Easy Pico de Gallo Recipe

This easy Pico de Gallo Recipe (also referred to as salsa fresca) is fresh and flavorful and comes together in a pinch. The only Pico de Gallo ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice.

Classic pico de gallo is made with simple fresh ingredients and is quick and easy to make.  This is my go-to pico de gallo recipe.  

Pico de Gallo Ingredients

This fresh salsa fresca recipe is a versatile one.  Taste-test as you mix to achieve your ideal blend of flavors.  

• Fresh tomatoes:  I’m not terribly picky about the type of tomato I use for pico, as long as it’s red, ripe and flavorful.  Roma or plum tomatoes have less juice and fewer seeds than other tomatoes so they’re ideal for pico,  but any big ripe juicy red tomatoes will work…just omit some of the seeds.
• Onion:  We use a mix of white, red and green onion for this recipe.  
• Garlic:  A lot of pico recipes out there omit garlic.  Not sure why that is since garlic adds so much flavor.  My family loves garlic, so when I make this pico – I usually add a few (3-5) cloves garlic to the mix.  This pico (in all its garlic glory) is amazing with street chicken tacos!
• Jalapeno:  Use anywhere between 1 – 3 jalapenos for this recipe (depending on how spicy you like your pico).  The seeds and membrane are what make jalapeno spicy, so either discard some of them or remove them altogether for a more mild pico.  I typically use 2 jalapenos for this recipe.
• Cilantro:  We’re not afraid of using cilantro in this recipe.  I know some people who don’t care much for cilantro, so feel free to alter to your personal taste.
• Lime:  Adding the juice of a lime or two adds a fresh pop of flavor.
• Seasoning:  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

How To Make Pico de Gallo

This fresh salsa fresca comes together in about 10 minutes start-to-finish, but it’s tastes best if you refrigerate it for at least an hour before serving.

1. Tomatoes and Onion:  Chop tomatoes and onion (should be a close 50/50 ratio).
2. Garlic:  Smash, peel and finely mince the garlic cloves.
3. Jalapenos:  Slice jalapenos in half and scrape out the seeds and membrane using a spoon.
4. Cilantro:  Coarsely chop a cup of cilantro.
5. Mix:  Toss the ingredients in a large bowl and squeeze lime juice over everything and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Tips

• When chopping the tomatoes, remove as much juice and seeds as possible to prevent the pico from getting weighted down and soggy with liquid.
• If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.  I’ll sometimes also add about 1/2 teaspoon onion powder as well.
• Put plastic wrap over the bowl of Pico de Gallo and refrigerate for an hour or two before serving. It’s much more flavorful if allowed to sit for awhile first for the flavors to blend together.

What is Pico de Gallo

Pico de gallo is sometimes referred to as salsa fresca or raw salsa.  Its traditionally made with fresh tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, cilantro and lime juice.  

Pico de Gallo vs Salsa

Unlike blended salsas with pureed ingredients, Pico de Gallo is a chopped chunky salsa made with fresh raw ingredients. And some salsas have cooked or roasted ingredients, Pico is always is always fresh raw ingredients.

Does Pico de Gallo Have Garlic

Not all Pico de Gallo recipes call for garlic, but we add it here and it adds so much flavor! You can start out by adding just one clove of garlic and then add more as you like.

How Long Will It Last In The Refrigerator

Store salsa fresca (Pico) in an airtight container (or a bowl with covered with plastic wrap) in the refrigerator where it should last up to 3 days. It’ll start to get pretty watery and lose its appeal after that.

Serving Suggestions

• Tortilla Chips: Homemade Tortilla Chips
• Tacos, Taco Bowls & Taco Skillets:   Taco Salad Bowl, Taco Skillet
• Quesadillas: – Baked Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
• Enchiladas:  Green Chicken Enchiladas
• Stuffed Sweet Potatoes: Chicken Fajita Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Burgers: Mexican Avocado Chicken Burgers
• Breakfast burritos, frittatas and skillets:  Healthy Breakfast Burritos, Vegan Breakfast Skillet, Spanish Frittata, Spinach Leek Onion Frittata
• Beans:  Spanish Rice and Beans, Mexican Pinto Beans, Black Beans, Creamy Black Beans with Coconut Milk
• Guacamole:  Homemade Guacamole.  Add a few spoonfuls of pico to your guac the next time you make it and watch it disappear!  So good!

Looking For More Easy Salsa Recipes To Make?

• Homemade Salsa Verde Recipe
• Mango Salsa
• Restaurant Style Salsa

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 6-8 Servings

Pico de Gallo Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

This easy Pico de Gallo Recipe is a versatile recipe that's made with fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice.

Ingredients

• 6 Fresh tomatoes (Roma or regular vine tomatoes)
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2-5 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and minced
• 2-3 jalapenos, sliced in half, seeds and membranes removed
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Instructions

1. Chop tomatoes and onion (should be a close 50/50 ratio).
2. Smash, peel and finely mince the garlic cloves.
3. Slice jalapenos in half and scrape out the seeds and membrane.
4. Coarsely chop a cup of cilantro.
5. Toss the ingredients together in a large bowl and squeeze lime juice over everything and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Notes

Tips

• When chopping the tomatoes, remove as much juice and seeds as possible to prevent the pico from getting weighted down and soggy with liquid.
• If you don't have fresh garlic, you can add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.  I'll sometimes also add about 1/2 teaspoon onion powder as well.
• Put plastic wrap over the bowl of Pico de Gallo and refrigerate for an hour or two before serving. It's much more flavorful if allowed to sit for awhile first for the flavors to blend together.
• Not all Pico de Gallo recipes call for garlic, but we add it here and it adds so much flavor! You can start out by adding just one clove of garlic and then add more as you like.

How Long Will It Last In The Refrigerator

Store in an airtight container (or a bowl covered with plastic wrap) in the refrigerator where it should last up to 3 days. It'll start to get pretty watery and lose its appeal after that.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 31Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 44mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 1g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.