Pico de Gallo (A Classic Recipe)
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This classic pico de gallo is my go-to for fresh, bold flavor, and it comes together in just 10 minutes. My family loves it so much that I make it every time we have Mexican or Tex-Mex for dinner.
If you love bold, fresh flavors, this classic pico de gallo is an absolute must-make. It’s made with just a handful of simple ingredients—ripe tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime, and a touch of jalapeño for heat—and it comes together in just 10 minutes. I make it all the time because it’s the easiest way to turn any meal into something special.
The best part? It’s incredibly versatile! Scoop it up with crunchy chips, pile it on tacos, spoon it over grilled chicken, or mix it into your morning eggs. And if you really want to take it to the next level, pair it with my homemade tortilla chips for the ultimate snack combo—trust me, it’s a match made in flavor heaven.
Once you try this recipe, you’ll wonder why you ever bought store-bought salsa. It’s fresh, tangy, and has just the right kick, making it perfect for parties, family dinners, or any time you need a quick burst of flavor. Give it a try—you’ll want to keep a bowl of this on your table all summer long!
Raid your kitchen for these ingredients
Once you’ve tried fresh pico de gallo, it’s hard to go back to store-bought jarred salsa. Luckily, it’s easy to whip up with only a few ingredients.
- Tomatoes: I’ve listed Roma tomatoes in the recipe card, but you can use whatever tomatoes you have on hand. In the winter, I often use cherry tomatoes. If the tomatoes you use are particularly juicy or seedy, remove that part first before chopping the flesh.
- Onion: White onion is mild flavored, making it perfect for pico de gallo. Red onion is great substitute. If you only have yellow onion, mince it and soak it in cold water for about 10 minutes to soften its punch.
- Jalapeños: These peppers vary widely in spiciness, so go slow if you’re sensitive to heat. You can also omit them for a mild salsa.
- Cilantro: If you’re not a fan, feel free to omit it.
Make-ahead and storage instructions
You can make pico de gallo a few hours ahead of time, and in fact, I think it tastes even better once the flavors have had a chance to mingle. Just prepare it as directed, then cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
For storage, keep pico de gallo in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The tomatoes will release a bit of liquid as they sit, so just give them a quick stir before serving to bring everything back together.
Pico de Gallo (A Classic Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb ripe Roma tomatoes (finely diced)
- ½ cup white onion (finely diced – see notes)
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 2 tablesoons lime juice (from 1 lime)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers (finely diced – see notes)
- 1 small garlic clove (finely minced)
- Tortilla chips (for serving)
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl.1 ½ lb ripe Roma tomatoes, ½ cup white onion, ½ cup finely chopped cilantro, 2 tablesoons lime juice, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1-2 jalapeño peppers, 1 small garlic clove
- Mix well and then taste and season with extra salt, as needed. I often add an additional ¼ teaspoon to really make the flavors pop.
- OPTIONAL STEP: Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and put it into your fridge for the flavors to marinate for 15-30 minutes.
- Serve the pico de gallo with tortilla chips or your favorite Mexican dinner.Tortilla chips
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Serve this pico de gallo with one of my fav Mexican-inspired dinners
For more ideas, check out all of my dinner recipes!
Fresh tasty pico is perfect on chucken tacos! I had some colorful cherry tomatoes After I dice them, I give them a whirl in my salad spinner to get rid of the seeds.
The salad spinner trick is brilliant, I’ll have to try that one! Getting rid of that extra moisture keeps the pico from going watery, and the colorful cherry tomatoes must make it look so pretty. So glad it was perfect on your chicken tacos. 🍅
Very good! Yummy with fajitas, eggs, nachos, etc.
It really is one of those things that makes everything better, from fajitas to eggs to nachos. So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the note. 😋
Nothing beats fresh pico! It was wonderful! I added a habanero to make it extra spicy!
A habanero is a bold move, I love it! That extra heat with all the fresh flavors sounds so good. Nothing beats a fresh batch of pico, especially when you make it your own like that. So glad it was wonderful. 🌶️
This is one of my favorite things to make, especially with fresh summer tomatoes! I like to use scallions for a milder onion flavor and sometimes I add diced avocado. We use it on everything! So fresh and delicious!
Fresh summer tomatoes make all the difference here, and I love the scallion swap for something a little milder. Diced avocado is such a good addition too, it adds a lovely creaminess. Sounds like it’s earned a permanent place in your kitchen. 🍅
I believe there are two kinds of people … those who prefer salsa and those who prefer pico. Guess where I fall?! I put pico on eggs, smash burgers, baked potatoes … I’ve even used it as a marinade. I seldom use a recipe for pico but I’m glad I saw this one as I love the abundance of lime juice! This will be the one found in my fridge from this day forward.
I think I know exactly where you fall! And using pico as a marinade is such a good idea, all that lime and onion would do wonderful things to meat. The extra lime juice is my favorite part too, it keeps everything bright and makes it good on just about anything, including baked potatoes. So glad this is the one living in your fridge now. 🍋
Great summer dish! I used tomatoes and jalapeños from my garden and it was so fresh and delicious!
Garden tomatoes and jalapeños take this to a whole other level, there’s really nothing like homegrown. So glad it turned out fresh and delicious for you. Thanks for sharing. 🍅
I made fish tacos for dinner so this was the perfect accompaniment for them. Such fresh flavors and so much better than store bought. I’ve been using the leftovers this week to eat with scrambled eggs for breakfast! So good!
Fish tacos and something this fresh alongside them sound like a perfect match. And repurposing the leftovers with scrambled eggs is such a good move, that’s the kind of thing that makes a weekday breakfast feel a little special. So glad it beat store bought for you. 🐟
Easy, wonderful, and perfect appetizer with chips before taco night with friends. cheers, Fred
This sounds like the perfect way to kick off taco night. So glad it was an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer for you and your friends. Cheers to you too, Fred! 🌮
This was my first time making pico de gallo and it was a huge success! It’s absolutely delicious.
A first-time pico that turns out this well is a great feeling. It’s such a simple thing to make, but it makes everything you put it on taste better. So glad it was a success. 🍅
I made this for the July cooking club, and it was perfect! It turned out great just as written, and was an unfussy, fresh addition to our beef fajita bowl meal. I’m sure fresh garden tomatoes would make it taste even more special, but grocery store Romas were super cheap and available.
Love that this fit right in with your beef fajita bowls, that fresh, unfussy element is exactly what those need. And honestly, cheap Romas do a great job here. Garden tomatoes are wonderful when you can get them, but this shouldn’t have to wait for them. So glad it worked out. 🍅