The Best Pico de Gallo Recipe (Fresh, Zesty & Irresistible!)

It’s summer time, which means there is a ton of beautiful fresh produce in season.  My favorite recipe this time of year is homemade Pico de Gallo. If you’ve never made it before, you’re in for a treat. It’s quick, simple, and packed with fresh flavor. Let me show you How to Make Pico De Gallo the easy way!

How to Make Pico De Gallo

Every year, I grow tomatoes, jalapeños, and cilantro in my garden. When they’re bursting with flavor and ready to pick, I know it’s time to whip up a big bowl of fresh Mexican Salsa.

It just seems like the perfect thing to make to use up so much produce, and we sure do eat it up!

Pico de Gallo is not hard to make at all, and it really ‘makes’ a variety of Mexican dishes.

It’s bright, zesty, and full of the classic Mexican food taste y’all will love!

Why You’ll Love Pico De Gallo

• It’s Fresh and Flavorful: Nothing beats the taste of fresh tomatoes, crisp red onion, spicy jalapeño pepper, and lime juice.
• Easy Recipe to Make: Just chop, mix, and let it sit. It’s one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make.
• Uses Simple, Fresh Ingredients: You only need a handful of basic ingredients to whip up a delicious fresh salsa. Everything is easy to find at the store, or even better—fresh from your garden!
• Great for Parties and Cookouts: Whip up a big batch, and it’ll be the first thing to disappear at any get-together.
• Perfect for Any Meal: This homemade salsa recipe goes with just about any Mexican recipe.

How to Make Pico De Gallo

Drain the Tomatoes: Place your diced ripe tomatoes in a slotted spoon, strainer, or colander over a large bowl. Let them sit for about 30 minutes so the extra liquid drains out, so it’s not too watery.

Chop the Fresh Ingredients: Using a good knife, fine dice your red onion, jalapeño pepper, and chopped cilantro.

Mix Everything Together: Combine the drained tomatoes, chopped onion, jalapeño pepper, and fresh cilantro. Stir everything together until it’s well mixed.

Add a Good Squeeze of Lime Juice: Cut a lime in half and squeeze the fresh juice over your pico. Fresh lime juice brings out all the natural flavors and gives it a fresh taste.

Let the Flavors Marry: Cover the bowl and let your fresh salsa sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes for the best flavor. Trust me, it’s even better the next day!

Recipe Tips

• Use the Freshest Ingredients: The best salsa flavor comes from ripe tomatoes like vine-ripe, roma tomatoes, or even plum tomatoes.
• Adjust the Level of Spice: Want it hotter? Add an extra jalapeño pepper or swap it for a spicier serrano pepper. Prefer it mild? Remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeno pepper before chopping.
• Can It for Later: If you end up not using all of it, just throw it into your food processor or blender, and make it into a restaurant style salsa, and can it. When my garden is really overflowing, I make several batches to can to enjoy in the winter.

Ways to Serve Pico De Gallo

• With Tortilla Chips: Scoop it up with crispy chips for a simple and delicious snack.
• On Tacos: Spoon it over Baja fish tacos, chicken, my steak tacos, or shrimp tacos for a fresh, zesty bite.
• With Beans & Rice: Stir it into slowcooker pinto beans and rice for an easy, flavorful side dish.
• As a Topping for Nachos: Add it to nachos along with cheese and sour cream, for the ultimate party snack.
• Serve with Mexican Dishes: I love adding pico to my Crockpot Taco Dip, Taco Pasta, Burrito Casserole, and Crockpot Tamales.

Pico de Gallo partners well with my homemade sour cream and cilantro cream sauce too!

How to Store Leftovers

To keep your fresh Pico de Gallo tasting its best, store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

It’ll stay fresh for 48-72 hours, but the flavors get even better by the next day. If it gets a little watery, just give it a quick stir before serving.