Homemade Pico de Gallo – One of the most famous Mexican salsa that’s made with fresh herbs, addictive and delicious acidic flavors, and is ready to be served at any gathering!
Whether you enjoy a spicy kick in your salsa or like a subtle sweet taste like in this cowboy caviar, this Pico de Gallo is eaten as an afternoon snack or appetizer any time of the year.
Because you can’t enjoy Cinco De Mayo without Mexican food…
Learn how to make Pico de Gallo in 10 minutes or less. This classic salsa is very simple to make, yet a key ingredient is missed due to lack of available ingredients in the local stores.
What is Pico De Gallo & Why We Love It?
I did my research for you. Here’s the quick rundown between the authentic Mexican Pico de Gallo and the version we know and love.
Like a lot of Mexican salsa, this appetizer is made with very few ingredients. Here are the differences:
Authentic Mexican Pico de Gallo include…
Jicama – Also known as Pachyrhizus erosus, this Mexican yam bean, or Mexican turnip, is included in most Pico de Gallo recipes. Pachyrhizus erosus is the name of a native Mexican vine. This vegetable is loaded with fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidant to name a few.
Lemon & Orange Juice – They provide the acidic delicious flavors.
Hot red chili powder – This is where you will get the kick, or the heat we all love from our salsa.
Onion – White onion is standard to use.
Oregano – Most often Mexican oregano is used and it pairs well with other spices such as paprika, cumin, and hot peppers.
Salt – Essential! This is the ingredient that will help balance all the other flavors and finalize the seasoning of this salsa.
The Pico de Gallo we know and love
I am happy to say, after doing my research, I have noticed that only 3 main ingredients are missing from the version we know and love: Jicama, Cilantro, and orange (juice).
In a nutshell, Pico de Gallo is a delicious salsa from Mexico, also known as salsa fresca (fresh salsa), and salsa huevona (lazy salsa).
It is best served with tacos, tostadas, tortilla chips, and tamales.
What’s The Difference Between Salsa And Pico de Gallo?
Although Pico de Gallo is a type of salsa, the key main difference is that “salsa” is not as “lumpy” as Pico de Gallo. There is no grinding or cooking included.
What Ingredients Are Needed?
Change up your salsa game with this homemade salsa recipe! It only takes about 10 minutes or less, and requires only 7simple ingredients. It tastes perfectly fresh and even more delicious the longer it sits. You will need:
- Fresh tomatoes: Roma tomatoes are best to use because they have fewer seeds than most tomatoes. Another great option are plum tomatoes.
- Onion: White onion is the most used when making Pico de Gallo. However, if you like sweet flavor in your salsa, consider using red onions as they will provide that mild sweet flavor as oppose to adding sugar.
- Jalapeño or chili peppers: Either pepper will work. I personally do not like to remove the seeds in my peppers because I want the heat that’s ingrained in the seeds. However, if you would prefer a subtler taste, I recommend removing the seeds, or setting ground chili pepper on the side as an option for your guests.
- Cilantro: I absolutely love cilantro. I’ve used it in abundance in this Kuku Sabzi recipe. Plus, the smell is amazing!
- Lemon Juice & Orange Juice: I used the juice of 1 lemon. I would not recommend using bottled lemon juice. You’ll appreciate the flavor of fresh orange juice, lemon or lime in this recipe. Plus, they help to brighten up the tomato and onion flavors.
- Salt: Although it certainly elevates the taste of the entire dish, it is also optional. I used kosher salt in this recipe. However, season to taste.
- Oregano: It adds a slight “earthy” depth of flavor and works well with tomatoes.
That’s it! There’s absolutely no cooking involved. All you need to do is gather the ingredients and mix them up.
How To Make This Homemade Salsa?
Mexican salsa and sauces come in many forms and textures. They are all delicious, and this course, chunky Pico de Gallo is another one to include to your Mexican collection. Follow the steps below to make it perfectly each time!
- Wash the tomatoes, herbs, onions (after peeling), and peppers. Chop or dice, place in a bowl and set aside.
- Add the juice of 1 lemon or lime and the orange juice to the tomato mixture.
- Top with salt and Oregano.
- Mix all together. Serve with Tortilla chips. Best served if chilled after 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
What kind of peppers to use? Serrano peppers are most commonly used; however, jalapeno peppers or red-hot chili peppers will work.
What foods goes with Pico de Gallo? You can serve it as a starter (appetizer) before serving a main dish, tacos, soup, lasagna, rice, or protein meals.
How long does Pico de Gallo last? Homemade Pico de Gallo last up to one (1) week in the refrigerator. Be sure to place it in an airtight sealed container.
Can you make Pico de Gallo in advanced? Yes. You can make it at least two (2) days prior to serving.
Tips For The Making the Homemade Best Pico De Gallo
- Use the freshest ingredients for this salsa recipe as it will enhance the flavor and experience.
- Chopping the ingredients very finely will help the pickiest eaters enjoy this recipe to its fullest.
- If you’re serving this recipe at a party, make this a few hours in advance and be sure to stir the Pico De Gallo again a few times before serving.
- Be mindful that tomatoes produce a lot of liquid. This will not affect your dish in a negative way. As the ingredients release liquid, I have found it does not water down the flavors at all, in fact, it does quite the opposite as it further enhances the flavors.
- I highly recommend using fresh tomatoes for this recipe. I do not recommend using canned tomatoes as the flavor and texture will not work well in this recipe.
Other Mexican Dishes You Might Enjoy:
Or this Haitian-Mexican Fusion Chicken Taco
If you loved this Homemade Pico de Gallo recipe? Tag us on Instagram or Facebook so we can see your delicious dish. Also, we would appreciate if could give it a star rating below!
Homemade Pico de Gallo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Large Tomatoes Diced or chopped
- 2 Tbsp. Orange Juice
- 1 Small White Onion or ½ cup; Yellow onion will work too
- Juice From 1 Lemon Or lime juice
- 1 Tsp. Kosher Salt
- 1 Jalapeno Pepper Seeds removed (optional)
- ½ Tsp. Dried Oregano
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes, herbs, onions (after peeling), and peppers. Chop or dice, place in a bowl and set aside.
- Add the juice of 1 lemon or lime and the orange juice to the tomato mixture.
- Top with salt and Oregano.
- Mix all together. Serve with Tortilla chips. Best served if chilled after 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Cookilicious
That’s bursting with flavors. Made my mouth water
Mirlene
Thank you!
Beth
This pico is just the way I like it! Nice and chunky. I can’t wait to give it a try!
Danni
You can’t beat a homemade fresh salsa. This looks great.
Erika
Pico de gallo is one of my favorites! I like to leave some jalapeño seeds because I like some spiciness.
Noelle
I love making my own pico!! This was delicious, perfect for chips and dip!
Jeannette
YUM! I was just thinking about tacos and this will go perfectly with it! I love how simple and easy to follow this recipe is. Thanks for sharing!
Jayne
Homemade Pico de Gallo is a staple in my house and always in the refrigerator. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
Roxana
I loved this recipe. So easy to make and I like the use of orange juice. Nice citrus flavors.
Sandhya's Kitchen
This is simply my type of Pico De Gallo. We make this all the time!
Jen
I always blender salsa and never pico. The orange was a total surprised to me. This is going on to our regular recipe rotation!