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    Home » Recipes » Mexican

    Homemade Pico De Gallo

    Published: Aug 28, 2024 · Modified: Aug 28, 2024 by Eileen Murphy Kelly

    Jump to Recipe
    Authentic pico de gallo pinterest pin with text overlay.
    Fresh tomato salsa in a glass bowl with a tortilla chip in the bowl.

    We have got an easy recipe for an easy, Authentic Pico De Gallo Recipe. Fresh salsa ingredients are easy to prepare for a homemade Mexican dip that has endless possibilities.

    Authentic pico de gallo in a glass bowl with a blue tortilla chip.

    For specifics on the recipe use the table of contents to click on sections of the recipe.

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredient List
    • Equipment
    • Instructions
    • Eileen's Tips for Success
    • Make ahead, storage, and freezer tips
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Variations
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Similar recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • Authentic Pico de Gallo is easy to make, affordable, and delicious.
    • Use this Mexican salsa with so many recipes or as a dip with chips.

    Ingredient List

    INGREDIENTs with text overlay to make authentic pico de gallo recipe.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    • fresh minced garlic peeled and minced
    • finely diced white onion peeled and diced
    • seeded and diced jalapeno pepper
    • fresh lime juice
    • seeded and diced plum tomatoes
    • fresh chopped cilantro 
    • Kosher salt
    • black pepper

    Equipment

    • Cutting Board
    • knife
    • juicer
    • Measuring Spoons and Cup

    Instructions

    This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.

    1. In a bowl combine minced garlic, diced white onion, diced jalapeno with the fresh lemon juice. Let sit for about 5 minutes, while seeding the tomatoes for the pico.
    2. Add diced plum tomatoes, chopped cilantro, salt, and black pepper to the bowl.
    3. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to blend flavors for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.

    How to seed tomatoes

    A tomato being seeded for pico de gallo.
    1. Seed Roma tomatoes with a spoon.
    A seeded roma tomato to make pico de gallo recipe.
    1. Dice the tomatoes for the pico de gallo.
    A bowl with fresh tomatoes, jalapeno, and onion for authentic pico de gallo.

    Eileen's Tips for Success

    • Marinate the onion, garlic, and jalapeno in the lime juice while dicing the tomatoes to enhance the flavors.
    • Scoop out the inside of the tomatoes. Store in freezer bags in the freezer with other vegetable scraps for vegetable stock.

    Make ahead, storage, and freezer tips

    Storage - Leftovers can be kept in a covered airtight container for 1-2 days.

    Make Ahead - Pico can be made in the morning of the day you would like to eat it.

    However, well covered you can make pico a day ahead. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the difference between Pico de Gallo and Salsa?

    Pico de Gallo is a recipe that uses diced fresh tomatoes. Salsa uses a puree of tomato and spices.

    Do you want my secret for the best Homemade Pico De Gallo?

    The secret to a great pico recipe is taking the chopped garlic, onion, and jalapeno and marinating in lime juice for a few minutes.
     I usually do this while I am seeding and dicing the tomatoes.

    What are other names for Pico De Gallo?

    Mexican Pico is also called Salsa Fresca, Salsa Bandera, and Salsa Cruda.

    Variations

    Do you want to change up this recipe? Here are some ways to change the flavor of this dish.

    • Tomatoes: Plum or Roma tomatoes are my favorite. Cherry tomatoes or vine-ripe tomatoes work too.
    • Onion: Red onion can be used instead of yellow onion.
    • Cilantro: Many do not enjoy cilantro, use fresh parsley
    • Jalapeno: You can substitute with a Serrano pepper, habanero, or poblano pepper.
    Pico de Gallo recipe in a bowl.

    Serving Suggestions

    Top scrambled eggs with a dollop of pico de gallo.

    Serve pico alongside this skillet taco dinner.

    Fry Bread Tacos, Pork Carnitas, Slow Cooker Mexican Beef are perfect with an authentic pico de gallo.

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    If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

                       

    📖 Recipe

    Pico de Gallo in a glass bowl.

    Authentic Pico De Gallo

    Pice de Gallo is a fresh blend of tomatoes, jalapenoes, fresh cilantro, onion, garlic, and lime juice. Authentic Pico is great with tortilla chips, tacos, steaks, quesadillas, grilled chicken, and fish.
    5 from 5 votes
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    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: authentic pico de gallo, pico de gallo, pico de gallo recipe
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
    chill time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 13kcal
    Author: Eileen Murphy Kelly

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

    Equipment Needed:

    • As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
    • Cutting Board
    • knife
    • juicer
    • Measuring Spoons and Cups

    Ingredients

    • 2 cloves fresh garlic peeled and minced
    • 1 medium white onion peeled and diced
    • 1 whole jalapeno seeded and chopped Note 2
    • 1 large lime juiced
    • 6 whole plum tomatoes seeded and diced, Note 1
    • 3 Tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped
    • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    US Customary - Metric

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    Instructions

    • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 medium diced white onion, and 1 diced jalapeno Add the juice of the lime and let sit for about 5 minutes.
    • To the bowl, add 6 diced plum tomatoes, 3 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
    • Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to blend flavors for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.
    • Serve the pico de gallo with tacos, quesadillas, chips, so many possibilities.

    NOTES

    Be sure to check Variations, Expert Tips, and FAQs above with important tips and questions that can help make a delicious recipe.
    Note 1: Save the inside of the tomato to add to a homemade veggie stock. Store in a freezer bag with scraps till you have enough for veggie stock.
    Note 2: If you prefer a bit spicier, don't remove all the seeds from the jalapeno. 
    Note 3: Letting the vegetables sit in the lime juice makes them a bit softer. If you are short on time, you can skip the 5-minute marinating. 
    Storage - Leftovers can be kept in a covered airtight container for 1-2 days.
    Make Ahead - Pico can be made in the morning of the day you would like to eat it.
    However, well covered you can make pico de gallo a day ahead. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use
    Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
     
     
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    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servings | Calories: 13kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @Everyday_Eileen or tag #everydayeileen!

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    Thank you for sharing!

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    Fresh tomato salsa in a glass bowl with a tortilla chip in the bowl.

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    Fresh tomato salsa in a glass bowl with a tortilla chip in the bowl.

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