Made with fresh plum tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and a squeeze of lime, this homemade pico de gallo recipe is unbeatable. Serve it with chips, or use it to top tacos, nachos, and more!
Man do I love a good condiment. Whether it’s a sauce, a gremolata, chimichurri, pickled onions, or in this case, pico de gallo, condiments are flavor heroes that can truly swoop in and make a dish extra amazing.
Who’d you rather chip? Pico de gallo or salsa? This blender salsa recipe is my hands down FAVORITE and reminiscent of what you’ll find at your favorite Mexican joint. But while totally delicious, it’s a salsa, not a pico de gallo. Pico de gallo is what I make when I want to add easy and fresh flavor and texture to nachos, tacos, taquitos, and more.
What is Pico de Gallo
Pico de gallo (also known as salsa fresca), is a popular Mexican condiment that’s traditionally made with fresh tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime, salt, and sometimes a pepper such as a jalapeño or serraño. It’s frequently used to top tacos, nachos, burritos, tostadas, and more. Pico de gallo is a delicious way to add bright acidity and texture to Mexican dishes balances everything out and ties it all together.
What’s in Pico de Gallo
Homemade pico de gallo is laughably easy to make, but these 5 ingredients needed to make this salsa fresca pack in lots of flavor.
For this easy pico recipe, you’ll need:
- Plum tomatoes
- Jalapeños
- White onion
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime juice
- Kosher salt
If you like your pico a little spicier, leave the seeds in the jalapeño. For a milder salsa fresca, omit the seeds.
How to Make Pico de Gallo
Pico de gallo is the easiest thing to make. Chop up all the veggies and juice the lime. Then, stir everything together. No really, that’s it!
You can play around with the amount of cilantro and lime juice you add to this pico de gallo recipe. If you’re a cilantro-lime fiend, add a little more than what the recipe calls for. Or scale it back a little, your choice.
What’s the Best Tomato for Pico de Gallo?
Will any fresh tomato do? Technically yes. However, I prefer roma or plum tomatoes for my salsa fresca as they’re on the meatier side (if tomatoes had meat), are less juicy, and have fewer seeds. Thus when chopped, the fruit stays firm and doesn’t disappear into a soupy bowl.
What is the Difference Between Pico de Gallo and Salsa?
Both feature onions, jalapeño, lime juice, and cilantro. The main difference between pico de gallo and salsa freshness and consistency. Traditional salsa uses canned tomatoes while pico de gallo features fresh chopped tomatoes and also has more texture, while salsa tends is blended (even chunky salsa is smoother than pico).
Tips for Making the Best Pico de Gallo
Salt=flavor. Salt is key for bringing out the flavor in this dip, so don’t be stingy. And although I prefer white onion and cilantro, you can easily substitute with yellow or red onion, and if you must, parsley will provide the brightness if you’re a cilantro hater.
Be sure to chop the ingredients into bite-sized pieces. You want to get a little bit of everything on your chip when you scoop up this homemade pico de gallo!
Give it a rest. I prefer making and refrigerating it at least an hour or so ahead of time so the flavors have time to meld and get happy! However, you can prep and chill this pico recipe up to 2 days in advance.
What to Serve with Pico de Gallo Besides Chips
- 5-Ingredient Chipotle Chicken Taquitos
- THE BEST Baja Fish Tacos with Baja Cream Sauce
- Game Day Sheet Pan Nachos Two Ways
- The BEST Easy Chicken Fajitas
- Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde
- Easy Shredded Chicken and Zucchini Tacos
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 2 cups plum tomatoes , (about 8 whole), chopped
- 1-2 jalapeños , seeded and finely chopped depending on your heat preference
- 1/2 white onion* , finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro ,or more to taste**, chopped
- 1 lime , juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine. Season with more kosher salt, lime or cilantro to taste. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Notes
- *Although I prefer white onion, you can easily substitute with yellow or red onion.
- **If you must, parsley will provide the same brightness if you're a cilantro hater.
Nutrition
More Easy Mexican Dips to Make
- Creamy Avocado Salsa Verde
- Roasted Garlic and Pickled Jalapeño Guacamole
- Hatch Chili Salsa
- Mexican Corn Dip
- Chorizo Queso Dip
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