Welcome to our kitchen, where we’re about to embark on a journey to the heart of Mexican cuisine. Today, we’re sharing our all-time favorite homemade Pico de Gallo recipe, a vibrant and zesty salsa that’s a must-have condiment for any taco night, nacho extravaganza, or backyard barbecue. With its crisp combination of ripe tomatoes, crisp onions, fiery jalapeños, and the unmistakable brightness of fresh cilantro, this Pico de Gallo is a flavor explosion waiting to happen. Join us as we dive into the art of crafting this irresistible and authentic Mexican salsa from the comfort of your own kitchen. Get ready to elevate your dishes to a whole new level of freshness!
Why I love this recipe
Tomatoes in my garden are still in high gear, and Pico de Gallo is so quick and easy to make. With only 5 ingredients and nothing to cook, you’ll be enjoying chips, taco night or nachos with your Pico in 15 minutes!
Ingredients for this recipe
- Fresh, ripe tomatoes are essential for Pico de Gallo. Best kind of tomatoes are Roma or firm hot house tomatoes, but if you’ve got cherry tomatoes, go for it! They all taste wonderful.
- Jalapenos. If you like your Pico de Gallo on the mild side, remove all the seeds and the ribs inside the Jalapeno. If you like it spicy, leave some or all in!
- Red Onion, those lovely onions with the purplish-red skins and white flesh tinged with red. They have a sweeter flavor than white or yellow onions due to low levels of the sulfur compounds-that’s what makes you tear up.
- Cilantro, strip the leaves from the tender stems and chop. Cilantro is the “love or hate” herb–some people love it and some people think it tastes like soap! If you’re one of those people, skip the cilantro and add flat leaf parsley
- Lime juice. Pico de Gallo needs the kick that lime juice gives
- Kosher salt. Tomatoes usually need a good amount of salt to really bring out the luscious flavor. Use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for a clean salt taste without any additives
Easy steps to Pico de Gallo
- Dice and deseed the tomatoes and place in a fine-mesh strainer or colander set inside a bowl. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt over the tomatoes, toss and allow to drain for about 20 to 30 minutes. Discard the liquid.
- Meanwhile, chop the onion, chilies and cilantro. Add to a bowl.
- When the tomatoes have drained, add them to the onion, chilies and cilantro. Add the fresh lime juice. Taste and adjust the salt or add more lime juice.
- Pico can be eaten immediately or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Pico de Gallo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds ripe tomatoes cut into ¼-½-inch dice
- ½ medium red onion cut into fine dice
- ½-1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1-2 Jalapeno chiles Finely diced, seeds and membranes removed if you want milder taste
- ½ cup Cilantro Finely chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons Juice from fresh limes
Instructions
- Dice the tomatoes and place in a fine mesh strainer or colander set over a bowl. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt and toss. Allow it drain for about 20-30 minutes
- Discard the juice from the tomatoes and add the onion, chilies, cilantro in a bowl. Toss to combine then add the lime juice.
- Taste and add more salt or lime juice if desired.
Notes
- TIP: Use food gloves or a Ziplock bag to cover your hands when seeding and handling the jalapeno peppers
- Pico can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container
- Salting and draining the diced tomatoes improves the flavor and draws out excess juices so your Pico will not be flooded with lots of tomato juice
- Use the freshest, most flavorful tomatoes that are in season
- Use plum, cherry or grape tomatoes if you are making Pico in off-season
