Do you love pico de gallo like I do? It’s a classic Mexican tomato dip (or sauce) that adds a fresh, healthy, low-calorie boost of flavor to just about any Mexican meal.
When I was little, I piled pico de gallo on my tortilla chips at our nearby Mexican restaurant and called it dinner (refill, please). I didn’t fully appreciate pico de gallo’s wonder, though, until my family traveled to Mexico one summer when I was in college.
We stayed at an all-you-can-eat resort, which meant all-you-can-eat pico de gallo. Their pico de gallo was super fresh and utterly irresistible, and I piled it onto every single meal. Eggs! Tortillas! Beans! Spaghetti, even! Why not?
It’s funny that I’ve shared so many variations on pico de gallo over the years, but never my classic pico de gallo recipe. Today is the day. Let’s make pico de gallo while the tomatoes are still good.
Pico de gallo is so easy to make. You will need only five ingredients (six if you count the salt): ripe red tomatoes, white onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime and salt. That’s it!
What’s the difference between pico de gallo and salsa?
Pico de gallo shares the same basic ingredients as traditional red salsa, but the preparation methods are different.
Pico de gallo always uses raw, diced ingredients. It’s less wet, and it adds a wonderful chunky texture and substance to tacos and more. Salsa can call for roasted or stewed tomatoes, and is generally closer to a purée in texture.
Both are delicious, both go great with guacamole, and I often layer pico de gallo over salsa for double the flavor (if only you could see my regular burrito bowl order at Chipotle).
Pico de Gallo Translation & Pronunciation
I bet Chipotle calls their pico de gallo “tomato salsa” since it’s easier to say! You might also see it called salsa fresca (fresh sauce). Pico de gallo literally translates to “rooster’s beak,” but no one’s exactly sure why.
Here’s how to pronounce pico de gallo in unofficial Kate-style mark-up: PEE-koh day GUY-yoh.
Watch How to Make Pico de Gallo
How to Make the Best Pico de Gallo
Here are my top tips to ensure that you make the best pico de gallo you’ve ever had.
1) Use ripe red tomatoes.
Ripe tomatoes are absolutely key to making great pico de gallo. Sad pink tomatoes do not make good pico de gallo. Roma tomatoes are a good choice since they are less watery, but use the most beautiful red, ripe tomato variety available. Core your tomatoes and remove the seeds before chopping. Use every last bit of the red tomato flesh inside!
In the winter, you can use cherry tomatoes, which tend to have good flavor year-round. Be prepared to chop them into small pieces, and perhaps give the finished product some extra time to marinate since cherry tomatoes tend to be more firm than most.
2) Chop your ingredients very finely.
Chop your tomato, onion, jalapeño and cilantro finely and you will be rewarded with more flavor in every bite. This is worth the extra effort!
3) Let the onion, jalapeno, lime and salt marinate while you chop the tomatoes and cilantro.
I learned this trick from this recipe. I’ve tested pico de gallo both ways (marinated onion/jalapeño vs. tossing all the ingredients together at once). The marinated onion/jalapeño batches were indeed my most flavorful batches.
Full disclosure: It’s possible that my tomatoes for those batches were better, so I’m not entirely convinced that the method made the difference. This “step” doesn’t take any extra time, though, so I recommend it.
4) Let your pico rest for 15 minutes before serving.
This step gives the flavors time to mingle and brings out their best. As the tomatoes and remaining ingredients rest, the salt draws the moisture out of the ingredients and condenses their flavor.
Try your pico de gallo before and after marinating, and you’ll see what I mean! If you won’t be serving the pico de gallo immediately, you can refrigerate it for several hours or even overnight.
5) Serve with a slotted spoon.
Tomatoes release a good amount of moisture, so you will see some tomato juice pool at the bottom of your bowl. The easiest solution here is to serve your pico de gallo with a slotted spoon or large serving fork.
This way, you don’t transfer a ton of moisture with your pico. Say no to soggy nachos!
Uses for Pico de Gallo
You can basically treat pico de gallo like salsa. It’s a healthy and refreshing condiment welcome on any of the following:
- Tacos
- Nachos
- Quesadillas
- Burritos and burrito bowls
- Tostadas
- Huevos rancheros
- Enchiladas
- Or serve it as a dip with tortilla chips, of course!
Pico de Gallo Variations
Remember, tomatoes are a fruit! You can simply replace the tomato with other tender fruits like mango, peaches, pineapple strawberries, or even sweet corn, and adjust to taste.
Sometimes, I’ll use red onion instead of white, or add a red bell pepper for crunch, or throw in an avocado. Here are some variations on pico de gallo that I’ve made and loved:
- Chunky avocado salsa
- Corn salsa
- Mango salsa
- Peach salsa
- Pineapple salsa (or see my cookbook, page 106)
- Strawberry salsa
Looking for more classic Mexican dips and sauces to pair with your pico de gallo? Don’t miss my favorite red salsa and guacamole recipe (seriously, they’re the best). More Mexican recipes here!
As always, please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments! I’m excited to hear how you serve your pico de gallo, and please share any tips you might have.
Classic Pico de Gallo
- Author:
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Category: Dip
- Method: Chopped
- Cuisine: Mexican
This pico de gallo recipe is fresh, delicious and easy to make! You’ll need only 5 ingredients to make this classic Mexican dip—tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeño and lime. Recipe yields about 4 cups (about 8 servings).
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely chopped white onion (about 1 small onion)
- 1 medium jalapeño or serrano pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped (decrease or omit if sensitive to spice, or add another if you love heat)
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, more to taste
- 1 ½ pounds ripe red tomatoes (about 8 small or 4 large), chopped
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (about 1 bunch)
Instructions
- In a medium serving bowl, combine the chopped onion, jalapeño, lime juice and salt. Let it marinate for about 5 minutes while you chop the tomatoes and cilantro.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cilantro to the bowl and stir to combine. Taste, and add more salt if the flavors don’t quite sing.
- For the best flavor, let the mixture marinate for 15 minutes or several hours in the refrigerator. Serve as a dip, or with a slotted spoon or large serving fork to avoid transferring too much watery tomato juice with your pico. Pico de gallo keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Notes
Change it up: Add a diced avocado to the mixture, or see my list provided above the recipe for alternatives to tomatoes.
Cilantro haters: You can significantly decrease the amount of cilantro used, or omit it completely if you insist! I don’t recommend substituting parsley here.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Francis K. Leach
Google “Manual Food Processor”. I bought a hand-cranked food processor at the Texas State Fair years ago for $20. If I used it for nothing more than to make prefectly chopped
Kate
I will have to look into that!
Francis K. Leach
Comment posted before I completed it.
pico de gallo it is worth its weight in gold. I use my everything I need chopped anything. Make sure to get a hand-cranked processor, as there are other kinds.
Kate
Thank you, Francis! Pico is quite wonderful. Happy you agree!
Julie
I love Pico De Gallo but hate all of the fine chopping. Could food processor or some other tool be used to cut down on the amount of chopping I will need to do?
Kate
Hi Julie! I’m afraid a food processor will tear up the onion and tomato and make them extra-watery. However, Francis recommends using a hand-cranked food processor, which I’ve never tried, so that might be worth investigating. For what it’s worth, the best $30 I ever spent was at a local knife skills class! I’m much faster and more efficient now.
Barbara
Suggestions regarding food processor: Breville Sous Chef Peel & Dice (3 disc sizes) is the best food processor ever and powerful. I use it for tons of recipes as we are plant based. I watched some YouTube videos first which helped me decide on the purchase. It’s pricey but worth every penny if you do a lot of food prep imho. Bought mine on Sur la Table.
This is a fabulous recipe which is, yay, plant based. . Thanks!
★★★★★
Mary
Tupperware has a new hand crank chopper. Perfect for salsa.
★★★★★
Kate
Good to know! Thanks for sharing!
Danielle
Hi! The secret for the food processor is to do the onion and jalapeño first. Then add salt and cilantro, pulse a bit and finally add the tomato. Works perfectly and the tomatoes still look like tomatoes. Enjoy! :)
★★★★★
Genaro Cervantes
You can add a pinch of oregano
Kate
That sounds like an interesting combination, Genaro!
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite
Loved reading this post; so informative! I never even knew the difference before between salsa and pico de gallo. I’ve known this as “fresh salsa”…which I adore so I’ll definitely be making this! :)
Kate
Well thank you, Brittany! I would say fresh is still an accurate description. :) Glad you found it insightful!
Julia m
This is lovely I will try at home thank you
★★★★★
Kate
Be sure to report back, Julia!
Mahalakshmi Christensen
FYI: Salsa cruda means raw/uncooked salsa/sauce and the pronunciation is: PEE-koh day GUY-yoh
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you! Your pronunciation suggestion sounds more like it, so I updated the post accordingly. :)
Kate
Thanks for sharing!
Raine
Sorry that is not how you pronounce it. According to Wiktionary and some of my Mexican friends, it is.
IPA(key): /ˈpi.ko.deˈɡa.ʎo/, /ˈpi.ko.deˈɡa.ʝo/
But, whatever way you pronounce it, Kate’s version is fantastic!
Deborah
Your phonetic spelling is spot on.
★★★★★
Amy West
My mouth is watering. This classic sounds perfect. Thank you.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome!
Shaun @ 10Warriors
Looks like fluffy white rice instead of onions :) Thats my carb addiction talking sorry lol.
trying to switch to healthier foods.. slowly.. been juciing the last 2 weeks and have now nailed a couple we like,, and eating far better.. just trying to nail some better meal choices now.. Thanks for the recipes.. Shaun
★★★★★
Kate
Ha, definitely not rice. :) Let me know what you think, Shaun!
Shaun Baird
Will do.. Thanks.. looked again, still looks like rice lol. Sorry….
★★★★★
Sue Owens
I prepare my pico de gallo pretty close to your recipe. I almost always have some on hand because it’s so fresh, healthy and delicious. I change it up depending on what I have available but I grow almost everything in my garden so that helps. I prefer Roma tomatoes because they’re very meaty but I don’t remove the seeds. I use 1-2 jalapeños depending on who’s sharing. I’ve also changed up the peppers. I’ve used red, white, yellow and green onions. I add minced garlic. I’ve used shallots to replace onion and garlic. I like to add a bit of cumin to mine because I love it. I use fresh lime but bottled lemon or lime juice works in a jam. I also dice the onion, garlic and jalapeño and mix with lime juice ahead of time. It tenderizes them and creates a better flavor. The fun part about cooking is trying new things. I’m looking forward to trying out some of your other salsa. Mango sounds like a winner!
J
The marination (?) Makes ALL the difference in the world! My husband usually plows right through my ‘throw it in the bowl and mix’ version – but this! I always wanted to tweak it after I combined the ingredients- something was always a little off… Thank you so much! This step was the missing link! I have to double down on ingredients just to get some from now on Perfect.
★★★★★
Sheenam | thetwincookingproject.net
Oh my! This looks so good!!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you! I would love to hear what you think about it, Sheenam.
Gaby Dalkin
YUM! Now, all I need is a bag of tortilla chips!
Kate
Thanks, Gaby! Hope your travels are treating you nicely! :)
Kate
Hi Len, that’s one explanation for the name but there are others. I’d love for you to try this recipe and let me know how it turns out—I think you’d like it even more after it’s marinated in lime juice.
Megan
I’ve always wanted to try and make this. I picked up some fresh tomatoes today and will give. This a try for dinner tomorrow!
★★★★★
Kate
What did you think, Megan?!
Dennis
I’ve always been a toss everything together at once person. Letting the chilies, onion and lime marinate is definitely better. Thanks Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Dennis!
Katie
This was super easy to make and tasted so good! I used it in a black bean soup recipe and loved the taste!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Katie!
Tiffany
Perfect. Just perfect. As good as the best pico de gallo I can find in Los Angeles.
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! I love it. Thanks for sharing, Tiffany.
Nathan
Awesome recipe! I make it every week!
★★★★★
Kate
Every week?! That’s awesome! Thank you, Nathan, for your review.
Gee
I made the Pico de Gallo and my son thought I’d purchased it. It was that good and so fresh. I believe that marinating the onion, jalapeno and salt makes a difference and for the better.
I’m so glad I clicked this link after my search. Your other recipes are looking tempting. Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you clicked the link too and loved the recipe, Gee!
Raine
Actually, Kate, it is pronounced Peeko da Gah-yo. The a has an, ah sound. But nearly everyone pronounces the Gallo as Guy-o. I make my pico like yours, except, I add a bit of minced garlic, and hardly any-to-none cilantro. Love your recipes!
Raine
forgot the y on day
Raine
Ok. Now I am sounding a little picky. Sorry y’all.
Kate
Thank you for your input, Raine!
Terri Story
This is the best pico I have ever made – thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Terri! Thank you for sharing.
Rebecca B.
Oh don’t mind me while I put this on EVERYTHING! So good!
★★★★★
Kate
I love it! Thank you for your review, Rebecca!
Elaine
I sadly have to leave out the cilantro, because to me it tastes like soap and spoils the entire dish. But it tastes delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
That is a thing! I’m glad you like it without, Elaine.
C G cannon
Loved it. Added extra cilantro. I make it about every other week. So very fresh and a great snack!
★★★★★
Melanie
This salsa was phenomenal, and I have made a lot of salsa. I had sweet, ripe Camparis, which are the next-best thing to garden fresh tomatoes, so that made a difference. But I think your trick of marinading the onion and jalapeno in the lime juice and salt is genius. I will never make salsa another way again! Thanks!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so happy you liked it, Melanie! Thanks so much for your review.
Kathy
Made this pretty much the same way except I used Roma tomatoes. I used 1/2 white onion, 3 large tomatoes, 1 large jalapeño with ribs and seeds removed. Juice of three limes and salt to taste. I did as you suggested and soaked the onions and jalapeño while I cut up the tomato. It’s delicious!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Kathy!
Mary
I added a big pinch of oregano and smoked paprika. Nice touch .
I love your recipe.
Ok yes you can hot water bath any salsa. Do not cook salsa. Fill sterile jars, seal, dip jars in hot water before loading canner or large pot. Start slowly to not break jars. Now boil for 20 minutes. Let jars sit on dish towel. Check for seal
Listen for pop of seal. This recipe cans perfect. I use it all winter. Tastes fresh.
★★★★★
Jaime
I have been canning it too and it’s the best pico I’ve ever had!!!
★★★★★
Betty Curran
Omgosh Kate I just made your Pico de Gallo and I think (and my husband agrees) that it’s the best I’ve ever made. In my ever so humble opinion (smiles) marinating the onion, jalapeno and salt in lime before chopping the tomatoes and cilantro made all the difference and it’s so healthy.
BTW your Verde Salsa with tomatillos is amazing as well.
★★★★★
dan
shalom kate, this post comes just in time. here is northen israel, ripe toms are just coming into the shuk. bought 2 kilos today, mean to make pico de gallo tomorrow tomorrow for Shabat. maybe also shatta.
thanks, dan brock. tsfat israel
Lisa Zlotziver
I’ve been making both pico de gallo and salsa for years now. I live in Fort Lauderdale, and grow plum tomatoes all year. I do something a little different, though, and it’s delicious. Instead of the usual lime juice, I use a sour orange (found in Carribean markets, mainly used in conch salads), which gives a distinct, great flavor. Grapefruit also is interesting, but the sour orange is best. I use 2 big bunches of cilantro in mine, and fresh ground black pepper, too. The watery juice left in the bottom of the bowl taste terrific over either mashed or baked potatoes, even noodles or yellow, saffron rice. Or, if you’re as bad as me, you’ll unashamedly drink it!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Lisa!
Ian Jones
Absolutely wonderful!!! I used serrano peppers for a little extra kick and it worked great.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Ian!
Jenny
It’s good! I just made it, I think you are right about having good tomatoes too. I didn’t have super quality tomatoes but it was still so good! Next time l, well when I can afford it, I want to try it with heirloom. I bet it would taste so dope dude!
★★★★★
Kate
Heirloom would be so pretty! Thanks for your comment, Jenny.
Jim Scarborough
Kate, Your recipe is spot on. Thanks for sharing it.
I also have a few variations that are worth trying. First, try adding a little finely diced, seeded and peeled cucumber. It is a great addition. Also, a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil is really good with pico de gallo.
Since there are many people who don’t care for jalapeño and cilantro, I usually add very little of either but put a small dish of each on the table so those who want to can add more. I also put hot sauce on the table for those who want to add it.
★★★★★
carol bittner
Anxious to try this; looks soo yummy!! Love seeing you on FB
Kate
Thank you, CaroL!
Mona Scott
Best pico ever! It makes you want to eat it by the spoonful.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you love it, Mona!
Randy & Sandi
Old Texas boy here. Just right for pico de gallo. I add a little fresh chopped garlic to mine. A tablespoon of this in EVERY cup of beans..muy bueno. Randy
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Randy!
Terence McGovern
Excellent recipe never thought of letting 1st four items marinate, after I add tomatoes and cilantro let sit for 1.5 hrs. It was the best Pico de Gallo we have ever had, had it black beans and rice and steak also my spouse uses on eggs. Thank you Terry
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing and taking the time to review, Terry! I’m glad you found a great use for it.
Jessica Lehr
Very yummy! Loved it just as is. I used a large Serrano Chile and it came out perfect. Pairs well with salty tortilla chips
Kate
Thank you for your comment, Jessica!
Sally Hart
Hi!
I made this recipe today to go with chicken fajitas. We come from Texas and my grown kids want Mexican for the 4th of July!
Your recipe and instructions were perfect. My tomatoes were grainy for some reason (refrigerated somewhere?) but other then a lot of liquid it came out wonderful-and the extra liquid is good on rice or in beans. Thank you.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! Tomatoes can vary, depending on season and location grown. Thanks for sharing, Sally!
Michelle in Zurich
Wow!!! Made this this evening.
It replicates the taste and texture of the very best, most incredible Mexican restaurant we’ve been visiting here in Zurich, Switzerland over the past 20 years. Thank you so much for sharing it.
PS. I love your site, especially for all the vegetarian and healthy recipes. Should’ve posted this long ago…
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so glad! Thank you for sharing, Michelle.
Linda Marie Anderson
My go-to Pico recipe, thanks for sharing Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Linda!
Ginger
We tried this recipe recently and used it on so many dishes! Now I have made it to share with my daughter and her family. Can hardly wait for the tacos tonight!!!
★★★★★
Kate
What did you think, Ginger?
Ginger
The tacos were fantastic. What was best was our son-in-law’s delight at seeing how easy the recipe is to make.
Jay M
Great recipe! I used a little less cilantro and used the results for a pasta salad. Tossed penne to coat with olive oil, then added diced cucumber and the pico. It took a pinch more sale but wow!!! Thanks so much for your quick and easy pico! — Jay
★★★★★
Gloria
I made this Pico de Gallo X three yesterday for a family celebration and they loved it. My Grandson said this is the best Pico I have ever had, usually there isn’t enough and this is perfect. That was certainly a lot of finely cut up vegetables, but it was worth it to see how everyone loved it.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for you comment, Gloria!
Cazmo
Adding the avocado and cummin is great paired with chips. I call it pico de guac! :)
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing!
Kathleen
It’s called pico de gallo because that’s what your fingers and thumb look like when you pick it up to put it on your food – A rooster’s beak!! =]
Kate
That’s too funny, Kathleen!
Josh
Made this tonight and my GF told me she’s never cooking again. I’d say this recipe was a hit, thank you!
Kate
Great to hear, Josh!
Denise Isom
Any thoughts on canning this? I live in the Midwest and have limited access to garden tomatoes. Mine are going to be ready in the next few weeks and I like to can as much as possible. Thanks!
Kate
Unfortunately, I’m not an expert in canning.
Oliva Colon
Does it have to use the same day?
Kate
It can be severed leftover, but it will start to release some juice.
Matt
Pico De gallo is my absolute favorite Salsa type dish to make! The variations are endless and delicious… This batch is going to be used for a Taco Salad tonight for dinner. I will also use it for my Signature dish that I try to make at least twice a year or so! And that dish is Eggs Benedict with Filet mignon topped with Pico de Gallo and my Hellfire Hollandaise sauce… So it is a nice and crispy english muffin on top of that is a 4oz Filet mignon then the delicately poached egg topped with that delicious Pico and then drizzled with Hellfire sauce… I won Best Egg Benedict dish in Chester County Pennsylvania a few years ago and got reviewed in the local paper! It was a really cool accolade considering I have fought health issues my whole life and always try to push myself and better myself!
★★★★★
KatP
Hi I can’t get fresh jalapeño chilies at my supermarket in the UK, can I use pickled/jarred ones or am I better using a normal fresh green chili? Thanks
Helen Clipsom
Hi Katp, I’m from Bradford West yorks. I mke this with the large Red chillies from India – you can often get these in supermarkets though I get them from the Asian Market as they are a bit hotter. Similar to serra no chillies which I was told are the originals
★★★★★
Kat
first time on your website. Love the pico de gallo and salsa recipe ideas thank you
★★★★★
Kandi
Loved the Pico de Gallo recipe!!!!
★★★★★
Susan
Hi! I I love to can and wanted to try Pico over salsa this year, but I’m concerned that the heat process, which would be about 15 min, would take the just – fresh taste and texture away. Have you tried canning using your recipe or know of anyone who has done so successfulky? Thanks!
Kate
Hi Susan! Sorry, I’m not an expert with canning. Since this is a fresh type salsa, I don’t think adding head would get you what you want. Maybe check-out my best 10-minute salsa!
Susan
Hi again. I had time to read comments and saw that you’ve already answered my question re canning to someone earlier. Considering the fantastic reviews, def going to make it with the items I’ll be harvesting from my garden this weekend. Thanks!
Sheena
I am incredibly glad to have found this recipe! Marinating the lime, onion and jalapeño was definitely a good call! Sure the chopping by hand took a solid 45 mins to get a nice, uniformed mixture but it was well worth all the the work! It tasted incredible on my carnitas tonight! Thank you so much
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you thought the time was worth it, Sheena! Thanks for your review.
Leona
This is a great recipe. I’m Vegan and grow much of my own food.
★★★★★
Bethany
I love making this with the yellow mangoes which are more tart. It compliments this mix so well. I looked this up after I was done making mine to make sure I didn’t forget anything. Now I am exited to try the marinated method next time!
★★★★★
Ruth
Just made some! Smells delicious and I can’t wait to try it with my nachos!!!!
Karin Kaufman
This is just so good. I only recently discovered your recipe and now I make it almost every day.
★★★★★
Jennifer
Amazing! I’ve never had luck with making pico de gallo at home, but with your recipe, I finally had success.
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Jennifer. I appreciate your review.
Therese Dmytryshak
Use one of those slap-chop devices such as Pampered Chefs “food chopper” for the peppers and onion. I do not like it for tomatoes….. hand chopping them is best to avoid turning them to mush.
Kate
Thanks for the tip!
Ron
It was amazing!! Next time I’ll take a pic.
★★★★★
María Navarro
Excellent and easy to do recipe!! All in my family loved it. Thank you so much!!! Greetings from Germany
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Maria!
Mary Chamberlain
This recipe is the same as the one I use except that I use dried cilantro. I’m one of those odd individuals that experiences the soapy taste to cilantro. I frequently take it to potlucks wirh tortilla chips. There is never any left.
★★★★★
Diane
Hi, I tried your pico de gallo recipe, and the flavor was excellent. I wanted heat, so I added 2 decent sized jalapenos. I don’t remember how much heat there was after tasting, before refrigerating, but after keeping in the refrigerator, there was absolutely no heat at all the next day. When I looked at the ratio of all the ingredients, I could see there was a lot of diced jalapeno. Can you tell me if you might know of a reason there was no heat at all or possibly let me know what I need to do for the next batch to get plenty of heat. Thank you.
Kate
Hi Diane! You could leave in some of the seeds of the jalapeno. That would give you more heat for sure!
Diane Haines
Thank you so much, Kate. I’ll definitely try that.
★★★★
Lenora Barnes
I made this and couldn’t resist putting in a touch of freshly ground cumin. (my favourite spice)
Absolutely delicious! Thank you
★★★★★
TIMOTHY HOLT
Loved reading your Pico recipe, can’t wait to try it. You sound like a gal who knows what she’s doing. Is there a FB to follow?
Kate
Hi Timothy! You can follow me on Instagram or Facebook! @cookieandkate
Stormy
I made it and it was good the first night but by the second night exceptional is a better way to describe it. But I am not an overly fond of Mexican dishes and sadly the time has come to throw it out and hope the next batch tastes as good. 4 days is just not long enough for keeping it.
★★★★★
Jaci
My boyfriend and I use this recipe every time we want pico de gallo, which tends to be when we do Carne asada tacos and guacamole. It comes out awesome every time! We like quite a bit of kick though, so we tend to leave some of the seeds when cutting the jalapeno and its adds a decent amount of spice.
Mark bumbernick
You’re a dang writer!
alnc
Good recipe. Jalapenos very in both size and heat so I’d suggest tasting and deciding how to go with them. I used 4 peppers which were medium heat. I also zested 2 limes and put the zest as well as the juice into the bowl. I liked your tip regarding putting the peppers, onion, and lime juice together to marinate while cutting up the tomatoes and cilantro. I think it helped smooth out the onion taste.
A tip that I’ve picked up from Mexican cooks is to chop the white onion, put it into a strainer and dip it into some cold water for a few minutes, then pull out and drain the water. It makes the onion a little more mellow.
★★★★★
Kathy
This is a great, authentic tasting Pico de Gallo! I made it to serve with my tortilla soup like my favorite Mexican restaurant serves it! I am the only one who eats it so I decreased the ingredients to make a smaller batch. I omitted the jalapeño because my soup was really spicy! Loved it!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you like it, Kathy! Thanks so much for sharing.
Bernard
I’ve made your recipe got Pico-de-Gallo quite few times now and it’s fabulous granted I’m making minor changes depending on ingredients and I made your Mango Salsa a couple of times both are absolutely lovely and very very tasty
★★★★★
Tina
This recipe is magnificent. I reduced chili powder to 1 tsp and omitted the cumin due to intolerance. I also made a fresh pico de gallo and made fresh black beans. It was unbelievably delicious.
★★★★★
BlznBajan
I love this recipe, stumble on it and now i make it often, to serve with my Carne Asada , i like to add a little Garlic and cucumber to it.
★★★★
Michelle G
Excellent recipe but I decreased ingredients as only needed about 1 cup in total, thanks
★★★★★
Jade
Absolutely delicious! Because in these times, my grocery store didn’t have cilantro and I did use parsley instead. I was obsessed, whole thing gone in like 8 hours.
★★★★★
John K
Since you are removing the seeds from the tomatoes, have you ever tried saving and planting the seeds? The process may not work so well with hybrid or store bought tomatoes but if you’re getting the tomatoes from your garden, it’s easy to do and is a great way to have seeds to start next season’s plants! We did this was some San Marzano style Roma plants we found last year and started the seeds in February and just moved them to the garden. If you haven’t tried it, I got the tips here.
Kate
Hey John, I hadn’t thought of that, but what a fun idea! I’m growing tomato plants for the first time right now, from some heirloom seeds I purchased on Etsy. Thanks for sharing!
Jim Bennett
I add bell pepper, finally chopped for some added crunch and nutrition. I also discovered this at a State Fair with a hand crank food processor. The presenter added half a jalapeño which adds some heat.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Jim!
John K
Got off to a rough start… I used regular tomatoes rather than romas. The serrano pepper apparently didn’t make it past the checkout line so I had to sub a few slices of pickled jalopena and it didn’t give off enough heat for my taste and then while I was busy making fish tacos my wife transferred from mixing to serving bowl without using a slotted spoon so it was wetter than it should’ve been. However, even with those mistakes, it was fantastic! The best pico I’ve ever had!
It was great on the fish tacos and we finished off the remains next day with nachos. It sounded like there would be too much so we only made a half recipe but now that we’ve tried it the next run will be a full recipe and I’m sure it will be better once we correct our mistakes! I also expect it will only get better once our home-grown romas start arriving. This is going to be a regular occupant of our refrigerator for sure!
★★★★★
P
Can I make this without the pepper? Food sensitivity in my house?
Kate
Sure! Just omit it.
Sìne
Made it to go with our carnitas tonight! Loved! Thank you for the recipe ❤
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Sine!
George
Made exactly as written. Would have given you 20 stars if I could .Delicious thanks for the recipe
★★★★★
Wendy Perez
Esta receta es muy similar a como preparamos el Pico en Latino America. Los que protestan tener que picar los vegetales no son cocineros de raiz. El arte de la cocina esta en la preparacion. Picar es un arte, no una escalavitud. Gracias por compartir para que los Norte Americanos puedan disfrutar los sabores deliciosos de nuestros paises. Besos y abrazos.
★★★★★
Priscilla
Delicious!! Made the Perfect topping for fish tacos.
★★★★★
Diane
This is truly my go-to recipe for pico de gallo. My husband and I love it, and we use this stuff often and in so many ways. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
DCR
Very good, made in food processor, used a bit more lime. Delicious.
★★★★★
Terry
I love this… fresh, healthy and delicious. I put it on top of avocados on my avocado toast. Yum.
★★★★★
Jack Schraven
I’ve used your recipe and love it. For a different taste, try mixing in a chopped up fresh peach or some mango.
★★★★★
Mario
The excess well marinated juices actually make a great base for a delicious homemade vinegrete. I love topping my leafy greens with pico so this comes in handy often.
Lee
Thank you for the lovely recipe! I sadly detest any and all onions (I want to like them, believe me) and raw jalapenos, so we made it with pickled/marinated jalapenos instead, and it was *mwah* perfection! Thank you again!
★★★★★
Diana Paris
I made this today, exactly as the recipe says too. OMG delicious! I tasted to see if it needed extra salt but nope it was perfect. It is now sitting in the fridge for 15 minutes. Can’t imagine it will taste any better but you’ve been right so far, so 15 minutes it is.
Diana
★★★★★
Ariel
Can’t often say this, but that was a perfect recipe. The lime is so yum. I like a little heat, so I left half the ribs/seeds in from the jalapeno.
★★★★★
Jay
Made it today.
Didn’t take long and I like the idea of mixing the onions jalapeño and lime juice and let marinate while chopping the tomatoes.
Thank you my wife and I enjoyed it
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you both were able to enjoy it, Jay! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Deb
Wonderful recipe. Can I can this?? Or, so I need to c ok it first?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Deb, I’m not a canning expert so I don’t have insight for you. Sorry! I do believe some type of cooking would need to take place to can.
Alesia Porter
Saved my life as I missed up and put too much onion and not enough tomato also couldn’t remember if I needed lime or lemon juice. Only seen this after it was done so and given to some-one, so had no idea what type of juice to put in either. Looks beautiful!!!!
Debi Zendejas
I can’t wait to try this recipe, it’s a little different than the way I make mine. I have a question though: you don’t use any garlic, why not? I’m wondering if my Pico de Gallo would taste better, if I didn’t put any in. I usually use about 5-6 cloves of garlic.
Also, try it over cream cheese as a dip, with tortilla chips, it’s so yummy. Thanks.
-Debi
Kate
Hi Debi, I really like the results of this recipe. If you have other preferences, I say go for it!
Shaunn
Don’t discard the pico liquid. Add it to the seed arils (which should always be saved).
Strain thru sieve. Use for fabulous Bloody Marys. Or add to oil for a tasty vinaigrette. Or, sometimes I whip with cream cheese for a yummy dip.
★★★★★
Lori Tubbs
Absolutely LOVED this! Made a. Arch for friends, rave reviews, made a batch for my family..gone immediately, took neighbor the goodies from my garden so she could make and gone faster than fast! Do you ever can this? I’ve seen options with similar recipe booked then canned.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad it was a hit, Lori! Thank you for letting me know. This one wasn’t designed for canning, sorry!
John Hooker
I’m fanatic about celery so adding 1 large stalk, diced, could be a crunchy counterpoint to jalapeno. Also esthetically mixes more green veg to the
predominant RED of the Pico.
If not celery I suggest scraped diced okra, adding an unexpec-
ted flavor for readers who may
have used too much jalapeno.
Crosch
The marinating definitely makes a difference! I also added some green bell pepper and same Goya Adobo seasoning instead of straight salt.
★★★★
dee
Absolutely phenomenal!!! My sister in law is from Mexico and this is far superior to hers (shhhh, don’t tell her!). I could eat this all on its own haha. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Steve Wiseman
Hi Kate,
First time garden grower here. I decided to try a garden. Wow! Have I enjoyed this adventure more than I could of guessed! Now I have a bounty of tomatoes more than I can eat! Came across your Pico de Gallo recipe and love it!! I am putting it on darn near everything!
Thanks for being there for me!!
Steve, in Idaho.
★★★★★
Rune
This is the authentic restaurant style pico de gallo I have been looking for. Instant success at home! I am from Norway but my wife is from Chile and even she had to admit this was better than pebre :-)
★★★★★
Rani.
I made it. It was a party hitter. Thanks for the recipe. Everyone enjoy.
★★★★★
Jennifer Hewitt
This is the best pico de gallo ever! WHY would I ever buy it premade again?? Great way to use up fresh tomatoes and serrano peppers from my garden. My 11 year old and I devoured it! Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
I agree! Thank you for sharing this was a hit for your family, Jennifer.
Audrey
Hello – A friend brought us a large box of beautifully red tomatoes that we have been enjoying. BLT’s on the menu! So as not to let the gift go to waste, I went in the hunt for a Pico recipe. I read a few & then thankfully found yours! I whipped up a double batch and now I have a delicious go-to recipe – plus very happy guys at my house! Thank you!!
★★★★★