This easy Pico de Gallo recipe, also called Salsa Fresca, Salsa Bandera, or Salsa Cruda, is a popular Mexican salsa that's super easy to make at home. You're going to love this easy recipe and the fresh flavor it adds to your favorite Mexican recipes!
I'm sure you've had Pico de Gallo at every Mexican restaurant you've ever been to with a hot pile of tortilla chips. Maybe you're like me and you've been making it at home for years but it never tasted as good as the restaurants. There was just always something missing.
I've finally perfected my homemade Pico de Gallo recipe and it tastes just like the authentic variety you'll find at your neighborhood taco shop. You'll only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this classic Mexican salsa!
There are four things I've found to be key in making authentic Pico de Gallo at home! They are:
- Use serrano instead of jalapeño - the serrano peppers give the salsa a bit more heat and taste a little more robust than the milder jalapeño
- Chop everything really small - I go with small to medium dice on the veggies, you don't want a super chunky salsa here, more like a relish
- Don't skip the garlic - one clove for a large batch of Pico de Gallo does the trick. You'll want to mince it very finely
- Let it sit overnight - the #1 most important thing! This gives the flavors time to really meld together
I love this traditional Pico de Gallo for scooping up with tortilla chips, adding to vegan fish tacos, burrito bowls, and other Mexican dishes as well as topping soups like this easy Vegan Pozole!
🍅 Ingredients
You need just a few simple and fresh ingredients to make the best Pico de Gallo of your life!
- Fresh tomatoes - The type of tomato you use makes a world of difference. I use on-the-vine tomatoes but you can also use Roma tomatoes or fresh plum tomatoes. Do not use cherry tomatoes or beefsteak tomatoes here. The best tomatoes are ones that have a deep red flesh, aren't too hard or too soft (sort of like an avocado), and have been kept at room temperature as refrigerating tomatoes degrades their texture and dampens their flavor. While you can definitely use any tomato, ripe red tomatoes should fit this criterion for making a good Pico de Gallo.
- Yellow onion - you can also use white onion but I do not recommend red onion. I like the hint of sweetness of the yellow onion best.
- Garlic clove - please, no pre-minced garlic here, just a fresh clove.
- Fresh lime juice - always use fresh limes as the bottled variety is nowhere near the same.
- Fresh cilantro - the chopped cilantro needs to be very finely minced.
- Serrano peppers - I love the slightly more robust flavor of serranos over the more common jalapeño pepper.
- Sea salt
See the recipe card for ingredient amounts.
🔪 Instructions
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Cut the tomatoes into quarters discarding the center core. Remove the seeds.
Slice the tomato pieces into strips then dice. Dice the onion and serrano, and mince the cilantro and garlic clove.
Combine the chopped vegetables in a medium bowl and add in the lime juice, season to taste with salt. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving.
Serve and enjoy!
🍍 Substitutions
You can easily swap out the tomatoes for any type of fruit since tomatoes are also a fruit! Here are some ideas:
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Kiwi
- Dragon Fruit
- Strawberry
Fruit salsa is super delicious, especially when tomatoes aren't in season.
Storage
Pico de Gallo will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
💭 Top tip
As the tomatoes will release a lot of liquid as they sit, use a slotted spoon to serve the Pico de Gallo. Don't toss the liquid though! It's great mixed into beans for a refried bean dip, stirred into soups, or tossed into a Bloody Mary! I've even drank it straight from the jar it's so good #noshame.
FAQ
Pico de Gallo contains the same basic ingredients as traditional salsa, it's simply a difference in their preparation. A fresh salsa recipe is usually blended into a puree whereas Pico de Gallo uses raw diced ingredients to create a sort of relish.
Pico de Gallo translates to rooster’s beak, although it's not known why. The phonetic pronunciation of Pico de Gallo is peek-o-day-GY-o.
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📖 Recipe
Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 5 medium on-the-vine tomatoes seeded and finely diced
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- ½ cup minced fresh cilantro
- 2 serrano peppers thinly sliced or diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Juice of 2 small limes
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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