This Pico de Gallo recipe is so easy to make! Ready in 10 minutes and made of fresh tomatoes, cilantro, peppers, onion, and lime.

Pico de Gallo enhances so many recipes! It is delicious on top of eggs in the morning and perfect added to an avocado half with a bit of chicken for lunch. We especially love it as a topping for hamburgers, enchiladas as well as my fish tacos, shrimp tacos, and easy beef tacos. The uses are endless!

Fresh Pico de Gallo in a white serving bowl // addapinch.com

What is Pico de Gallo?

Pico de Gallo is a type of salsa used in Mexican cuisine. It is also referred to as salsa fresca, salsa cruda, and salsa bandera. Pico is a combination of a few fresh chopped ingredients.

Pico is different from other many other salsas. Here is one example. My restaurant-style salsa blends together similar ingredients creating a liquid-based salsa.

White serving bowl with mound of freshly chopped Pico de Gallo, all on marble surface // addapinch.com

Pico de Gallo Recipe

The secret to the best pico is making sure you use the best and freshest ingredients possible. The better the ingredients that you use, the better it will be!

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Tomatoes – I prefer to use a Roma or plum tomato.
  • Peppers – Pico traditionally uses serrano peppers. You can also use jalapeno.
  • Onion – Pico traditionally uses white onion. Use your favorite. I’ve made it with fresh spring onions as well as red onions and loved it!
  • Cilantro – fresh cilantro leaves add so much flavor!
  • Lime zest and juice – Enhances and balances the flavors in this recipe.
  • Salt

How to Make Fresh Pico Salsa

Add all of your tomatoes, peppers, onion, and cilantro to a medium bowl. Zest (secret ingredient!) and juice your lime into the bowl and sprinkle with salt. Stir gently to combine all of the ingredients and serve.

That’s it!

How to Make Ahead and Store

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Fresh cilantro tops a white bowl full of fresh Pico de Gallo // addapinch.com

Here’s my Pico de Gallo recipe. I hope you make some today and enjoy it with many dishes!

Pico de Gallo Recipe

5 from 9 votes
This Pico de Gallo recipe is so easy to make! Ready in 10 minutes and made of fresh tomatoes, cilantro, peppers, onion, and lime.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients 

  • 5 medium tomatoes , (Roma or plum) diced
  • 2 medium peppers , (serrano or jalapeno) deseeded and deveined, diced
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
  • 1 medium lime, zest and juice
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and stir together until well-combined. Pour into serving bowl to serve with chips as an appetizer or to add as a topping to other ingredients.

Notes

Make-Ahead:
Although Pico de Gallo is best made fresh, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days. 
Variations:
Spicier Pico de Gallo: Add more jalapeno pepper and use red onion
Sweeter Pico de Gallo: Use Vidalia onion
 

Nutrition

Calories: 4kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Potassium: 13mg | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Pico de Gallo Recipe - Pico de Gallo has to be one of the simplest recipes to make and adds so, so, so much flavor to any number of dishes as a topping or just right by itself on a chip! // addapinch.com

From the Add a Pinch archives, originally published 2013.

Welcome to Add A Pinch

About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Review




33 Comments

  1. Just wonderful…but never be casual chopping a jalapeño pepper. 
    I made shrimp tacos…heavenly topping

    1. Thanks Kathy! Yes, it’s important to be careful chopping any food, and definitely hot peppers, right?! So glad you enjoyed this – it’s delish atop shrimp tacos! xo

  2. Looks so yummy. But I’m not good at all that dicing so I’ll just have to drool over your beautiful pictures!