This Authentic Pico de Gallo Recipe is just like the one served at your favorite Mexican restaurant! It's fresh, flavorful, and comes together in minutes with a handful of simple ingredients. Serve it with tortilla chips for dipping or on top of tacos, nachos, and more!
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Homemade pico de gallo is a type of fresh, chunky salsa that's a staple in Mexican cuisine. Unlike smoother varieties, such as jarred or restaurant-style salsa, it doesn't rely on canned or cooked tomatoes. It's always made with fresh tomatoes, never blended, and served raw.
This homemade pico recipe uses juicy roma tomatoes, crisp white onion, earthy cilantro, tangy lime juice, and an optional jalapeno if you want to add a touch of heat. It's the perfect dip for your favorite tortilla chips!
For more delicious Mexican-inspired dips, check out our Rotel Dip, Crack Corn Dip, and Smoked Queso Dip next.
Why You'll Love This Fresh Salsa Recipe
- Quick and Easy: With basic ingredients and just a few minutes of prep time, this delicious salsa is incredibly simple to make.
- Fresh and Flavorful: Juicy tomatoes, crisp onion, tangy lime, and fresh cilantro come together perfectly to create a flavor-packed pico everyone will love.
- Versatile: Serve it with tortilla chips or as a topping for your favorite Tex-Mex or Mexican-inspired dishes like tacos, nachos, burritos, quesadillas, and more!
Ingredients
Here's a look at the simple ingredients you'll need to make the best pico de gallo recipe!
- White Onion: Adds crunch and a strong flavor that balances the sweetness of the tomatoes. Feel free to use yellow, red, or sweet onion to change up the flavor a bit.
- Roma Tomatoes: Provide sweetness, juiciness, and color to the pico de gallo salsa.
- Jalapeno: Optional, for adding a kick of heat to your salsa, if desired.
- Fresh Cilantro: Adds an earthy flavor with hints of citrus that ties the other flavors together. If you're not a fan of cilantro, feel free to leave it out or use fresh parsley instead, which has a milder flavor.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder adds a subtle savory flavor without being overpowering, while salt and pepper enhance the other flavors.
- Fresh Lime Juice: Adds brightness, acidity, and tanginess to balance the other ingredients. Use fresh for the best flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Tropical Flavor: Swap out some of the tomatoes for diced mango or pineapple to give your pico a tropical flair.
- Corn and Black Bean: Add some cooked corn kernels and rinsed and drained black beans for a heartier version.
- With Avocado: Dice an avocado and fold it into the mixture just before serving to prevent browning.
How to Make Pico de Gallo
To get started, you'll need to chop the onion, tomatoes, jalapeno, and cilantro.
- Step 1: Combine fresh ingredients. Add the chopped onion, tomatoes, jalapeno, and cilantro to a mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Add remaining ingredients and chill. Add the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Stir until everything is well combined and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Hint: Keep in the fridge overnight.
Chiling the mico overnight will allow more time for the flavors to meld together, which will give it the best taste possible.
Expert Tips
- Dice everything evenly. Evenly-sized pieces will ensure that each bite has a mixture of all of the flavors and textures.
- Wear gloves when chopping jalapenos. Wear food-safe gloves when handling hot peppers to prevent skin irritation or transferring the capsaicin to your eyes if you accidentally touch them.
- Store in the fridge. Transfer the pico to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Give it a stir before serving, as separation can occur.
- Make it less watery. To reduce excess liquid, scoop out the seeds and pulp from the tomatoes before dicing. You can also drain any excess liquid after mixing the ingredients together.
Serving Suggestions
- Top your favorite tacos with some of this tasty salsa! We love it on these Flank Steak Tacos, Ground Beef Enchiladas, and these Instant Pot Chicken Tacos.
- Serve up some Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas with a side of this chopped salsa and guacamole for a delicious dinner idea.
- This pico also pairs perfectly with our hearty Taco Pie and Taco Joes!
More Delicious Mexican-Inspired Dishes
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Authentic Pico de Gallo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup white onion diced
- 5 medium roma tomatoes diced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and finely diced (optional)
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Add onion, tomatoes, jalapeno, and cilantro to a medium bowl
- Season with garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and fresh lime juice. Stir until well combined.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving or overnight for the best flavor. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips or Mexican recipe.
Notes
- Dice everything evenly: Evenly-sized pieces will ensure that each bite has a mixture of all of the flavors and textures.
- Wear gloves when chopping jalapenos: Wear food-safe gloves when handling hot peppers to prevent skin irritation or transferring the capsaicin to your eyes if you accidentally touch them.
- Store in the fridge: Transfer the pico to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Give it a stir before serving, as separation can occur.
Nutrition
*All nutrition information provided is automatically calculated and is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact numbers on your ingredients, I would recommend calculating them with your prefered nutrition calculator.
Ryan Allen
This is so good and I put it on everything!