Pico de Gallo

5 from 1 vote

My Pico de Gallo recipe is a chunky mix of ripe tomatoes, onion, peppers, cilantro, and citrus that’s meant to be scooped with chips, spooned over tacos and eggs, and tossed onto anything that needs a bright, juicy finish.

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: servings

Author: Krissy Allori

Ingredients

4 cups chopped Roma tomatoes roughly 10 tomatoes yields 4 cups, seeds and wet flesh removed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups chopped white onion half of a large white onion yielded 2 cups
1 cup diced jalapeno see note below about spice level
1/4 cup minced cilantro stems removed
1 lime

Instructions

Cut the top of each tomato off and slice each one in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon (I use my 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon) to scrape out any of the seeds or wet flesh. You will not use those parts. With the remaining tomato, chop them into small pieces.
Add all 4 cups chopped Roma tomatoes to a metal strainer set over a bowl or the sink and toss with 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Let them sit while you chop the remaining vegetables. This step is optional, but it helps remove a lot of the liquid.
In a large bowl, add the salted tomatoes (discard any of the liquid). Combine the 2 cups chopped white onion, 1 cup diced jalapeno, and 1/4 cup minced cilantro. Often times I won't add all of the ingredients to the tomatoes - I will add most, stir, taste, and continue to add more of each until it tastes perfect, depending on the strength of flavor of each ingredient.
Add the juice from 1 lime and stir the mixture well. Give it a taste and add more salt, if desired.
Store the Pico de Gallo in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

The longer the Pico de Gallo sits in the refrigerator, the more liquid will be released. Simply strain before serving.
Lime juice tastes great, but if you need the Pico to last even longer, white vinegar can replace the lime juice and will extend the freshness of the salsa.
This is an easy recipe to adjust the quantity of ingredients once they are all mixed. Even if you follow the recipe exactly, it will taste different each time based on the spiciness of the jalapeno, freshness of the onion, etc.
The jalapenos will determine how spice level of the pico de gallo. I find that they are very mild in general, so I like to replace some of the jalapeno with minced serrano pepper for more heat.
For the best guacamole, mash a ripe avocado and mix with a scoop of the Pico.

Nutrition