What Is Pickle de Gallo and How Do You Make It?

Not pico de gallo—pickle de gallo! As the name suggests, this easy homemade salsa features plenty of dill pickles plus other veggies in a fresh, chopped mix. It’s vibrant, unique and delicious as a snack or topping on things like burgers and sandwiches. Get out your knife and cutting board, and let’s get chopping.

Before making this pickle-y treat, here are a few pickle basics you should know and some other pickle snacks you can try making to satisfy your pickle cravings!

What is pickle de gallo?

Nancy Mock for Taste of Home

Its name is a play on pico de gallo, the fresh Mexican salsa made with chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers and cilantro. The pickled version changes things up by making vinegary dill pickles the star ingredient. In our recipe, they’re sliced up and tossed with diced Vidalia onions, jalapeno and garlic. Cubes of red bell pepper provide a beautiful color contrast to the green pickles, and fresh dill takes the place of cilantro.

Pickle de gallo is a relatively young invention. In 2020, Grillo’s Pickles, a Boston-based company famous for their crunchy, family-recipe pickles, created this fresh salsa from their signature dills.

Grillo’s brand is our Test Kitchen’s pick for the best fresh pickles!

How to Make Pickle de Gallo

The salsa is quick to prepare, but for the best flavor, allow for an hour’s rest in the fridge to let the flavors develop. The recipe makes 3 cups.

Ingredients

Nancy Mock for Taste of Home

• 2 cups chopped, cold-packed garlic-dill pickles
• 1/2 cup chopped Vidalia sweet onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely diced jalapeno
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Juice from half of a lime (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup pickle juice (plus extra if needed)

Editor’s Tip: Four 4-inch dill pickles will yield 2 cups. The pickles, onion and red pepper should be chopped into 1/2-inch-sized pieces.

Also check: What’s sweet, sour, spicy, and red all over? A chamoy pickle, the latest viral recipe taking over TikTok.

Directions

Step 1: Combine and chill

Nancy Mock for Taste of Home

Pour all of the ingredients into a medium bowl. Stir everything together. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for at least an hour.

Editor’s Tip: Depending on how much heat you like, the amount of minced jalapeno can be increased or cut back. For an extra dose of fiery heat, add some minced habanero pepper!

Step 2: Taste and serve

Stir everything again and taste: Add a sprinkle more salt if needed, and another tablespoon or two of pickle juice if the salsa needs more moisture. Serve the pickle de gallo immediately.

Tips for Making Pickle de Gallo

Nancy Mock for Taste of Home

What do you serve with pickle de gallo?

Just as you would with other fresh salsas, serve a bowl of pickle de gallo with lots of crunchy, salty tortilla chips. Crisp crackers or pita chips would also be great choices for this appetizer.

You can also serve pickle de gallo as a condiment. What foods do you like with pickles? Cheeseburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches piled with deli cold cuts? They’ll all sing with some pickle de gallo stirred in. It also adds a unique crunch to cold salads made with tuna, chicken or egg.

How do you store pickle de gallo?

Keep pickle de gallo in a tightly covered container in the fridge for up to four days. Stored longer than this, the salsa will lose its fresh flavor and crunch.

What pickles are best for pickle de gallo?

For the best crunch, choose cold-packed pickles over shelf-stable ones. Look for them in the refrigerator case near your grocery store’s deli. We chose savory garlic dill deli pickles for this recipe; other types of pickles that would work well are sour pickles or chili pepper-brined spicy pickles. Like sweet relish? Give sweet pickles a try in this fresh salsa!