Homemade Pico de Gallo is quick and easy to make at home in just 5 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients. This authentic Mexican dip is fresh, delicious, and flavorful, made with fresh tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and lime juice. It's no surprise that pico de gallo is a total crowd pleaser and the perfect addition to your next summer fiesta menu.
You really don't need store-bought salsa anymore because it's so easy to make your own and so much healthier and tastier. Wouldn't you pick freshly chopped ingredients over rehydrated vegetables (yes, that is actually a common ingredient in store-bought salsa!). Serve this chunky salsa as a healthy appetizer with tortilla chips or spoon over tacos, quesadillas, and fajitas, or serve on the side with almost any Mexican recipe.
Why You'll Love this Pico de Gallo Recipe
- Quick and easy 5-minute recipe. You read that right — this chunky salsa takes about 5 minutes to make. For homemade pico de gallo, you only need a handful of simple ingredients and a few minutes. It's so much easier than you'd think!
- Made completely from scratch. This easy pico de gallo recipe is made entirely from fresh ingredients, like fresh tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and more. All that fresh produce gives your homemade salsa an equally fresh flavor and helps you avoid any preservatives or unnecessary additives.
- It's customizable. When you make your own salsa at home, you can customize it however you'd like. Kick up the heat with jalapeños or mellow it out, add in avocado, or add in fresh fruit. See or Recipe Variations below for more ideas.
Ingredient Notes
Pico de gallo is a type of salsa made using fresh chopped ingredients. For this recipe, you only need 5 easy ingredients.
- tomatoes - for the best pico de gallo, make sure to use ripe tomatoes.
- onion - dice the onion finely. You can also substitute for red onion.
- cilantro - use fresh cilantro and discard any tough stems.
- lime juice - it's best to use freshly squeezed lime juice for the most potent flavor. You can also add more to taste, as needed.
- salt - we add some salt but you may want to taste the salsa and add more if needed, to taste.
- jalapeño pepper - optional, if you want to spice it up. Add as much as you want.
How to Make the Best Pico de Gallo
To make pico de gallo, all you do is finely dice the 3 veggies (or 4 if you are adding jalapeños), add lime juice, and toss combine. You've got yourself a bowl of fresh red salsa. I told you it was easy!
Recipe Variations
- Add a smoky element. If you have a grill or a gas burner, roast the jalapenos or onions for a smoky flavor.
- Make it spicy. Add an extra jalapeno pepper or two, or choose a spicier pepper, like serranos. Another option is to add a splash of hot sauce or a dash of cayenne pepper. Just remember that you can always add more, but you can't take any away!
- Add fresh fruits. Fresh pineapple or mango are a perfect match for this homemade pico de gallo recipe. They aren't traditional, but the tangy sweetness works wonderfully with the hot peppers and fresh tomatoes in this delicious salsa. See our Mango Salsa recipe for more.
How to Serve Pico de Gallo
Serve a bowl of Pico de Gallo with a plate of tortilla chips and dip away. You can also serve it over baked nachos, tacos, or as a spread in a burrito. It goes with pretty much any Mexican-inspired meal that you can think of. Some of my favorites to serve pico de gallo with are:
- Baked Chicken Quesadillas
- Carne Asada Tacos
- Sheet Pan Nachos
- Beef and Bean Burritos
- Shrimp Fajitas
- Crispy Refried Bean Tacos
For more recipes, see our 30 Mexican Recipes for Cinco de Mayo.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Prep ahead. Once you slice fresh tomatoes, they'll begin to release lots of moisture. To prevent your homemade pico de gallo from becoming too watery, set the chopped tomatoes in a strainer over a bowl for a couple of hours before adding the other ingredients.
- Use fresh ingredients. With such a simple recipe, quality makes a big difference. Use the freshest ingredients you can find, including fresh lime juice, instead of the bottled stuff.
- Look for low-moisture tomatoes. You can use any type of fresh tomatoes you like, but Roma tomatoes and other paste tomatoes are ideal for this purpose. They have firm, flavorful flesh and much less of the seedy mucilage mixture in the middle.
Storing Instructions
Like other homemade salsas, pico de gallo doesn't last very long. I recommend storing it in an airtight container in the fridge and eating it within 3-4 days at the longest. Towards the end, the veggies will start to soften and lose their texture. You may also need to strain off excess moisture from the tomatoes, so consider serving with a slotted spoon.
FAQ
In English, the Spanish name "pico de gallo" translates to "beak of rooster." The origin of the name is unclear, but there are several different origin stories. Some people say the name comes from how people used to eat pico by pinching their thumb and forefinger together in the shape of a rooster's beak. Others believe it's named after the shape of the serrano pepper, which resembles a pointed beak. Perhaps it gets its name from how the spicy peppers will bite you back or how the finely chopped ingredients resemble bird food. It's not totally clear where the name comes from, but that doesn't make it any less delicious or essential to your favorite Mexican recipes.
It really depends on the recipe you use and the specific jalapeño peppers on hand. Some varieties are really mild, so they add that pepper flavor without the heat. If you like lots of heat, look for medium to hot peppers or try adding a serrano. If you don't like heat at all, just skip the pepper completely for a mild salsa.
Although the basic ingredients are very similar, pico de gallo is made with finely chopped ingredients, whereas salsa fresca is blended or pureed. They're both made with fresh ingredients, like tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc., so the main difference is the consistency of the sauce.
More Mexican Dip Recipes
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Recipe
Pico de Gallo
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Homemade Pico de Gallo is quick and easy to make at home in just 5 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients. This authentic Mexican dip is fresh, delicious, and flavorful, made with fresh tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and lime juice. It's no surprise that pico de gallo is a total crowd pleaser and the perfect addition to your next summer fiesta menu.
Ingredients
- 4 medium tomatoes, diced
- ½ medium onion, diced
- ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
- juice of 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3-6 slices jalapeño pepper (to taste)
- tortilla chips (for serving)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
- Transfer to a small serving bowl and serve with tortilla chips.
Notes
Make it in the food processor: Combine all ingredients together in a food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached (I like to keep the salsa chunky). This version is called salsa fresca.
Adjust the spiciness: For a spicy salsa, add jalapeño peppers. To keep the salsa mild, omit the jalapeño peppers.
How to store: Like other homemade salsas, pico de gallo doesn't last very long. I recommend storing it in an airtight container in the fridge and eating it within 3-4 days at the longest. Towards the end, the veggies will start to soften and lose their texture. You may also need to strain off excess moisture from the tomatoes, so consider serving with a slotted spoon.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dip
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: Mexican
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Rebecca Blackwell says
A neighbor brought over a whole bunch of late season tomatoes that she picked from her garden and THIS is what I did with them. It was absolutely delicious. My husband and I ate so much of it we didn't need dinner. 🙂 Thanks for a great, simple recipe.
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thanks so much for your feedback, Rebecca!! So glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli says
This salsa is so much better than the store-bought one! So fresh and easy to make and we like that little kick from the jalapeno. Bring on the tortilla chips!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Oh yeah, agreed!!
Rob says
Just FYI, this is pico de gallo, not salsa (though still a perfectly good recipe for pico)
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thanks for clarifying! You learn something new every day 🙂