly Taco Salads
- Vegan Tofu Tacos
It’s even scrumptious on breakfast dishes, too! We love adding a bit of salsa fresca on
You can also use pico to make other recipes, like scoop-able Chunky Guacamole and 5 Layer Bean Dip!
Frequently Asked Questions
A traditional salsa blends ingredients together, usually in a blender or food processor. So you have a thicker, even consistency, like a heavier liquid. Salsa can also be made with fresh produce or it can be cooked to deepen the flavors. Pico de gallo, however, includes RAW chunky chopped veggies that are stirred together but not fully combined.
You can use pico de gallo in place of salsa in some cooked dishes. But note that it will lose its freshness and won’t have quite the same consistency since the pieces of ingredients are thicker.
Store pico de gallo in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The chopped veggies will start to become soft after a day or two, so I suggest using it fairly soon after preparing
Looking for More Easy Condiment Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Spicy Salsa Macha
- Ranchero Sauce
- Salsa Al Pastor
- Chamoy Sauce
- 3-Ingredient Magic Taco Dip
- Roasted Chili Corn Salsa
- Peach Habanero Mango Salsa
Homemade Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds ripe tomatoes any variety
- ¾ cup diced sweet onion
- 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Dice the tomatoes and small ¼ inch pieces. Remove as many tomato seeds as possible and place the diced tomato in a mixing bowl.
- Dice the onion and add to the mixing bowl. Then remove the seeds and stem of the jalapeño and dice.
- Chop the cilantro and juice the limes. Add all ingredients to the mixing bowl. Toss well, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss again. Taste and salt and pepper as needed.
- Allow the pico de gallo to rest for 15 minutes before serving. Cover and chill until ready to use.
I can’t believe how flavorful this Pico de Gallo turned out! It paired perfectly with grilled chicken and even tasted amazing on its own with tortilla chips. Highly recommend this recipe to anyone looking for an authentic and delicious salsa!
This is hands down the best Pico de Gallo recipe I’ve ever tried! The balance of flavors is perfect. I’ll definitely be making this again for every taco night!