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This bright pico de gallo recipe is a fresh Mexican salsa that’s bursting with diced tomatoes, chopped onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice! It’s easy and satisfying.
You may also like my Quick Pickled Red Onions or Fish Taco Sauce next.
Why you’ll love it
Pico de gallo (meaning “rooster’s beak”) has an irresistible zesty flavor with a balance of acidity, mild heat, and freshness. Unlike blended salsas, it has a chunky texture. It’s perfect for topping tacos, burritos, grilled meats, or serving as a dip with tortilla chips!
I adore eating it in Mexican restaurants, but classic pico de gallo is simple to recreate at home because it has very few ingredients, and each of them shine. It’s probably the easiest introduction to homemade salsa since you don’t need any special equipment.
What you’ll need
- Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes are best since they’re firm and less watery
- Onions – while the classic choice is white onions, our kitchen loves sweet onions like Vidalia. Red onion works as well.
- Cilantro – for that signature herby flavor
- Jalapeño – it’s what’s traditionally used, but you can use a serrano pepper instead of jalapeno for a hotter kick!
- Lime juice – it adds that delicious citrus quality in every bite
- Salt – I prefer sea salt since it’s less sharp than table salt
Helpful tips
- Pico de gallo, also called salsa fresca (fresh) or salsa cruda (raw), differs from salsa roja (red salsa) in its preparation method and texture. It’s chopped vs. puréed and uses fresh tomatoes instead of stewed or roasted.
- This recipe is the best when using in-season summer tomatoes. It’s the simple pleasures!
- I like to spend some extra time chopping everything nice and small, but make it as chunky as you like.
How to make pico de gallo
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Core the tomatoes, removing the seeds if you wish. Chop them up, and add to a good-sized prep bowl. Add in the rest of the ingredients, and toss well. Give it a taste, and adjust as necessary. Chill for the flavors to meld.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Since chopping is key in this one, you’ll want a high-quality chef’s knife and a good cutting board.
- Here’s the glass prep bowl set I use for this and so many other recipes.
- Depending how much lime juice you use, you may have half a lime left over. Store it in this cute lime saver.
Substitutions and variations
- Try adding 1-2 cloves of minced garlic and/or a pinch of ground cumin to the recipe.
- If eating it right away, add in a chopped avocado or some cucumber.
- You can use a different variety of tomatoes, but keep in mind some are more watery and/or have more seeds than others. Plum tomatoes or cherry tomatoes are good options too.
- If you have the “soap” gene, try replacing the cilantro with Italian parsley (not authentic but it’ll give a pop of color and freshness) or omitting it altogether.
What to serve with pico de gallo
- It goes great in tacos (try my Simple Taco Seasoning Recipe), quesadillas, and burritos or as a topping with your protein of choice.
- My favorite way to serve pico de gallo is with tortilla chips alongside my restaurant-style Easy Guacamole Recipe.
- As part of your taco night spread, try my Avocado Corn Salad to use up the rest of your cilantro. Make my Steak Tacos and Shrimp Tacos too!
Leftovers and storage
- Pico de gallo will keep for a few days in the fridge in an airtight container, but I prefer it on days 1-2 for maximum freshness.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one.
More Mexican-inspired recipes
If you made this easy pico de gallo recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! What’s your favorite way to serve it? You can also tag me on Instagram.
Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 1 pound roma tomatoes
- 1/2-3/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 small bunch fresh cilantro chopped finely
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers chopped finely, remove pith & seeds if desired
- 3-4 tablespoons lime juice or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
Instructions
- Core and chop the tomatoes finely, then add them to a medium bowl. If desired, you can remove the seeds prior to chopping them.
- Add the remaining ingredients and toss until combined. Give it a taste and adjust as needed (e.g. add more lime juice or salt).
- Let sit for at least 15-20 minutes (up to a few hours) prior to serving for best flavor. It'll keep in the fridge for a few days. It is quite juicy, so you can always use a slotted spoon to serve it if you want less liquid e.g. if you're serving it in tacos.
Notes
- You can definitely eyeball ingredients for this recipe, especially if you’ve made it more than once. I weigh out the tomatoes using a grocery store scale, but 1 lb. typically equals 4 medium roma tomatoes.
- Typically, a lime will contain 1-2 tablespoons of juice, so keep that in mind and buy enough limes (especially if they’re small!).
- See blog post for variations and serving suggestions.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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