Pico de gallo is a Mexican dip that is loaded with diced tomatoes, onion, Serrano or jalapeño pepper, cilantro and lime. This easy pico de gallo recipe can be added to Spanish rice, pulled pork rice bowls, loaded nachos, tacos, refried bean tostadas, quesadillas , burritos or just about any Mexican dish you can think of. Homemade pico de gallo also makes a great dip on its own with tortilla chips when you are looking for a quick healthy snack or appetizer to serve at a gathering.
What is Pico De Gallo?
If you ever wondered what pico de gallo is (also called salsa fresca) it is a Mexican condiment that is used to top many Mexican dishes. The name literally means rooster beak but no one knows for certain why that is (you can read more about the etymology of pico de gallo here).
You can add pico de gallo to tacos, soups, meats and many other dishes. A common question is: is pico de gallo the same thing as salsa. It is not. Salsa is more of a sauce where pico de gallo is not. The ingredients are similar with both of them but how they are prepared changes everything.
Ingredients You Will Need to Make Pico de Gallo:
- Tomatoes. Hot house tomatoes are my favorite for this pico de gallo recipe because it has a little less juice which is what you want when making this.
- White Onion. This is what is traditional.
- Fresh cilantro. Make sure you only use fresh cilantro. Dried cilantro will not work here.
- Jalapeño. The heat that is added to the pico de gallo. You can adjust the heat by adding less or more depending on your preference. This pico de gallo recipe is only lightly spicy. You can also use Serrano peppers instead of jalapeño.
- Lime. To be completely traditional in making this, if you can find Mexican limes that is preferred. Mexican limes are slightly different than what you find in the grocery store. They are most similar to Key Limes ( a descendant of Mexican limes).
- Salt. If you have read my other recipes, you know I always use kosher salt for all my cooking. If you're working with regular table salt, just half the amount of salt in the recipe.
How to Make Pico de Gallo:
Pro-Tip To Make The Best Pico de Gallo:
When you make this pico de gallo recipe, you want to let it rest for at least 30 minutes but preferably one hour. This allows time for all the flavors to come together and become delicious.
If you are looking for ideas of what to serve with this, here are some suggestions:
- Serve it as a topping for these Pulled Pork Rice Bowls.
- It makes a great addition to Poblano Pepper Quesadillas.
- Refried Bean Tostadas also go well with homemade pico de gallo.
- Add a little pico de gallo for freshness to these Mostly From Scratch Black Beans.
- And of course, serve it alongside tortilla chips for a delicious appetizer or with nachos.
Easy Homemade Pico de Gallo
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups tomatoes diced with juice squeezed out before dicing.
- ¾ cup white onion diced finely
- ½ of a medium jalapeño diced finely
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro chopped finely. You can use less if you like less cilantro.
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 lime
Instructions
- Cut your tomatoes in half and gently squeeze out any liquid and scrape out the seeds.
- Dice your tomatoes and add them to a medium bowl.1 ½ cups tomatoes
- Dice your onion extra finely and add those to the bowl.¾ cup white onion
- Dice your jalapeño extra finely and add those to the bowl.½ of a medium jalapeño
- Add the salt, cilantro and fresh squeezed juice of one lime.1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 lime, ⅓ cup fresh cilantro
- Mix well.
- Let rest covered on the counter for 30 minutes or up to one hour to allow the flavors to come together.
- Serve alongside your favorite Mexican dish or as a dip with tortilla chips.
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer here
Dana says
This is so much better than store bought! So fresh and delicious. My only problem is I didn't make more because it is all gone 🙂