How To Make Pico de Gallo (Better Than Restaurant Salsa!)
A fresh, vibrant Mexican salsa fresca made with ripe tomatoes, crisp onions, spicy jalapeños, and zesty lime juice. This classic pico de gallo is perfect for tacos, chips, or as a topping for grilled meats.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes (including resting)
- Yield: About 3 cups 1x
- Category: Dip/Salsa
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes (about 1 lb), diced
- 1/2 medium white onion, finely diced
- 1–2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely diced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1–2 limes)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Optional: 1 clove garlic, minced
Instructions
- Prep Vegetables: Dice tomatoes, onion, and jalapeños into uniform small pieces. Chop cilantro.
- Combine: In a medium bowl, gently mix together tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, and cilantro.
- Season: Add lime juice, salt, and pepper. Stir gently to combine.
- Rest: Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Adjust: Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, lime juice, or jalapeño as needed.
- Serve: Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with tortilla chips or as a topping.
Notes
- For less heat, remove all jalapeño seeds and membranes
- Use Roma tomatoes for less watery results
- Best served fresh but can be refrigerated for 2-3 days
- Drain excess liquid before serving if it becomes too watery
- Add diced avocado just before serving for variation
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 15
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 100mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
