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Pico de gallo is one of my favorite fresh summer condiments because it only takes a few minutes to make and it’s just so fresh and vibrant. The flavor just screams “summer!” I’m always so in awe of recipes that have only a few ingredients, but taste so good and pico de gallo is a great example of that. There’s something magic about the combination of fresh lime and salt that totally transforms this bowl of tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. Simple, magic, delicious.
What is Pico de Gallo?
Pico de gallo is a fresh salsa made with tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, salt, lime, and cilantro. Unlike most jarred salsa that you find in the store, this mix is not cooked, so the flavor stays very fresh and vibrant, and the texture is less saucy and more chunky.
If you’re wondering how you use pico de gallo, the answer is “oneverything.” It’s a condiment that can be spooned over just about any savory food for an added boost of freshness. Here are a few things I like to spoon it over:
tacos
enchiladas
scrambled eggs
burritos and burrito bowls
nachos
guacamole
quesadillas
chicken or fish
burgers
or just serve as a simple, fresh chip dip!
Where’s the Jalapeño??
Okay, so there is where I diverge from traditional pico de gallo recipes. I, for whatever reason, despite how much I like spicy food, prefer mine without jalapeño, so the recipe below is written sans jalapeño. If you want to make it in the traditional fashion, simply seed and finely dice one jalapeño and add it into the mix.
What Else Can I Add?
Pico de gallo is a great starting point for any number of fresh salsas. Here are some other ingredients you can add to flesh it out and make it into a more complex salsa:
pineapple
avocado
corn
mango
peaches
chipotle peppers
Shown spooned over Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas.
Pico de Gallo
5 from 3 votes
This fresh and easy pico de gallo only takes a few minutes to make and adds vibrant flavor to your tacos, enchiladas, nachos, and more.
Finely dice the tomato and onion. Finely chop the cilantro. Add the tomato, onion, and cilantro to a bowl.
Squeeze the juice of half the lime over the vegetables in the bowl (about 1 Tbsp). Add a pinch or two of salt, and stir everything to combine. Taste the mixture and add more salt or lime juice to your liking. Allow the salsa to sit for five minutes before serving.
Since pico de gallo is a FRESH tomato salsa, it starts with all fresh ingredients: tomatoes, onion, lime, cilantro, and salt. I like to do a 2:1 ratio of tomato to onion, so I used two small tomatoes and half of an onion. I also prefer to use a sweeter onion for pico de gallo, so it doesn’t overwhelm the salsa, so I used a Vidalia onion.
Finely dice the tomatoes and onion, and finely chop the cilantro (about ¼ cup).
Squeeze fresh lime juice over the diced vegetables. For the amount of pico de gallo I am making here, I used about 1 Tbsp of lime juice, or the juice of half a lime. The great thing about pico de gallo is that you can just make it according to your own tastes, without measuring anything.
Season with a pinch or two of salt, then stir everything together. Taste, and adjust the salt to your liking. I used about ¼ tsp of salt. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes before serving to allow the juices to extract and flavors to blend. Make sure to give it a good stir just before serving to redistribute the flavor.
Pico de gallo has far less liquid than salsa. Though salsa can be made chunky, the tomatoes are often blended with the other ingredients, making it runnier than pico de gallo. Pico de gallo is always made fresh. While pico de gallo is technically a type of salsa, it is usually made with fresh ingredients.
It's a fresh, uncooked mixture of chopped tomatoes and onions, cilantro, fresh chiles, lime juice, and salt. Unlike salsa, which can take on a lot of different variations, the ingredients in pico de gallo don't really vary from recipe to recipe, and are always fresh.
How long does pico de gallo last? Fresh-made Pico de Gallo should be stored in an airtight container, and it will last up to 3 days in the fridge. Over time, the tomatoes and cilantro will get droopy and lose their freshness.
You don't want your pico to be too watery, so make sure to remove the seeds from the tomatoes as you dice them. I like to use tomatoes on the vine in my pico. Roma tomatoes and plum tomatoes are good choices too, as they're less juicy than other varieties.
My opinion is that it is a personal preference, but many people are very off-put by the texture of the skins. Probably more in a smoother salsa than in a chunkier one. Also, the skins can often be bitter and peeling eliminates that.
Roma Tomatoes are a popular choice for salsa-making due to their dense and meaty texture, small number of seeds, and full-of-flavor tanginess. Variations of this tomato are sometimes called “plum” or “paste” tomatoes. Red Beefsteak Tomatoes are another favorite for those who favor a juicier tomato in their salsa.
I always try to wait at least an hour before serving to let the flavors marinade and blend. Serve your homemade pico de gallo with a slotted spoon or drain some of the liquid with a sieve. The tomatoes release a lot of juice and this helps to get rid of some of the extra liquid.
With so many vegetables as its ingredients, it's not hard to believe pico de gallo is also full of health benefits. Armed with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, the onions and garlic in the sauce may prevent the hardening of your arteries, fight bacteria and protect against heart disease.
Pico de Gallo is a low-calorie and low-fat condiment that can help with weight management. The tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños are all low in calories and high in fiber, which can help you feel full and satisfied. Additionally, the capsaicin in jalapeños may boost metabolism and aid in weight loss.
Season tomatoes with 1 teaspoon (4g) salt and toss to combine. Transfer to a fine-mesh strainer or colander set in a bowl and allow to drain for 20 to 30 minutes. Discard liquid. Combine drained tomatoes with onion, chiles, cilantro, and lime juice.
After the salsa sits—more on that in a moment—the tomatoes will break down. If you didn't remove the seeds, they will make the salsa extra watery, with a pool of vaguely tomato-flavored liquid at the bottom of your bowl. Nobody wants to scoop vaguely tomato-flavored liquid onto a chip.
Pico de gallo is a salsa popular with Mexican food, like tacos, nachos, or quesadillas. Pico de gallo is a great ingredient for Hispanic dishes, because it is less liquid than other salsas, while also has the same, great flavor. Like most other salsas, pico de gallo is made with tomatoes and other bold ingredients.
Translated in Spanish, pico de gallo literally means “beak of rooster.” Some believe this is because it was originally eaten by pinching between the thumb and finger, making the shape of a rooster's beak.
Fact: the best salsa is made with fresh tomatoes. Okay, that's just my opinion, but in the past I thought I could go the route of using all canned tomatoes, but using fresh tomatoes makes a world of difference! Fresh tomatoes make the best salsa, especially when you use nicely ripened in season tomatoes.
Pico de gallo is generally considered healthier since it isn't cooked so the raw nutrients in the sauce aren't altered. However, salsa has a lot of the same nutrition, just partially processed.
The biggest difference between salsa and Pico de Gallo is that salsa contains more liquid. It's made with roasted tomatoes, which are then crushed into a chunky texture. Pico de Gallo tomatoes aren't cooked and therefore hold their liquid. The end result is a much drier, more textured dish.
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Servings 12 ¼ cup each
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Since pico de gallo is a FRESH tomato salsa, it starts with all fresh ingredients: tomatoes, onion, lime, cilantro, and salt. I like to do a 2:1 ratio of tomato to onion, so I used two small tomatoes and half of an onion. I also prefer to use a sweeter onion for pico de gallo, so it doesn’t overwhelm the salsa, so I used a Vidalia onion. 
