Fresh & Easy Pico de Gallo That Transforms Any Meal (original) (raw)

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Overhead view of a bowl of pico de gallow with tortilla chips, salt, lime, and cilantro around it.

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Pico de gallo is one of my favorite fresh summer condiments because it only takes a few minutes to make, and it adds so much fresh, vibrant flavor to all of my meals. It’s one of those amazing recipes that have only a few ingredients but have the power to totally transform a meal. The simple combination of lime, salt, tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro is totally magical, so don’t wait and try this pico de gallo recipe with dinner tonight!

“Excellent and easy to do recipe!! All in my family loved it. Thank you so much!!!”

Rahul Yadav

Easy Recipe for Pico de Gallo

Also known as salsa fresca, this fresh salsa is made with tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, salt, lime, and cilantro. Unlike most jarred salsa that you find in the store, this mix isn’t cooked, so the flavor stays very fresh and vibrant, and the texture is less saucy and more chunky. I like to make a batch for summer cookouts, taco night with friends, or to keep in the fridge for easy snacking during the week. One thing to note? Fresh lime juice is essential here. It adds the perfect acidity to balance the salt and bring all the flavors together. I’ve made this easy recipe more times than I can count, and it disappears fast every. single. time.

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Cost 4.18recipe/4.18 recipe / 4.18recipe/0.35 serving

This fresh and easy pico de gallo only takes a few minutes to make and adds vibrant flavor to your tacos, enchiladas, nachos, and more.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Overhead view of a bowl full of pico de gallo against a yellow background with ingredients and chips all around.

▢ 2 tomatoes (2 cups diced, $2.86*)
▢ 1/2 white onion (1 cup diced, see notes, $0.52**)
▢ 1 jalapeño (optional, $0.33***)
▢ 1 lime ($0.25)
▢ 1/4 cup chopped cilantro ($0.20)
▢ 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
Finely dice the tomato and onion. Remove the stem and seeds from the jalapeño, then finely dice. Finely chop the cilantro. Add the tomato, onion, and cilantro to a bowl.
Squeeze the juice of half the lime over the vegetables in the bowl (about 1 Tbsp). Add a pinch or two of salt, and stir everything to combine. Taste the mixture and add more salt or lime juice to your liking. Allow the salsa to sit for five minutes before serving. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to three days.

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* Tomatoes provide the bulk of the recipe, so make sure to get ripe, juicy, and flavorful tomatoes. Roma tomatoes or small tomatoes on the vine work best, in my opinion.

** Onion provides a savory bite, plus a little crunch. I like to use white onion because it has a nice sharp flavor to contrast the tomato, but you can also go with a sweeter Vidalia onion if you prefer a milder pico de gallo.

*** Jalapeño gives the pico heat, but if you’re sensitive to spicy foods, you can leave the jalapeño out.

Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 7kcalCarbohydrates: 2g (1%)Protein: 0.3g (1%)Fat: 0.1gSodium: 50mg (2%)Fiber: 0.4g (2%)

The nutrition data is automatically calculated using all ingredients listed on the recipe card, including any listed as optional. Percentages are of daily value.

How to Make Pico de Gallo Step-By-Step Photos

Fresh tomato, onion, lime, cilantro and salt on a cutting board Gather your ingredients: Since this is a FRESH tomato salsa, it starts with all fresh ingredients: tomatoes, onion, jalapeño (optional), lime, cilantro, and salt. I like to do a 2:1 ratio of tomato to onion, so I used two small tomatoes and half of an onion. I also prefer to use a sweeter onion for pico de gallo, so it doesn’t overwhelm the salsa, so I used a Vidalia onion. If you’re sensitive to spicy foods, you can skip the jalapeño.

Chopped tomato onion and cilantro in a bowl.

Prep the ingredients: Finely dice the tomatoes and onion, and finely chop the cilantro (about ¼ cup). If using jalapeño, remove the stem and seeds, and then finely dice it.

Lime being squeezed over the bowl of vegetables.

Add the lime juice: Squeeze fresh lime juice over the diced vegetables. For the amount of pico de gallo I am making here, I used about 1 Tbsp of lime juice or the juice of half a lime. The great thing about pico de gallo is that you can just make it according to your own tastes, without measuring anything.

Stirred pico de gallo in the bowl, salt and limes on the side.

Add salt: Season with a pinch or two of salt, then stir everything together. Taste and adjust the salt to your liking. I used about ¼ tsp of salt. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes before serving to allow the juices to extract and flavors to blend. Make sure to give it a good stir just before serving to redistribute the flavor.

Overhead view of a bowl of pico de gallo surrounded by tortilla chips, salt, tomatoes, cilantro, and limes

Serving Suggestions

If you’re wondering how you use this pico de gallo recipe, the answer is “on everything.” It’s a condiment that can be spooned over just about any savory food for an added boost of freshness. Here are a few things I like to spoon it over:

Tacos
Enchiladas
Scrambled eggs
Burritos and burrito bowls
Nachos
Guacamole
Quesadillas
Or just serve as a simple, fresh chip dip!

Storage Instructions

You can eat pico de gallo as soon as it is prepared, but the flavors actually get better as the vegetables marinate in the tomato and lime juice. If you don’t plan to eat it right away, store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days. The peak flavor, in my opinion, is between 2-24 hours. Anything longer than this, and the veggies could become too mushy. To potentially avoid this from happening too quickly, you could prep the veggies, store them in the fridge, and then add the salt and lime juice 5 minutes before serving.

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Beth MoncelI’m a food lover, number cruncher, and meticulous budgeter. I love science and art, and the way they come together when I cook. I love to create, problem solve, and learn new things. Making great food is my passion, my purpose, and my favorite thing to share with others.More About Beth