Learn how to make authentic pico de gallo with simple, fresh ingredients! This easy salsa recipe has a spicy kick to it. You’ll love serving homemade pico de gallo as a dip with tortilla chips, as a topping, or as an garnish for your favorite Mexican recipes.
Living in Texas over the past 15 years, I take my Tex-Mex pretty seriously. And when it comes to Mexican recipes, it doesn’t get more classic than homemade pico de gallo.
All you need to make pico de gallo is a handful of fresh raw ingredients. Traditionally, equal parts tomato and onion are mixed with fresh cilantro, a generous squeeze of lime juice, and salt. In the States, we started adding jalapeño for a spicy kick. However, you can leave it out for a milder salsa recipe.
As someone who could easily park myself at a table with guacamole, salsa, and chips for an entire evening, this is the pico de gallo recipe I always come back to. It’s only six ingredients, quick to make, and infused with flavor. I always make a double batch and keep it in the fridge. This fresh tomato salsa gets better the longer it sits!
Why This Easy Pico de Gallo Recipe is Worth Making
- No cooking. The last thing I want to do in the summertime is switch on my oven or stove, and this salsa recipe calls for neither. Just chop the ingredients and mix. Easy.
- Hard to beat flavors. The juicy tomatoes, the citrusy freshness, the spice. Yum. The only thing that makes a bowl of pico de gallo better is when it’s served with a margarita on the side.
- Ready in minutes. With only 10 minutes of prep, this pico de gallo is ready before company arrives. It’s even better if you make it an hour ahead. Just leave it to marinate in the fridge until it’s time to serve. Leftovers are even better!
Pico de Gallo vs. Salsa
Pico de gallo is a type of salsa, more specifically, salsa fresca or “fresh salsa.” It shares the same basic ingredients as a restaurant-style salsa roja, but the preparation methods are different. Red salsas use a base of roasted or stewed tomatoes that are blended or pureed. Pico de gallo recipes always use fresh RAW ingredients, traditionally tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. The ingredients are finely diced to make a chunky, uncooked salsa.
Pico de Gallo Ingredients
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this staple Mexican salsa recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for the exact amounts to use.
- Tomato – I like to use Roma tomatoes because I like a firmer texture. Removing the seeds and membranes ensures you don’t end up with a watery salsa. Other tomatoes to use would be vine-ripe tomatoes or grape tomatoes.
- Onion – Most recipes call for yellow onion; I use red onion. I like the sweetness from the red onion and also like the pop of color.
- Jalapeño – Not a traditional ingredient, but if you like to add a little heat to your salsa, freshly diced jalapeños will do just that. Removing the seeds helps to tame the spice.
- Cilantro – A staple in authentic Mexican salsa recipes. Be sure to use fresh cilantro. If you dislike cilantro, however, you can substitute it with fresh parsley or mint.
- Lime – Freshly squeezed lime juice adds a nice, zesty flavor to the salsa.
- Garlic – Garlic in my mind just takes this pico over the top. You don’t need much, but the amount that you do use adds so much flavor.
- Salt – Salt is essential. It brings out the flavors of the fresh ingredients, so don’t skip it.
NB: Pico de gallo is subject to the person making it. You can easily adjust the ingredient amounts to suit. Add more tomatoes for sweetness or jalapeños for a fiery hot salsa. It’s up to you.
How to Make Pico de Gallo
There’s no cooking involved for fresh pico de gallo. Just dice, toss, and serve. I find that letting the salsa sit for a while lets the flavor infuse and creates a more flavorful result. So if you can, prep your pico about an hour ahead of serving.
- Finely dice the ingredients. The smaller the better, so you get a bit of each ingredient in every bite.
- Combine. Add the diced tomatoes, diced red onion, diced jalapeño, minced garlic clove, chopped cilantro, and lime juice to a bowl.
- Season to taste. The underrated step. Season with salt (probably more than you think you need) and serve!
Variations
This fresh salsa is good on its own, but adding or substituting ingredients to change up the flavor is always fun and delicious! Here are some of my favorite variations on this pico de gallo recipe.
- Mix in diced bell peppers or avocado.
- Try variations with fresh fruit to make mango salsa, strawberry salsa, pineapple salsa, or peach salsa.
- Add fresh mint or oregano.
- Chipotle peppers add a burst of smoky flavor.
FAQs
Removing the tomato seeds reduces a lot of the moisture and keeps pico de gallo from becoming too watery. If your tomatoes are especially juicy, consider sprinkling them with salt and letting them drain in a mesh strainer for 15 minutes before you mix them into the salsa.
I recommend letting the pico de gallo rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Pico de gallo literally translates to “rooster’s beak” in Spanish. One explanation for the name is that it’s a play on the words “pica” (meaning spicy) and “gallo” (rooster) after the colors in the salsa. Another is that people originally ate this salsa by pinching it between their fingers, mimicking a pecking motion.
Serving Suggestions
Pico de gallo is such a versatile Mexican condiment! It’s a delicious appetizer with chips, or you can serve it on top of tacos, enchiladas, eggs, nachos, or fajitas. It’s great in burrito bowls and on top of chile con queso, too. Try it as a garnish on any of the following meal ideas:
How to Store
If your pico de gallo is sealed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator it will keep for up to a week. Like I said earlier, the flavors actually get better the longer they sit. Making it a day ahead of time is perfect!
More Mexican Dip Recipes
Homemade Pico de Gallo Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 cups 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Learn how to make authentic pico de gallo with simple, fresh ingredients! Serve this easy homemade pico de gallo as a dip with tortilla chips, as a topping, or as an garnish for your favorite Mexican recipes.
Ingredients
- 5 roma tomatoes, de-seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup of red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and diced
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- salt to season
Instructions
- To a bowl add diced tomatoes, diced red onion, diced jalapeño, minced garlic clove, chopped cilantro and lime juice. Toss to combine.
- Season to taste with salt. Serve immediately or for better results let sit for at least one hour before serving.
