How To Make Homemade Pico De Gallo
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Just like no-fail guacamole, homemade pico de gallo is easy to make, delicious, and much fresher than any packaged product. The best homemade salsa!
If you are relatively new to cooking a lot from scratch, pico de gallo might be one of those products you reflexively pick up at the grocery store anytime you’re planning to eat Mexican at home. That was definitely true for me!
I can still see in my mind’s eye the little section at my old grocery store where they sold pico with the other “fresh” packaged salsas. And boy, was it delicious! I could eat a whole tub in one sitting if I let myself.
Pico de gallo is a classic fresh tomato salsa. In addition to the tomatoes, it usually contains onions, cilantro, lime juice, chiles, and a hint of salt. And, it’s completely and totally addictive.
Now, I suspect there are as many variations on pico de gallo as there are home cooks in this world, and I’m willing to bet that all of them are delicious, traveling at light speed on the wings of crispy tortilla chips into happy, happy bellies. This is simply the version that we love best, the blend I go back to time and again.
And, if you’ve never made fresh homemade pico de gallo, I’d submit that this is a darn good place to start. Because, as good as it may be from the grocery store, a homemade version is so much fresher, so much better, and so easy, there’s no reason not to try it!
[clickToTweet tweet=”Do you make salsa from scratch? A classic homemade pico de gallo is easy to make, delicious, and much more fresh than any packaged product!” quote=”Do you make salsa from scratch? A classic homemade pico de gallo is easy to make, delicious, and much more fresh than any packaged product!”]
How To Make Homemade Pico De Gallo
Like any recipe, especially a simple one, success here begins with the ingredients. No surprise – use the freshest quality ingredients that you can find and afford!
Tomatoes are the superstar – in summer, when fresh farm tomatoes are at their peak availability, it will be easy to find terrific ones. The rest of the year, Roma tomatoes are pretty easy to find and do the trick – they are meaty and usually have good flavor.
As for the onion, you’ve got choices! Red, yellow, or white onions work well. I find red onions the most visually appealing, so that’s what is in the photos here, but I confess I actually prefer the taste of pico de gallo with white onions! Use what you have on hand or experiment and adapt to your own taste.
Finally, a brief note on the method – chop the jalapeño very fine or omit it entirely if you don’t want the heat. Dice everything else evenly. Finally, I strongly recommend removing the seeds from the chopped tomatoes! It takes a few extra minutes but prevents the whole mixture from being soupy at the end.
And, of course, once you get started, feel free to experiment with the ratios to suit your taste!
What To Eat With Pico De Gallo
Homemade pico de gallo is the perfect classic accompaniment to any Mexican or Tex-Mex meal. Here are a few of our family favorites:
- Sheet Pan Chipotle Lime Shrimp Fajitas
- Spicy Black Bean Tacos
- Chicken Tinga Tacos
- Jalapeno Lime Fish Tacos
- Oven-Baked Chicken Black Bean Taquitos
- Crispy Chickpea Tacos with Sunset Slaw
But think broadly – pico is also amazing mixed with some eggs for a quick breakfast or brunch. Or, spooned on top of these show-stopping cornmeal chipotle cheddar waffles!
Or, just make a big batch for afternoon snacking! Definitely don’t forget the guacamole! And, if you really want to go all out, try these incredible homemade flour tortillas while you’re at it.
Let’s be honest, if I’m staring down a bowl of chips, great homemade salsa, and guacamole, there is no possible way I’m going to ALSO need to eat dinner. 🙂
Hope you enjoy as much as we do! And, if you already make and love your own pico de gallo, what are your favorite tips?? Tell me in the comments below!
Homemade Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 4 medium tomatoes Romas work well year-round, chopped and seeds removed
- 1 small onion finely chopped (red, yellow, or white are all fine)
- 1/2 jalapeño seeds and membrane removed, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup cilantro leaves chopped
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the chopped tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Stir to combine. Taste, and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Store in the fridge and serve as desired.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Aww my mouth is truly watering 🥺 Looks so good! I have to make it tonight to treat myself well xD
I made this for our 4th of July barbecue. I’m originally from Texas. This recipe is similar to the one I grew up with. We added garlic powder and lemon pepper. It’s delicious. Double the recipe.
That’s terrific, so happy to hear it was a hit, and those additions sound delicious! Thank you for leaving this helpful review!
i can’t do onions if i leave them out should i adjust the other ingredients?
No need to adjust the other ingredients but you might consider adding cucumber or something else just for a little crunch. It will taste different but still delish!
That looks so delicious and a perfect gameday eats for me. We love Pica-De-Gallo and I’m pinning your recipe to try soon.
Fresh pico de gallo has to be one of my all time favorite things because it’s so refreshing and makes just about ANYTHING better!
Hey Monica! This pico looks so colorful and vibrant, and I love that you can put it on just about anything to spice things up! Well done!
Oj! I have never tried pico de gallo with eggs for breakfast?! Thank you for sharing your recipe — and for giving me new ideas on how to enjoy it. 🙂
It looks so fresh, with vibrant flavors, and so yummy! Next time we have some tortilla chips around, this pico de gallo is going to happen! 🙂
I love pico de gallo and I make it almost every weekend! Your recipe is very similar to mine and I can’t wait to try yours. It is so much better than a canned salsa and we often eat it with crostini like bruschetta too. Here is mine: https://ethnicspoon.com/black-bean-burgers-with-spicy-pico-de-gallo/
So colorful. My all time favorite!
Oh, I should make this! I’m looking for some sauces to change up meals around here – and the parents love cilantro and tomatoes.
I love Pico de Gallo! It’s one of my go-to sides. I love how fresh and delicious yours looks. I love when the summer rolls around and we get fresh tomatoes and other ingredients. But, I’m not going to wait for summer to make your delicious pico de gallo!
This looks so fresh! I’ve never made pico de gallo before and this needs to change! Thanks for the recipe.
I love homemade salsa and homemade pico de gallo. This recipe looks amazing. I could literally eat the whole thing by myself. Thank heaven that it’s figure friendly. My husband makes fun of me because I pile the salsa so high on my tortilla chips. It’s great as a salad dressing, too.
Pico de gallo is soooo good! I love fresh salsa like this. I don’t know why I don’t make it more often!
Usually when I go to Moe’s my daughter and I stock up on pico de gallo as it’s a favorite of ours – but I’ve never tried to make my own – so thank you so much for sharing this recipe – now I can make it at home and not run to Moe’s every time I have a craving!
I loooove pico de gallo!! I always put it on my tacos and it’s so delicious! This recipe looks awesome!
During the summer we live on home-made pico de gallo. Your version looks great!
I love pico de gallo. I can’t believe people buy it ready made when it is so easy and soooo much more flavorful fresh! It makes a great topper for steamed, fresh veggies, too!
Homemade will always trump over store bought, especially Pico de Gallo ! Thanks for sharing !
Yum! I love Pico de gallo! So delicious! I can’t wait to have fresh tomatoes to make them with! These looks like fresh tomatoes!!
Agreed! Fresh tomatoes are like a gift from the heavens! 🙂
Homemade salsa is always the best kind. You are making me crave summer tomatoes!
I hear you – I can’t wait for all the great summer produce! I feel like I’m scraping by with the basics in the meantime, haha!
I see this beautiful photo and I can’t help thinking of spring and all the fresh produce that will be coming our way soon. Pico is classic and everyone should know how to make it. Looks delicious!
Wow! The colors! So fresh and vibrant!
I agree that fresh pico de gallo is a game changer for all mexican fare. I’ve also been known to spoon it onto a salad for extra flavor. This looks bright and fresh.