Pico de Gallo

Delicious and simple fresh Pico de Gallo, also known as salsa fresca and salsa cruda, takes just minutes to prepare and makes all your Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes taste sun kissed fresh.  With garden fresh vegetables and a sharp knife this easy recipe comes together in just minutes.  Use it to top salads, burritos, tacos, eggs, guacamole, and quesadillas. The possibilities are endless!  It adds so much flavor and depth to Mexican dishes or simply serve it as a dip with homemade tortilla chips!!

If your family is anything like mine than Mexican or Tex-Mex recipes are always a hit.  Beef Enchilada Casserole, Mexican Pizzas, and Mexican Stuffed Peppers are just a few of our favorites.

How to make Pico de Gallo

Start by mincing your onion and garlic. Then chop the cilantro fairly fine discarding the stems.  See below for tips on chopping cilantro. Then combine the onion, garlic, cilantro, salt, black pepper, and lime juice in a bowl.  Stir to combine and let sit while you chop the jalapeno and tomatoes.  Now add them to the other ingredients and stir to combine.  Let sit for 30 minutes.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.

Recipe notes and helpful tips

• Use the freshest ingredients that you can get your hands on.  All the more power to you if you grow fresh tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro.
• A good sharp knife is an absolute must for finely dicing the tomatoes without crushing them. All the ingredients should be chopped finely.
• For those that want a little more kick try serrano peppers in place of the jalapeno peppers. 
• Let the Pico rest for about 30 minutes to let all the flavors meld together.
• Serve with a slotted spoon as the tomatoes put off a lot of moisture and you don’t want your chips or chimichanga to be soggy.
• Use beefy tomatoes like Roma or beefsteak.  In the off season cherry and grape tomatoes work well.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

How to chop cilantro

Start by grabbing a large bunch of cilantro by the stems.  Then rinse it and shake the moisture out.  Now cut about 3/4 to 1 inch above the stems and discard that. Next using a sharp chefs knife simply chop as finely as needed for your recipe.

Uses for Pico de Gallo

• Chile Relleno Casserole
• Quesadillas
• Burritos
• Enchiladas
• Tacos
• Easy Chicken Tostadas
• Chimichangas

More Tex-Mex toppings and salsa recipes to try!

Best Pico de Gallo Recipe

This easy and simple Pico de Gallo recipe comes together in less than ten minutes and adds oodles of flavor to all your Mexican and Tex-Mex recipes.

5 from 26 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 1/2 cups

Calories: 56kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• ½ cup finely minced white onion or red onion
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 small jalapeño minced
• 2 large beefy tomatoes finely chopped or 4 Roma tomatoes or plum tomatoes

Instructions

• Combine the onion, garlic, cilantro, salt, black pepper, and lime juice in a bowl.  Stir to combine and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Gently stir in the the jalapeno and tomatoes. Let sit for 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 56kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 717mg | Potassium: 424mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1306IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

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