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Home · Recipes · Tex-Mex | Mexican Food · Homemade Pico de Gallo

Published: Apr 20, 2021 by Kelly Anthony · 1 CommentThis post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

Homemade Pico de Gallo

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Restaurant salsas don't hold a candle to fresh, homemade Pico de Gallo. It's the perfect accompaniment to any Tex-Mex or Mexican recipe, and can also be served as a dip alongside a bowl of tortilla chips. All you need to make it are 6 ingredients, a knife, and a bowl!

Pico de gallo in a white bowl with a chip dipped in it.

WHAT IS PICO DE GALLO?

Pico de Gallo is a simple Mexican Salsa made up of fresh chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, cilantro, and lime juice. You will find it served on or beside almost any and every Tex-Mex or Mexican entree, and it can also be served as a dip.

You might have also heard it referred to as salsa fresca or salsa cruda!

WHAT DOES PICO DE GALLO MEAN?

  • Pico = Beak
  • de = of
  • Gallo = Rooster

As unappetizing as it may sound, Pico de Gallo actually translates to "rooster's beak" or "beak of a rooster." According to sources, this is because people originally ate it hand-to-mouth, by pinching pieces together with their thumb and forefinger, pecking at it with their fingers in a similar fashion to the beak of a rooster!

PRONUNCIATION:

PEE/koh theh GAH/yoh

A close up, overhead shot of Pico de gallo in a white bowl with a spoon in it.

PICO DE GALLO VS. SALSA

Unlike the tomatillo salsa and red salsa you'll often find in the ramekin next to the chip basket, Pico de Gallo is not pureed or blended.

It is also absent of spices commonly found in Mexican salsa (such as chili powder and cumin). The vegetables in pico are typically flavored solely with cilantro, lime juice, and salt. This really allows the fresh flavors of the tomatoes to pop and the acidity of the lime juice to stand more pronounced.

An overhead shot of Pico de gallo in a white bowl with a chip in it and lime off to the side.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE PICO DE GALLO

  1. Chop | Chop the tomatoes, jalapeños, onion, and cilantro and add it to a bowl.
  2. Squeeze | Squeeze in fresh lime juice, add salt, and stir.
  3. Rest | Allow the mix to rest 15 to 20 minutes before serving (or up to overnight)!

WHAT'S IN PICO DE GALLO?

  • Tomatoes
  • Jalapeños
  • Onion
  • Cilantro
  • Lime Juice
  • Salt
An overhead shot of Pico de gallo in a white bowl with ingredients and chips off to the side.

TOMATOES AND SUBSTITUTIONS

If you happen to be in peak tomato season when making fresh Pico de Gallo, you will taste the difference! This salsa is mostly made up of fresh tomatoes, so the better the quality of the tomato, the better the overall flavor of your pico.

This recipe calls specifically for Roma tomatoes, but feel free to use Vine-Ripened or Campari tomatoes in their place. Vine-ripened tomatoes will be larger, so you can probably get away with using 5 (instead of 6 Romas). On the other hand, Camparis are smaller and you'll likely need 7 to 8.

JALAPENOS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

Jalapeños are pretty mild as far as peppers go, and as long as you intend to de-seed them, they shouldn't make your Pico de Gallo spicy. If you want to add a little heat to your salsa, either leave some seeds intact or sub in serrano peppers!

ONIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

This recipe calls for white onion, which is traditional in pico. However, if you're in a pinch, you could use yellow or red onion in its place.

CILANTRO

Cilantro is a very important flavoring component of Pico de Gallo. Be sure not to skimp on this ingredient!

LIME JUICE

No bottled lime juice allowed here, folks. Fresh-squeezed lime is the only way to go!

Pico de gallo in a white bowl with a spoon in it and limes, chips, tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapenos off to the side.

WHAT TO USE IT ON:

As mentioned above, Pico de Gallo can be served as a condiment to pretty much any Mexican main dish such as fajitas, quesadillas, enchiladas, and tacos.

Below are a few of our favorite recipes for serving with Homemade Pico:

  • Four Flautas de Pollo with iceberg lettuce, sour cream, pico de gallo, and fresh cilantro

    Flautas de Pollo (Chicken Flautas Recipe)

  • Sliced al Carbon Tacos with sides of grilled onions and lime

    Tacos al Carbon

  • Close up shot of carnitas tacos topped with white onion and cilantro.

    Authentic Carnitas Recipe

  • Shrimp piled high on a corn tortilla with chipotle sauce dripping down and cabbage on top.

    Tacos de Camaron | Shrimp Tacos

  • Beef Chimichangas

    Homemade Beef Chimichangas

  • Tex Mex Beef Enchiladas

    Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas | Recipe

But, don't stop there. Pico de Gallo can also be served as a chip dip! Its refreshing nature makes it especially perfect for serving in the heat of summer.

In fact, this is actually one of our favorite recipes alongside Chile con queso for serving at our fajita cookouts. We'll mix up a double (or maybe even a triple) batch and serve it alongside homemade tortilla chips and it is always a full-on crowd-pleaser!

MORE MEXICAN DIPS TO TRY!

  • Chili Cheese Dip
  • Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
  • Cream Cheese Salsa
  • Queso (Velveeta Cheese Dip)
  • Black Bean and Corn Salsa

HOW TO STORE IT

Fresh Homemade Pico de Gallo will last for 3 to 4 days refrigerated in an airtight container.

CAN YOU FREEZE PICO DE GALLO?

If you end up with leftover pico past the 4-day mark and you don't want to be wasteful, technically you can freeze it. However, I don't recommend it.

Once thawed, the texture will change tremendously, become mushy, and the condiment will not be nearly as appetizing.

A close up of Pico de gallo with a spoon scooping out some of it.

5 MORE MEXICAN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE!

  • Tinga de Pollo
  • Fajita Nachos
  • Chicken Empanadas
  • Tacos de Pollo
  • Sour Cream Enchiladas
Pico de gallo in a white bowl with a chip dipped in it.
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Homemade Pico de Gallo

This easy, homemade Pico de Gallo is perfect for serving with any Mexican dish or as a fresh salsa dip alongside tortilla chips! Makes about 2 ½ cups.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Course: Appetizer, Condiment
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Pico de Gallo
Servings: 6
Calories: 127kcal
Author: Kelly Anthony

Ingredients

  • 6 Roma tomatoes seeded and chopped
  • 1 small white onion chopped
  • 4 large jalapenos seeded (if desired) and chopped
  • ⅓ cup cilantro chopped
  • Fresh-squeezed juice of 2 limes (about a ¼ cup)
  • 1 ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt

Instructions

  • Add the tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice, and salt to a small mixing bowl and stir.
  • Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes before serving, or cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3519mg | Potassium: 1294mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 4740IU | Vitamin C: 134.1mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1.9mg
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Comments

  1. Barry Meikle says

    January 18, 2025 at 8:29 am

    love it - great tastes

    Reply
5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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I’m Kelly Anthony — a baker, home chef, and mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

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