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Pico de Gallo Recipe (Fresh Salsa)

Name: Pico de Gallo Recipe (Fresh Salsa)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 lb ripe tomatoes (cored, seeded, and chopped); 1/2 cup white onion (finely chopped (about 1/2 of an onion)); 1 jalapeno (seeded, finely chopped); 1/2 cup cilantro leaves (chopped); 2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (to taste (1 or 2 limes)); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1/2 teaspoon salt

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Jul 9, 2020 The links in the post below may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure

Sharpen that knife! It’s time to make some fresh Pico de Gallo! You’re going to love the simplicity and flavor of this recipe.

Bowl of pico de gallo with tortilla chips

What is Pico de Gallo?

You might also know pico de gallo as salsa fresca, salsa Bandera, or fresh salsa. And that’s basically exactly what it is: fresh salsa! But, that doesn’t mean it’s exactly the same as salsa you may have eaten before…

Pico de Gallo vs. Salsa: What’s the Difference?

We’ve released a few salsa recipes over the years:

So what’s the difference between homemade salsa recipes like the ones above and pico de gallo? Well, for one, this pico de gallo recipe requires absolutely no cooking. Just some chopping and mixing!

Because there’s no cooking involved, pico is also a lot more chunky, and less liquidy than most salsa recipes.

The best pico de gallo

How to Make Pico de Gallo From Scratch

This is my favorite classic Pico de Gallo recipe! It is easy, healthy, and delicious!

Ingredients

Only 7 ingredients are needed for this recipe: tomatoes, white onion, jalapeno, cilantro leaves, lime juice, garlic, and salt.

Pico de gallo ingredients

Once you have all your ingredients chopped, simply put them all in a bowl and toss them together!

You can enjoy your fresh Pico de Gallo right away, but I recommend letting it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. This way all the flavors will mend together nicely.

Tips:

Coring and seeding the tomatoes helps reduce excess moisture. This helps keep the salsa fresh longer without becoming soggy.
If you want more jalapeno flavor in your pico, add more jalapeno and/or keep some of the seeds.
Use fresh lime juice for the best flavor!
I love to chop the onion and tomato into a nice uniform size because it looks pretty and it spreads that delicious combined flavor to each bite.
Use a good food processor, only pulsing until chopped, or a nice sharp knife. The Victorinox knives will definitely get the job done well. They are my fav! Just give your chef knife a quick sharpening and start chopping! I’ve had my Victorinox chef knife since 2011 and it is still going strong. Amazing quality for how affordable it is!
This is the knife sharpener I’ve used since 2012. It is the one we use in the restaurants too.

How Long Does Pico de Gallo Stay Fresh?

Leftovers can be stored, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. After that, it starts to break down and get mushy.

You could potentially freeze pico too. I haven’t tried it myself as I like to enjoy it fresh, and I feel the texture would be a bit mushy after thawing, but feel free to try it out!

Salsa fresca with lime

Serving Tips

Serve pico de gallo as a dip with homemade tortilla chips, add it to guacamole, mix it into rice or scrambled eggs, or use it as a delicious, fresh topping on tacos, baked potatoes, steak, chicken, pasta, and/or salad! Honestly, it’s so good you could even eat it on its own!

Here are some more recipe ideas to combine with your homemade Pico de Gallo:

What’s your favorite way to enjoy Pico de Gallo? Let us know in the comments!

Fresh homemade pico salsa