Easy and fresh mild pico de gallo is so fast to make and tastes great with everything! Classic Mexican sauce that adds a flavor boost to every meal.
Pico de gallo is so easy to make. You only need 7 ingredients: Tomatoes, cilantro, onion, garlic, lime juice, and salt and pepper. That’s all!
Free from: Wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, celery, corn, sesame, mustard, lupin, sulfites, and more
Pico tastes amazing with chips but is an easy dip to add to meals like vegan enchiladas or burrito bowls!
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Super quick, easy, and healthy!
- Adds a fresh touch to any meal
- Naturally top 9 allergy free
Ingredients
You only need 7 simple ingredients to mix up this dip!
- Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes are best and I love to use a combination of tomatoes for my pico. Grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, tomatoes on the vine, heirloom tomatoes, all taste amazing!
- Onion: I typically reach for a sweet onion but red onions also taste great in this dip.
- Garlic: My family loves garlic. Loves it. So we love to add garlic to our pico de gallo!
- Lime juice: This adds that zesty twist to it and makes the dip come together.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro works best in this recipe. If you are someone who doesn’t like the taste of cilantro, you can also make this with flat leaf Italian parsley. It won’t taste quite the same but it is close.
- Salt and Pepper: Add this to taste.
Allergy Substitutions
If you are allergic to garlic, simply omit the garlic from the recipe.
If you don’t like cilantro, you can make this with the same amount of flat leaf Italian parsley.
Instructions
For the full instructions, complete with recipe measurements, please see the recipe card below. You can also use the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page.
What’s great about this recipe is that there is no cooking involved!
Here are two easy methods to make this pico de gallo.
First method: Toss the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and garlic into a food processor or blender. Give it a few pulses. Drizzle in the lime juice and salt and pepper. Pulse a few more times and you are done!
Second method: Finely dice and chop your tomatoes, onion, and garlic and add them to a non-reactive bowl. Finely chop the cilantro and add it to the bowl. Drizzle in the lime juice and add the salt and pepper to taste. Give it a good mix and you are done!
Tip! If you are adding a jalapeno pepper, use gloves or a plastic bag to cover your hands while de-seeding and handling the peppers.
No matter which method you use, make sure to let the pico de gallo rest for at least 15 minutes in the fridge before serving. This allows the flavors to begin to come together.
Variations
One of the best things about pico de gallo is that you can mix and match the flavors. Here are some of my favorite combos:
- Replace half the tomatoes with another fruit. Things like peaches, mango, pineapple, or strawberries are amazing!
- Make it spicy. Add a jalapeno pepper to the pico to make it a little spicier.
- Add a red bell pepper for even more crunch and veggies.
- Avocado chunks are perfect to add after chopping the pico.
FAQs
Pico de gallo and salsa share similar ingredients but there are a few differences.
First, pico de gallo always uses fresh, raw ingredients. It is less wet than salsa and adds a real freshness to anything.
Salsa can sometimes call for cooked tomatoes, roasted or stewed, and uses more juice than pico de gallo. Salsa is also more even in texture, almost like a puree.
Both are amazingly delicious and I will put both in my burrito bowl at the same time!
Yes, you can freeze pico de gallo but it will change the texture of the pico. The water in the tomatoes will expand as they freeze and will make the tomatoes a lot softer after thawing. I find that pico is best served fresh.
Keep pico de gallo in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Top Tips!
- Use fresh tomatoes. While canned diced tomatoes can be used in a pinch, summer fresh tomatoes take this dip to a whole new level.
- Let it rest 15 minutes before serving. Leaving it overnight in the fridge is even better. This is the secret to making amazing pico de gallo: Letting it chill! The tomatoes pick up all the flavors the longer it rests.
More Easy Recipes
If you try these out, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. And if you want more delicious, dietary friendly recipes you can subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!
Recipe
Equipment
- knife
- cutting board
- Food processor or blender (optional)
- mixing bowl
- mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 2 cups tomatoes chopped
- 1 onion rough chopped
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- ½ cup cilantro rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Food Processor or Blender. In a food processor or blender, combine the tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse a few more times until you are happy with the texture.
- By hand. Finely dice the tomatoes and onion before adding them to a non-reactive bowl. Add the minced garlic. Finely chop the cilantro and add along with the lime juice and salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Rest. Let the pico de gallo rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Replace half the tomatoes with another fruit. Things like peaches, mango, pineapple, or strawberries are amazing!
- Make it spicy. Add a jalapeno pepper to the pico to make it a little spicier.
- Add a red bell pepper for even more crunch and veggies.
- Avocado chunks are perfect to add after chopping the pico.
- Keep pico de gallo in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
This site contains affiliate links which means I may receive commissions for purchases made though those links. However, please know that I only provide links to products that I actually use and totally recommend! Your purchases help support this blog. Thank you!
Leave a Reply