Brighten up your tastebuds with this Authentic Pico de Gallo Recipe! It is unbelievable fresh-tasting, and you will keep coming back for more! This Pico de Gallo is easy to make with fresh tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño pepper, fresh-squeezed lime juice, cilantro, and sea salt. Serve it with tortilla chips, on nachos, tacos, eggs, heck...pretty much anything! Plus, it is extremely low in calories, perfect for low-carb and Keto diets!
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Have you ever made a recipe that tastes so dang good you can't stop eating it?
This Authentic Pico de Gallo is that recipe! Every time I make it, there are never any leftovers. It tastes great, even eaten solo on a spoon!
With our greenhouse bursting at the seams at the peak of tomato season, we make this Pico de Gallo to spoon on fish tacos, omelets, eggs, and tortilla chips.
We also love making homemade salsa, and we preserve a GIANT batch of salsa that lasts us an entire year!
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What is Pico de Gallo?
Pico de gallo is also known as salsa fresca and salsa cruda. It is commonly used in Mexican dishes and is used the same way as other salsas. It contains all the same ingredients as regular salsa; the ingredients are just prepared differently.
What is the difference between pico de gallo and salsa?
Pico de gallo is made with fresh, uncooked ingredients. As a result, it is way chunkier, and you can visibly see each piece of vegetable.
Salsa is sometimes made with cooked ingredients and contains more liquid. It is less chunky, and the vegetables are blended a bit.
Both are served and used the same way.
Why We Love Authentic Pico de Gallo
- It is SO flavorful
- It has a nice texture
- Perfect blend of flavors - no overpowering onion flavor
- It is chunky and sits on a chip really well
- Nice appetizing color, particularly with the red onion
- Goes well on just about anything!
- Easy to make, takes only 15 minutes!
- It is made with fresh vegetables that are good for you!
- Low calories! Pile it on without the guilt!
Ingredients
Only 6 ingredients are required to make this fresh salsa (including salt)!
- tomatoes, fresh
- red onion
- jalapeño pepper
- cilantro, fresh
- lime juice, fresh-squeezed
- sea salt
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Pico de Gallo
If you can chop vegetables, you can make pico de gallo! It is the perfect summer dish, no oven required!
Let's get started!
First of all, wash your tomatoes really well. Then, get yourself a cutting board and a good knife. I like using a tiny serrated knife to cut tomatoes. First, chop the tomatoes into small chunks—place them in a medium-sized bowl.
Next up, chop the red onion into similar-size chunks. Finally, add chopped onion to the tomatoes.
Wash and deseed the jalapeño pepper. Remove the white rib on the inside and all the seeds and discard. Chop into smaller chunks, then add to the bowl with the tomatoes and onions.
Next, juice a lime, and get all the delicious juice out that you can. Pour the lime juice on top of the vegetables in the bowl. Add chopped cilantro and sea salt.
Stir to combine the vegetables, juice, salt, and cilantro. Serve immediately! Enjoy!
Hint: The tomatoes have a lot of moisture that pools in the bottom of the serving bowl. Serve with a slotted spoon to keep the moisture off your plate.
Variations
Try these different variations on this delicious fresh salsa recipe!
- Spicy - add an extra jalapeño pepper or two if you like things extra spicy! You could also use serrano peppers.
- Deluxe - add diced avocado to the pica de gallo.
- Dislike cilantro? Make this pico de gallo without cilantro. It tastes great!
Equipment
To make pico de gallo, you need a good knife, cutting board, and a serving bowl.
Storage
Pico de Gallo is best served fresh. You can store it in the fridge in a covered container for up to 3-4 days.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes! Pico de gallo is made with fresh vegetables full of health benefits but low on calories (less than 20 calories per serving).
The ingredients do not stand up well to freezing. If you freeze it, the texture will change drastically. It will still taste great, but it will be mushy. I highly recommend eating it fresh.
Absolutely not! Pico de gallo is full of healthy vegetables and is extremely low in calories. So go ahead, eat it up!
Top tips
- Use very ripe tomatoes for the best flavor. We use our own homegrown tomatoes that always taste great!
- Wash your hands after slicing the jalapeño pepper. Have you ever forgotten and then touched your eye by accident? Don't do that, trust me 😉
- Serve with a slotted spoon so as not to transfer any liquid from the bottom of the bowl. Tomatoes hold a lot of water.
What goes with pico de gallo?
- Serve it as a dip for tortilla chips
- Spoon it on tacos, quesadillas, and burritos
- Serve it on eggs or Spinach + Mushroom Omelet
- Use it as a topping for baked potatoes or Instant Pot Rice
- Serve it on grilled steak, Chili Lime Smoked Chicken, or fish
- My favorite is on fish tacos with homemade 3 Ingredient Flatbread and Tilapia in Air Fryer.
Related Recipes
If you’ve tried Authentic Pico de Gallo or any other recipe, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you!
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📋 Recipe
Authentic Pico de Gallo Recipe
Equipment
- cutting board
- knife
- serving bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh tomatoes, finely chopped about 1 pound, or 4-5 medium tomatoes
- 1 cup red onion, finely chopped about ½ a medium onion
- 1 jalapeño, finely chopped medium-large sized
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon lime juice all the juice from 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon sea salt pink himalayan
Instructions
- Wash all of the vegetables. Finely chop the tomatoes and red onion into small chunks. Place them in a medium-sized bowl. Wash and deseed the jalapeño pepper. Remove the white rib on the inside and all the seeds and discard. Finely chop the jalapeno and add to the bowl with the tomatoes and onions.
- Squeeze all of the juice from 1 lime, about 2 tbsp, and add to the bowl of chopped vegetables.
- Chop cilantro very finely and add to the bowl. Add sea salt.
- Stir to combine the vegetables, lime juice, salt, and cilantro. Serve immediately!
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Use very ripe tomatoes for the best flavor. We use our own homegrown tomatoes that always taste great!
- Wash your hands after slicing the jalapeño pepper. Have you ever forgotten and then touched your eye by accident? Don't do that, trust me 😉
- Serve with a slotted spoon so as not to transfer any liquid from the bottom of the bowl. Tomatoes hold a lot of water.
Chef Dennis
This is really satisfying!
Jeri
I agree, it's delicious!
Agnieszka
This is an excellent pico de gallo recipe.
Jeri
Thank you, Agnieszka! 🙂
Michelle | Taste As You Go
This is the perfect recipe for those garden-ripe tomatoes that are available right now. So much better when it's fresh!
Jeri
It is perfect, and so quick to make!
Audrey
One of my favorites!