Pico De Gallo (Salsa Fresca Recipe)
Pico de gallo recipe is a classic Mexican salsa that gets ready in just 10 minutes using 6 ingredients only. It is also known as salsa fresca (meaning fresh salsa) or salsa cruda (raw salsa).
It’s perfect served with tortilla chips or as a topping over your favorite Mexican food like tacos, burritos, bowls, quesadillas, taquitos, etc. The best party food around and a must-have healthy snack.
What Is Pico De Gallo?
Pico de gallo is an authentic Mexican salsa made with fresh vegetables (tomatoes, onion, serrano pepper, salt, lime, and cilantro). It is usually served as an appetizer or as a side with other Mexican dishes that need some fresh, bright flavors and little acidity.
Pico de gallo translates to “rooster’s beak”, but this salsa itself has nothing to do with roosters. Various theories exist regarding the origin of the name, such as ingredients that are pecked by a rooster’s beak, or the shape of one’s hand (finger and thumb) when eating salsa with tortilla chips resembles a rooster’s beak. However, the truth is unknown.
- Taste: As the name says salsa fresca, has a fresh, vibrant flavor with the right balance of salty and tangy flavors.
- Texture: It is a chunky salsa and it contains less liquid.
You’ll Love This Salsa Fresca Recipe
- Easy to make: This recipe cannot be simpler than this. Just chop the ingredients, mix in a large bowl and it’s ready.
- Quick to make: It takes around 10 minutes only. Of course, you’ll need more time as you scale up the recipe.
- Customizable: The best part about this salsa fresca recipe is that you can adapt it to your liking. For example, if you like spicy then add more serrano peppers. If you like mild then skip or reduce the peppers. Don’t like the cilantro flavor, reduce the amount or skip it. Simple, right?
- Tons of tips are shared in this post like how to dice tomatoes and the rest ingredients for salsa fresca, and what tomatoes to choose for the best flavors.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Tomatoes:
- Always use Roma or plum tomatoes as they have fewer seeds and less watery center.
- Tomatoes must be red, ripe yet firm (not soft). Unripe tomatoes give a sour taste while very ripe tomatoes get mushy while dicing.
- White onion: White onion has a sharp and pungent flavor that blends well with tomato, cilantro, and lime flavors. However, you can use yellow onion. But I would not recommend using red onion.
- Serrano chilies: Very finely chopped chilies give a nice punch of heat here and then in the salsa fresca recipe. Remove the seeds and veins of the serrano pepper if you want a mild taste.
- Cilantro: I love the fresh flavor of cilantro.
- Salt: Don’t be shy. Tomatoes need salt to enhance their natural flavor.
- Lime: Always use freshly squeezed lime juice for the best flavor. The right amount of salt and lime juice in the salsa brings out the best flavor.
👩🍳 How To Make Pico De Gallo Recipe? (Photos)
1) Chop:
Start with tomatoes.
- First, remove the core by cutting a small circle around the top.
- Cut the tomato in half vertically.
- Now slice the tomato again in half vertically (see the pic below).
- Then cut into thin uniform strips.
- Cut these strips into small even cubes.
Similarly, dice the white onion. Make sure that tomatoes and onion are chopped (diced) very finely and even in size.
For serrano peppers, no need to remove seeds. Chop it fine (almost minced) so you don’t bite a large piece of pepper and feels too hot and spicy.
For cilantro, cut and discard the tough stems from the end. You can keep the tender and thin stems. Chop the leaves finely. TIP: Wash the leaves, spread them on the towel, and pat dry before chopping.
2) Mix:
Take all the chopped vegetables (tomatoes, onion, serrano pepper, and cilantro) in a large bowl.
Add salt and lime juice.
Mix everything really well.
3) Rest & Taste Test:
Let it rest for around 15-20 minutes at room temperature and let the flavors mingle and marinate.
Using a tortilla chip do a taste test and adjust the salt and lime juice if needed.
💭 Expert Tips To Make BEST Pico De Gallo
- No need to remove the tomato seeds. That juicy part will add some liquid part to the salsa and that watery part is full of flavor.
- Spice level:
- Mild: Remove the seeds and vein of the serrano peppers.
- Medium spicy: As shown here, keep the seeds. This salsa fresca tastes best when it has a medium spice level.
- Spicy: Double the number of serrano peppers or use another spicy chili.
- Let the salsa marinade (rest) for at least 15 minutes. During this resting time, some water will draw out from the veggies (because of the addition of salt) and it makes flavorful juice collected at the bottom.
- Use a perforated spoon to serve, if using it as a topping for tacos, loaded nachos, etc. So all the watery juice stays behind in the bowl. But if serving as a dip for your tortilla, I would keep the juice as it is.
🥣 Storage Instructions
- It is advisable to serve this salsa the day it is made for the best flavors.
- However, leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that veggies will wilt and soften as time goes on. Also, it will be more watery as it sits in the fridge.
🍽 Serving Ideas For Pico De Gallo
- Serve at room temperature. Chilled salsa tastes flat, trust me on this.
- The best is serving with tortilla chips as chips and dip. This makes the best appetizer or a healthy snack.
- Use is as a topping on any of the following.
- Tacos (potato tacos, paneer tacos)
- Loaded nachos (or tater tot nachos)
- Air fryer quesadillas, Black bean quesadillas
- Tostadas
- Enchiladas
- Burritos
- Burrito bowl
- Taquitos
FAQs
Pico de gallo always uses fresh, raw, and diced ingredients with very less liquid. While salsa mostly uses cooked, roasted ingredients and is usually blended to a coarse puree.
It is a low-carb, low-calorie recipe with full of vegetables that are packed with vitamins and minerals. Antioxidants are abundant in tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, whereas jalapenos are rich in capsaicin – a substance that has the potential to increase metabolism and decrease inflammation. So yes, it is healthy. But when it is served with fried tortilla chips then of course it increases the calories.
Check Out Other Dips, Salsa Recipes
Did you try this Salsa fresca recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.
Pico De Gallo (Salsa Fresca Recipe)
US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml)
Ingredients
- 1 lb Tomatoes, Roma or plum (~ 3 cups finely diced)
- ¾ cup White onion, finely diced
- 1 Serrano pepper, Finely chopped (almost minced)
- ½ cup Cilantro or coriander leaves, lightly packed (~¼ cup finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Salt, or to taste
- 2 ½ -3 tablespoons Lime juice
Instructions
- Chop: Make sure that tomatoes and onion are chopped (diced) very finely and even in size. For serrano peppers, no need to remove seeds. Chop it really fine (almost minced) so you don’t bite a large piece of pepper and feels too hot and spicy. For cilantro, cut and discard the tough stems from the end. You can keep the tender and thin stems. Chop the leaves finely. TIP: Wash the leaves, spread them on the towel, and pat dry before chopping.
- Mix: Take all the chopped vegetables (tomatoes, onion, serrano pepper, and cilantro) in a large bowl. Add salt and lime juice. Mix everything really well.
- Rest: Let it rest for around 15-20 minutes at room temperature and let the flavors mingle and marinate.
- Taste Test: Using a tortilla chip do a taste test and adjust the salt and lime juice if needed.
Notes
- No need to remove the tomato seeds. That juicy part will add some liquid part to the salsa and that watery part is full of flavor.
- Let the salsa marinade (rest) for at least 15 minutes. During this resting time, some water will draw out from the veggies (because of the addition of salt) and it makes flavorful juice collected at the bottom.
- Use a perforated spoon to serve, if using it as a topping for tacos, loaded nachos, etc. So all the watery juice stays behind in the bowl. But if serving as a dip for your tortilla, I would keep the juice as it is.
- Serve it at room temperature. Chilled salsa tastes flat, trust me on this.
