Forget store-bought! Make this easy, homemade pico de gallo with fresh tomato, onion, cilantro, and lime. A few simple tricks make it taste truly authentic.
Watch the Video
Ready to make your own authentic pico de gallo? The secret lies in fresh ingredients and simple preparation.
Ditch the food processor and grab a sharp knife—hand-chopping the ingredients is the key to the best pico de gallo.
What is Pico de Gallo?
Pico de gallo (translates to “rooster’s beak”) is a classic Mexican salsa. Think juicy tomatoes, crisp onions, zesty cilantro, jalapeño, and a squeeze of lime for fresh flavor.
This fresh tomato salsa is known as pico de gallo in Texas, but in Mexico, it’s known by various other names, including salsa Mexicano, salsa fresca, and salsa cruda.
Pico de Gallo Ingredients
- Tomatoes: Choose ripe, juicy tomatoes and chop them small. Don’t drain away the juices—they add tons of flavor!
- Onion: For the best flavor, use a sweet onion (yellow or white). To tame the raw onion bite, soak the chopped onion in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse. (Try this trick in our guacamole recipe, too!)
- Peppers: Jalapeño or serrano chilies add the heat. For a milder salsa, remove most of the seeds and white membrane. Love it spicy? Leave them in!
- Cilantro and Lime: Fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime are a must for that classic pico de gallo flavor. A pinch of salt will also brighten everything up.
How to Make Pico de Gallo
Start by finely chopping tomatoes, onion, chili peppers, and cilantro. Keep those tomato juices for extra flavor!
Soak your chopped onion in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse it. I use this trick a lot. It really mellows the onion’s sharp flavor.
Combine all your chopped ingredients. Add a generous squeeze of lime juice and a couple of pinches of salt. I’ve found a generous pinch of salt does wonders for this salsa.
My Tip for The Best Pico de Gallo
Let your salsa sit for a few minutes before serving. Salt draws out flavor and liquid from the tomatoes and further tones down the bite of raw onion.
Waiting 20 minutes before serving pico de gallo makes it taste better.
How Long Does Pico de Gallo Last?
In his book, “Authentic Mexican,” Rick Bayless says that a fresh salsa like pico de gallo is at its best for an hour or two.
We agree, but I must admit that we’ve still been plenty happy with this recipe after a day in the fridge. You will lose some crunch over time, but it still tastes great.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with homemade tortilla chips. Making tortilla chips is easy, and they taste so good! Here’s our recipe for tortilla chips to help you.
I’m happy to spoon a generous amount of pico de gallo on just about anything, but this fresh tomato salsa is perfect spooned over tacos, eggs, chili, enchiladas, and more.
More Easy Salsa Recipes
- Roasted Tomato Salsa
- Restaurant-Style Red Salsa
- Pineapple and Avocado Salsa
- Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (Salsa Verde)
Homemade Pico de Gallo
- PREP
- TOTAL
Pico de Gallo is a fresh tomato salsa popular in Mexico. Use ripe tomatoes for this. Not all tomatoes are created equal. When choosing tomatoes, look for tomatoes that are deeply colored and firm, with a little give. If they don’t smell like anything, skip them. They should smell like a tomato — sweet and woody.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 ½ pounds tomatoes, chopped, 4 to 5 medium
1 medium onion, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, finely diced (seeds and membranes removed for a milder salsa)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
Directions
1Optional step: To remove the raw bite of your onion, add the chopped onion to a bowl with cold water. Leave for 10 minutes, drain and rinse.
2Add the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, diced peppers, and lime juice to a bowl. Generously season with salt — start with 1/2 teaspoon and go from there. Set the salsa aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
3Stir the salsa — distribute the juices left at the bottom of the bowl. Taste and adjust with more salt.
4Pico de gallo is best the day it is made, but it will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Nutrition Facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
On hot dogs with potato sticks yummy
Back in the 60s my grandma make it for breakfast , serve it over eggs , pico de gallo , means , peak of a rooster ,
Super easy, super tasty.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
I love this recipe. Doesn’t contain garlic and has lots of cilantro. Roma tomatoes have less juice and are great if you like a drier chunky salsa like I do. I’ll eat this on lots of things like scrambled eggs, iceberg lettuce, baked tofu in addition to Mexican style food.
Eating this salsa with scrambled eggs is one of my favorite ways to enjoy it as well 🙂
We love this recipe! I’ve made it over and over and it’s a hit every time! I do not us 1/2 c. Cilantro though. We like a lot less. It’s nice you can tweek it and make it how your family enjoys it.
We are so happy the recipe is a hit 🙂
This is a good basic fresh salsa recipe and I keep the tomato juice out by using roma tomatoes as they are easy to seed and you have less juice to contend with. I like using the Serrano pepper for a little different flavor, and use chopped green onions when I have them. This is an easy recipe to alter for your own specific taste.
This is pretty authentic if you use serrano peppers. But it needs to be used fresh, not stored for 2 or 3 days. It gets very strong and tastes like gasoline smells the next day.
Love your recipes. Your very informative with simple step by step instructions that everyone can understand. You and your husband are such a cute couple, inviting people in to your kitchen for your delicious recipes is a nice touch. Bravo
Thank you, Kathy. You are very kind.
Wonderful flavor!
We are thrilled you enjoyed the salsa recipe, Kandi. This is one of my favorites!
Do you use the entire tomato?
It’s really up to you. I usually use the whole tomato (seeds and all) unless I have a particularly seedy tomato.
This is the absolute best pico I ever made. The whole family devours it.
Oh wow, Kathy! This is so wonderful to read 🙂 Thank you for coming back and sharing.
I saw your advice on selecting the best tomato…do you have any advice on the kind of tomato that would taste best? Thanks!
Hi Wanda, Any ripe tomato will work, here!
How can I adapt your recipe to serve a party of 50 people. Thanks, Jodi
Hi Jodi, I’d multiply the recipe by 4 or 5 — in our experience, not everyone eats exactly one serving of dips/salsas when at a party with so many people (especially if there are other dishes available).
I thought half a cup is too much cilantro (and I LOVE cilantro!). Next time I think I’ll cut it in half and add more if needed. I also added some fresh chopped garlic, so yummy!
Garlic is a great idea, Mo. I’d use a small clove though, as garlic can quickly take over in the flavor department.