Pico de gallo, or salsa fresca, is a fresh, vibrant mix of tomatoes, onion, peppers, lime, cilantro and salt. Perfect for topping nachos, tacos, and more!
Pico is a mainstay in my house. In fact, I’d almost say it’s criminal that I haven’t posted a recipe for it yet. As of publication, I have no less than 6 recipes that contain it (and so many more that have yet to be published). It’s such a versatile topping, I find myself putting it on everything, from queso to deviled eggs, soup and an instant classic: nachos!
It’s also incredibly easy to put together – chop, mix, store and serve!
Pico de Gallo vs Salsa
Pico de gallo is often referred to as salsa fresca, but it isn’t the type of salsa you typically see served with chips. Yes, while it does share a lot of ingredients with a restaurant style salsa, it’s chunky, not smooth.
You never cook a pico like you would a salsa – everything here is served fresh and raw. It makes for a vibrant and refreshing explosion of flavor. And while some people do serve it with chips as a dip, I find that pico is best used as a topping or way to enhance, well, just about anything.
Tips for making Pico de Gallo
When a recipe like this requires fresh ingredients, it’s important to get those when they’re in season. Optimal tomato season in the US is in the summer, typically from May to October. I love pico de gallo year round, and I’ll be the first to tell you a pink, watery tomato makes for a really disappointing pico.
So when tomatoes are out of season, I suggest using cherry tomatoes. Generally, in the off-season smaller is better. Their small size gives them a nice concentrated flavor and deep red flesh. Perfect for pico! Otherwise, when in season plum or roma tomatoes are good picks.
Which brings me to another helpful tip. Scoop the goop! Tomatoes have a lot of water naturally and once you add the lime juice and salt, the natural juices begin to escape. It’s completely normal to have a fair amount of juice collecting at the bottom. But to keep it from getting too soggy, remove the seeds and pale inner stems when chopping your tomatoes.
Pro-tip: serve using a slotted spoon. It keeps those extra juices at the bottom of the bowl and will prevent soggy tacos.
And my final, most important tip: be patient! Salsas always, always taste better after they’ve had some time to relax. Prep it, give it good stir and set that sucker in the fridge for at least an hour. This makes all salsas, pico de gallo included, great make-ahead dishes. That extra time allows the flavors to develop and mingle, which makes for an awesome, full-bodied and flavorful result.
Ways to serve pico
Here are some recipes that either call for it as an ingredient, or I feel can be enhanced with a bit of pico. Like I said, it’s great on just about anything!
If you make this recipe, let me know what you served it with! I am always looking for new ways to use it.
Until next time. X
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Pico de Gallo
Pico de gallo, or salsa fresca, is a fresh, vibrant mix of tomatoes, onion, peppers, lime, cilantro and salt. Perfect for topping nachos, tacos, and more!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Tex Mex
Ingredients
3 1/2 c. diced fresh tomatoes
1 c. finely chopped white onion
1 medium jalapeno, finely chopped
1/4 c. fresh chopped cilantro
3 TB lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Mix well and refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour to overnight. Serve cold with a slotted spoon.
Notes
For a spicier pico, add the whole chopped jalapeno. For a milder pico, remove the seeds and core first.
See post for serving suggestions and tips.
Keywords: pico de gallo, salsa fresca, classic pico de gallo, topping for tacos, pico
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