Pico De Gallo (2024)

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There are a handful of things I get extra excited about making during the summer months and Pico De Gallo is one of them! This no cook, simple and ridiculously delicious salsa fresca is just so darn good and I make a huge batch once a week from June through August, every single summer.

I love eating pico de gallo with chips, but also love adding it to a bunch of other dishes for an easy fresh flavor kick! Just like our bruschetta recipe we recently posted about, we could also just eat an entire batch of this pico straight from the bowl with a spoon!

What is Pico De Gallo?

Pico de gallo literally translates to “rooster’s beak” (although it’s not exactly clear why it’s called that). It’s also known as salsa fresca.

Traditionally it consists of diced tomato, diced onion, diced jalapeno (or serrano pepper), minced cilantro, and fresh lime juice. Our recipe sticks with the basics, but we do add minced garlic to our recipe for added flavor and I think it does make a difference!

How to Make Pico De Gallo

Process

1. Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Stir together until completely combined. Adjust seasoning as needed and serve.

Tools You Will Need

• cutting board
• knife
• dry measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• mixing bowl
• wooden spoon

Key to the Best Pico De Gallo Ever!

There are a couple things that are important to creating the best pico de gallo you’ll ever taste and they’re so easy to achieve!

• Only use ripe tomatoes. That’s right. Ripe tomatoes are the most juicy and flavorful and will produce the most amazing pico!
• Allow the mixture to sit (in the refrigerator) for a day. This isn’t essential, but we think makes a huge difference in the quality of the end product. The juices and flavors will get a chance to merry together and produce a ridiculously delicious dish!

Variations

There are so many variations for pico de gallo, but some of our favorite things to do with this salsa fresca are outlined below!

• Add diced cucumber – Not only will this bulk up the overall pico, but it will also add even more fresh texture!
• Add diced jicama – Just like cucumber, jicama will add some nice crunch to the dish, as well as a very subtle and pleasant sweetness.
• Use red onion instead of yellow onion – If yellow onion is too harsh for your pallet, we recommend red onion for its mild flavor. Also, just a fun fact, but red onions contain more antioxidant compounds then yellow onions.
• Add some sliced chives or minced mint leaves to the mix – These herbs can either replace the cilantro (if you’re not into cilantro) or be added with cilantro for an extra burst of herbacious goodness!

What to Serve with Pico De Gallo

Scooping heapfuls onto tortilla chips is probably the most popular way to enjoy pico de gallo. It can also be used on and served with so many other dishes like tacos, nachos, over grilled seafood, the possibilities are endless. Some of our favorite ways to use or incorporate pico are:

• Baja Fish Tacos
• Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls
• Carne Asada Fries
• Pozole Verde
• Ceviche
• Shrimp Taquitos

More Mexican Inspired Recipes You Will Love

• Carne Asada
• Carnitas
• Mexican Shrimp co*cktail
• Easy Chilaquiles with Fried Eggs
• Roasted Poblano Queso Fundido
• Carne Asada Torta