Skip to content

Best Pico De Gallo Recipe {Fresh Tomato Salsa}

It’s a happy day because the Best Pico de Gallo recipe sits at your fingertips right now. Pico de Gallo is the classically simple, fresh tomato salsa that’s made with only a few ingredients and tastes amazing over tacos, burritos, enchiladas, salads, and…chips!

pico de gallo recipe fresh salsa recipe what is pico de gallo

Pico de Gallo Recipe

I might be the greediest Pico de Gallo eater anyone has ever met. When I go to Chipotle, I nicely beg for triple scoops of their mild fresh tomato salsa, which is essentially pico de gallo. Ditto goes for pretty much any Mexican style restaurant I step into – I can’t help but ask for extra pico de gallo to use on everything.

You all know that I’m unabashedly fond of food that’s easy to make, fresh and healthy-ish, and… it absolutely must win over the taste buds.

This restaurant style pico de gallo recipe fits the bill. It’s the easiest, most delicious way to make your favorite dishes explode with flavor. This classically simple salsa uses a handful of ingredients and is done in a handful of minutes.

If I could only eat just a handful of chips with this stuff…

pico de gallo recipe fresh salsa recipe what is pico de gallo

What is Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo is basically a pure and simple form of Mexican salsa that consists of 5 ingredients: fresh tomatoes, chopped cilantro, chopped onions, diced jalapeño (or serrano,) and freshly squeezed lime juice. It’s traditionally seasoned with just salt; sometimes an addition like chopped avocado can be added, but it’s delicious in its classic form.

The main difference between Pico de Gallo and other salsas like this blender version is that many salsas contain plenty of liquid. Pico de Gallo, on the other hand, is simply chopped and left chunky as-is.

How to make Pico de Gallo

Because there are only a few basic ingredients in pico de Gallo, you’ll want to be sure to use quality, super fresh ingredients.

Most recipes call for Roma tomatoes, but in the summer we highly recommend taking advantage of various sweet cherry tomatoes, ripe off the vine. If you’re lucky enough to either grow your own or nab them from a local farmers market, they truly offer the best flavor. They’re sweet, crisp, and bursting with irresistible tomato flavor.

We use sweet white onions in our pico de Gallo, as it’s the classic choice and offers a bit of sweetness to the mix. However, red onions are fine and they’ll provide a pop of pretty purple in your pico.

Not to be forgotten are the fresh green cilantro leaves and juicy limes. We use plenty of both in our pico de Gallo. If I make this for others, I just the leaves of cilantro. When it’s just for me, I love including chopped cilantro stems as well; I’m a total cilantro monster.

Oh, and a fresh jalapeño or two gives a nice kick to this fresh salsa. I always use gloves to remove the seeds, prior to dicing the peppers.

Pico de Gallo is a wash, chop, and mix kind of deal. It’s an easy, quick, and fail proof crowd pleaser.

What to serve with Pico de Gallo

This is the most fun part. Our favorite things to use Pico de Gallo on are:

You’ll Probably Really Like this, too:


Best Pico De Gallo Recipe {Fresh Tomato Salsa}

5 from 1 vote
It's a happy day because the Best Pico de Gallo recipe sits at your fingertips right now. Pico de Gallo is the classically simple, fresh tomato salsa that's made with only a few ingredients and tastes amazing over tacos, burritos, enchiladas, salads, and...chips!
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 10 mins
Servings: 4 -5 cups

Ingredients  

  • 1 pint sweet cherry tomatoes, diced (drain if desired)
  • 1 small sweet white, or red onion, about 1 cup diced
  • 1 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1 large lime, juiced
  • 1-2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, gently fold all ingredients together until well incorporated. Cover, chill, and serve within a couple of hours.

Notes

Feel free to add the zest of your lime, if desired.
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican

Did you make this?

Leave a comment below and tag @chewoutloud on Instagram

Scrumptious Salsas:

Mango Black Bean Salsa Dip– it’s zesty, slightly sweet, and unbelievably refreshing. You may never go back to “regular” salsa again.

Restaurant Style Salsa – ever wondered how restaurants make their salsas just-so? Here’s the secret.

Chunky Salsa with Corn – this super satisfying chunky salsa is perfection with tortilla chips or paired with your favorite Mexican meal.

Get our free email series: 5 Easy Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less

Plus our newest recipes each week