Pico de gallo is the perfect topping to serve with all your favourite Mexican dishes. This fresh salsa recipe is vibrant, zingy and full of flavour. All you need is 10 minutes and 6 ingredients to make this super quick homemade salsa fresca! It’s so good you’ll add this healthy topping to everything!
What is Pico de Gallo?
Pico de Gallo is a raw, fresh salsa made from diced tomatoes, onions, jalapeño peppers, fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) and salt. It’s made with fresh ingredients and it’s an amazing side dish to serve with burritos, quesadillas or your favourite Mexican meal! Its fresh and zingy flavours will make your dinner pop. A little scoop of this veggie topping will turn your dinner into a fiesta!
What do you need to make Pico de Gallo?
Pico de gallo is just a bunch of fresh ingredients, finely chopped and thrown together. It’s super simple to make but will add loads of flavour! The combination of ingredients tastes light and fresh and it’s a great side dish to lift up heavier meals.
You only need six ingredients to make this simple and healthy side:
- Tomatoes: You want sweet and plump tomatoes without too much liquid. We like using tasty Roma tomatoes or small grape tomatoes. The tomatoes make up the largest part of this recipe so you really want flavourful ripe tomatoes. Remove the seeds when you use Roma (or similar type) tomatoes. Grape tomatoes are very similar to cherry tomatoes but have less juice. When using grape tomatoes we don't bother to remove the seeds.
- Onions: We love using red onions in this recipe. Red onions add a bit of colour and sweetness. Traditionally white onions are often used in a classic pico de gallo. Use whatever onion you prefer, but make sure to finely dice them, you don’t want to munch on a mouthful of raw onion.
- Jalapeño peppers: Pickled jalapeño peppers are our preferred method to add some heat to this fresh salsa. They not only add heat but also some extra acidity which makes this salsa extra fresh and zingy. You could also use fresh jalapeños or serrano peppers.
- Fresh coriander (Cilantro): Fresh coriander leaves (also known as cilantro) give pico de gallo its distinct Mexican flavour. It’s the ultimate herb to include in any Mexican dish. We like using a big handful, but use as much (or as little) as you like!
- Lime: Freshly squeezed lime juice will bring all the flavours together. Lime adds a tart and tropical flavour to your salsa. Not every lime has the same amount of juice. Start with half a lime and add extra juice if you want more zing.
- Salt: You need a pinch of salt to complete this dish. We love using a pinch of salt flakes, but any salt will do. Season to taste.
Tips to make the best Pico de Gallo
Watery salsa:
Most of the moisture will come from the tomatoes. If you use Roma (or other large) tomatoes make sure to deseed them and only use the flesh. This will help reduce the liquid. The longer this salad stands the more liquid will pool at the bottom of your bowl. Use a slotted spoon to serve so you leave most of the moisture behind in the serving bowl.
Fine or chunky:
You can make this salsa as fine or as chunky as you like, but personally we like to dice our ingredients for pico de gallo relatively fine. This way you’ll get a bit of each ingredient with every bite.
Ingredient ratios:
We never really weigh or measure anything when making this recipe. You can easily eyeball the ingredients. You need about double the amount of diced tomatoes to the amount of diced onion. All other ingredients can be added to taste. Add the coriander (cilantro), lime juice and salt a little at a time and taste as you go until you find your preferred flavour combo.
Let your pico the gallo rest for 10-15 minutes before serving:
The lime juice and salt will marinate the other ingredients and draw out some moisture and flavour. If you let it sit for a couple of minutes before serving the flavours will mingle and you’re rewarded with a more intense and harmonious flavour.
Serving suggestions:
A spoonful of fresh pico the gallo is a great addition to any Mexican dish! Add it as a side to your favourite burritos, serve it with your quesadillas or as a dip for your tortilla chips. It’s even delicious as a side to a simple scrambled egg!
Tips & Alternatives
Can’t handle the heat?
Leave out the jalapeño peppers if you don’t like it spicy. Or just use less if you only want a little zing. When using fresh peppers make sure to always give them a little taste test before adding them to a dish. Sometimes a pepper is fiery hot and other times they have no heat at all, so always test and adjust accordingly.
Quick guacamole tip
The ingredients for this pico de gallo are almost exactly the same as for our guacamole recipe. If you want to make both dishes then simply double the recipe (minus the jalapeño) and divide it between two bowls. Add the diced jalapeño to one bowl to make this pico the gallo and add mashed avocado to the other bowl to make guacamole!
How to store Pico de Gallo
Pico de gallo is best made fresh. It will keep for about a day or 2 in the fridge, but the coriander leaves will start to look a bit droopy and the released moisture will make the salsa a bit more soggy over time. Make sure to keep it in an airtight and leak proof container.
Are you looking for more Mexican recipes?
- This Juicy Mexican Shredded Chicken is bursting with vibrant flavours, it’s a one-pot recipe, and is perfect for meal prep!
- Create this versatile Homemade Mexican Seasoning Mix to enhance all your favourite dishes with authentic flavours.
- This Homemade Easy & Authentic Guacamole recipe is another winning dip that will complement all your Mexican dishes.
- Check out this Mexican Shrimp Salad! It has all the flavours of an exciting fiesta, wrapped into a healthy salad!
- Try these epic Shredded Chicken Tacos for a quick, flavourful and healthy dinner!
