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Home » Recipes » Food

Published: Feb 9, 2022, By: Melissa, Updated: Oct 15, 2023

Easy Pico de Gallo Recipe

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This pico de gallo recipe is loaded with fresh diced tomatoes, onions, jalapeño pepper, cilantro, and lime. This is so easy to make, and delicious and can be as a dip, served with tortilla chips, or as a topping to your favorite Mexican meals.

pico de gallo up close

Difference between Pico De Gallo and Salsa

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. Pico de gallo means rooster beak but no one knows for certain why that is.

You can add this 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 whereas pico de gallo is not and is more of a chunky condiment. The ingredients are similar for both of them but how they are prepared changes everything.

pico de gallo ingredients

What You Will Need

  1. Tomatoes. Hot house tomatoes are my favorite for this recipe because it has a little less juice which is what you want when making this.
  2. White Onion. This is what is traditional.
  3. Fresh cilantro. Make sure you only use fresh cilantro. Dried cilantro will not work here.
  4. Jalapeño. The heat in the recipe. You can adjust the heat by adding less or more depending on your preference. This is only lightly spicy. You can also use Serrano peppers instead of jalapeño.
  5. 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).
  6. 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.
chips and pico de gallo top view

How to Make the Best Pico de Gallo

pico de gallo tomatoes
Step 1: Dice Tomatoes
pico de gallo onions
Step 2: Dice Onion
pico de gallo jalapenos
Step 3: Dice Jalapeño
adding salt and lime to pico de gallo
Step 4: Add Lime, Cilantro and Salt
mixing the homemade pico de gallo
Step 5: Mix Together

Pro-Tip:

When you make this recipe, you want to let it rest for at least 30 minutes, preferably one hour. This allows time for all the flavors to come together and become delicious.

chips and pico de gallo

Serving Suggestions:

  • Serve it as a topping for these Pulled Pork Rice Bowls.
  • It makes a great addition to Poblano Pepper Quesadillas.
  • And of course, serve it alongside tortilla chips for a delicious appetizer or with nachos.
  • On top of Spanish rice or Queso - so good!
  • Make a delicious and simple watermelon margarita to go with this for an easy entertaining kind of evening.

This recipe is so delicious, so easy to make, and the perfect snack or topping for any occasion.

scooping up homemade pico de gallo
scooping up homemade pico de gallo
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Easy Homemade Pico de Gallo

A delicious Mexican condiment that goes so well with so many Mexican dishes or used as a dip for tortilla chips.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Resting time30 minutes mins
Total Time50 minutes mins
Servings: 2 cups
Author: Melissa Oleary

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

Calories: 55kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1173mg | Potassium: 401mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1129IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition Values are estimates only.

See full nutrition disclaimer here

Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!

Course :Appetizer

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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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I am so excited you are here. My name is Melissa and I started this recipe website to share easy recipes that I have been cooking for years. I have written hundreds of easy recipes that are tested and perfected. Some of the recipes I learned during my years of working in restaurants, some from owning my own food company, and others from friends and traveling.

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