Pico de gallo is the perfect example of a dish where the sum is greater than its parts. No one gets excited about eating a spoonful of raw tomatoes, onions or jalapenos. But put the three together with tangy cilantro and bright lime juice, and the individual components are transformed. The resulting pico de gallo is so fresh and packed with flavor that it’ll make your taste buds sing. Paired with tortilla chips or other authentic Mexican recipes, this homemade pico de gallo will leave you with the feeling of “just one more scoop.”
Pico de Gallo vs. Salsa
Pico de gallo is a type of salsa made with fresh tomatoes, onions and jalapenos. Also called salsa fresca (fresh sauce) or salsa cruda (raw sauce), pico de gallo is always uncooked, so the vegetables maintain a fresh, crisp texture. They also have a chunky consistency because they’re finely chopped by hand instead of being pureed or blended.
Salsa, on the other hand, often uses canned or roasted tomatoes. It can start with fresh tomatoes, but they’re usually cooked (like this salsa recipe for canning) or blended (like homemade Mexican salsa). Even recipes for chunky salsa result in a wetter salsa with a thinner consistency than pico de gallo.
Pico de Gallo Ingredients
- Tomatoes: Plum tomatoes are the base of the best pico de gallo recipes. Some tomatoes can be soft and mealy, but plum tomatoes have a firm texture that holds up to the acidic lime juice. They have a great flavor and aren’t too juicy, so they won’t create a watery pico. Plus, they’re generally easy to find and available year-round.
- Onion: You can use any type of onion, but white onions are used in most traditional pico de gallo recipes. They’re less pungent than yellow and red onions, helping them accentuate the tomatoes’ flavor without stealing the spotlight.
- Cilantro: In this recipe, we use both cilantro leaves and stems. The stems contribute a juicy texture and a peppery flavor. When it comes to cilantro, you either love it or hate it. If you’re in the “it-tastes-like-soap” camp, feel free to omit it.
- Jalapeno peppers: How you prep the jalapeno affects the pico’s spice level. The more jalapeno seeds you add, the spicier the pico de gallo will be. To reduce the spiciness even further, remove the rib inside the jalapeno or rinse the halved pepper under cold water.
- Lime juice: Fresh lime juice is essential in this pico de gallo recipe! It creates a much brighter, fresher-tasting pico than one made with bottled lime juice, which can have a sour character. You’ll need about one lime to squeeze 3 tablespoons of lime juice.
- Garlic: Minced garlic seasons the pico de gallo with a lightly garlicky finish. Don’t worry about the garlic tasting too harsh; it mellows out as it marinates in the lime juice.
- Salt: All the pico de gallo ingredients are bright, robust and fresh, so it doesn’t need much-added seasoning. A pinch of salt brings the other flavors to life.
Directions
Step 1: Combine the ingredients
In a medium bowl, mix together the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno peppers, lime juice, cilantro stems, garlic and salt.
Editor’s Tip: Resist the temptation to use a food processor to chop the ingredients. The food processor’s blades will change the texture of the tomatoes, onions and jalapenos, making them less crisp and more mushy. It takes more time to chop by hand, but the texture and flavor of the final dish make it worth the effort.
Step 2: Chill the pico de gallo
Cover the bowl, and refrigerate the pico de gallo for one to two hours before serving.
Editor’s Tip: Chilling is the secret to a perfect pico de gallo. It mellows the harsh raw onion and garlic and gives the flavors time to meld. Plus, it’ll give you some time to throw dinner together.
How to Serve Pico de Gallo
Pico de gallo is often served like salsa, so grab the best tortilla chips and dig into this tasty dip. This fresh salsa also tastes fantastic as a topping for quesadillas, nachos or your favorite recipes for taco night. Use a slotted spoon when scooping to keep the juices behind (no one likes soggy nachos!).
For some out-of-the-box serving ideas, try using pico de gallo as a garnish for fish like grilled tuna steak or air-fryer cod. Or scoop it onto breakfast dishes like eggs Benedict casserole or avocado scrambled eggs.
Pico de Gallo Variations
- Change the tomato: You can put any type of tomato to use in this easy pico de gallo recipe. Feel free to use your garden’s bumper crop of heirloom tomatoes or a bunch of beefsteak tomatoes you found at the farmers market. The texture will be different, but the flavors will taste fantastic. Just make sure to scoop out the seeds before dicing the tomatoes.
- Make it with other fruits: Instead of tomatoes, use cucumbers to make a crisp cucumber salsa or a combination of fruits, like the fresh flavors used in mango pineapple salsa. You can also mix tomatoes with other fruits and veggies to create chunky corn salsa or strawberry salsa.
- Use another type of pepper: Serranos are a dependable alternative to jalapenos. They have a similar flavor and a spicier, more intense bite. Feel free to use other spicy types of peppers like habanero and ghost peppers, or tone down the heat with mild Anaheim and poblano peppers. For a peppery flavor without any spice at all, use a green bell pepper.
- Add avocado: Stir chopped avocado into the pico de gallo to give it a creamy consistency like avocado salsa. Or mash the avocado and mix it with pico de gallo for a quick homemade guacamole.
How to Store Pico de Gallo
If you manage to have any leftovers, store pico de gallo in an airtight container in the fridge. The mixture is good for up to four days, but we recommend enjoying it sooner rather than later. The tomatoes will lose their crisp texture after about a day.
Can you freeze pico de gallo?
We don’t recommend freezing pico de gallo. Freezing drastically changes the tomato’s texture, and the dip will be mushy when thawed.
Pico de Gallo Tips
How do you pick the right tomato for pico de gallo?
The base of our easy pico de gallo recipe is fresh plum tomatoes, so make sure you use the highest-quality tomatoes you can find. Look for tomatoes with a deep red hue and no signs of yellowing. To check for ripeness, gently squeeze the tomato. A ripe tomato is firm (but not hard) with a little give when pressed. Avoid tomatoes with soft spots, bruising, blemishes or cuts. When you get the tomato home, don’t put it in the refrigerator. Store tomatoes with the stem side down on the countertop.
How do you chop tomatoes for pico de gallo?
When chopping tomatoes for pico de gallo, it’s important to remove the seeds and tomato pulp first. Otherwise, the pico can turn out thin and watery. Start by halving the tomato and cutting out the core. Then, scoop out the pulp with a spoon or your fingers. Finish by chopping the tomatoes into even-sized pieces. They can be fine or chunky, but make sure they’re not so large that they won’t fit on a tortilla chip!
Can you use parsley instead of cilantro in pico de gallo recipes?
We don’t recommend substituting parsley in this pico de gallo recipe. Cilantro has a delicate, tangy flavor, but parsley’s flavor is grassier and more intense. It will change the overall taste and can make the pico taste bitter.
