Pico de Gallo (Salsa Fresca)

This is the best Pico de Gallo (Salsa Fresca) you will ever have! Made with fresh tomatoes, onion, chiles, cilantro and lots of lime juice plus a secret ingredient.

In case you’re wondering, the translation of Pico De Gallo is “Rooster’s beak”. Pico means ‘beak’ and ‘gallo‘ is for ‘rooster’. But in Mexico we call this recipe Salsa Fresca or Salsa Cruda (raw salsa).

Did you know? In Mexico, Pico De Gallo is a fresh fruit salad like watermelon, mango, jicama, cucumber, etc. topped with lime juice and a chili mix. So be careful what you ask for when you visit! lol!

Need more recipes for Mexican salsas? Check out my page dedicated to just salsas!

How to make Pico De Gallo

The key is to always use fresh ingredients:

• Roma or plum tomatoes – This is what I normally use but any other ripe tomato will work as well.
• The onion – it can be white or yellow (whatever you have handy)
• Pepper – You can make it as spicy as you would like by adjusting the type of chile that goes into it. You can use more jalapeños or use spicier ones like serrano peppers or chiles güeros ( the yellow peppers sold next to jalapeños).
• The Lime – it has to be fresh lime juice mis amigos!
• Fresh cilantro – There are no substitutes for this ingredient and it’s key! Do not skip it and use as much as you want! Make sure it’s the freshest (no limp stems) so that you don’t get that “soapy” taste.
• Kosher salt & black pepper to taste. Don’t be afraid to load it up but do start tasting it little by little.

I do have a secret ingredient that I’ve been using for so many years and people don’t even know it’s there! Add a little bit of tomato sauce for extra texture and flavor. I truly recommend it.

Just place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

This salsa is one of the easiest salsas to make and most versatile….It goes with everything!

• Tacos
• Tostadas
• Nachos
• Eggs
• Burritos
• With chips
• Tortas
• Add some cooked shrimp for instant shrimp cocktail!
• etc, etc, etc.

It tastes the best when eaten within 3 days for best freshness.

Buen provecho!

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This recipe was originally published in July 2011. It was updated in June 2019 to revise the content and photographs. The original recipe remains the same. Enjoy! 

This recipe goes perfect with these Breakfast Quesadillas. So delicious!

Pico De Gallo (Salsa Fresca)

Course: Appetizer, Toppings

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: calories, easy, gluten free, healthy, meaning, recipe, recite, restaurant style, translation, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2 cups

Calories: 32kcal

Author: Ana Frias

The BEST Pico de Gallo recipe! Ready in 10 minutes and it's the perfect for topping all of your favorite Mexican dishes.  It's a healthy and delicious salsa!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 roma tomatoes diced
• 1/3 to 1/2 of a medium white or yellow onion diced
• 1 to 2 jalapeños or serrano pepper remove the seeds, finely diced
• A bunch cilantro finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp of tomato sauce
• Juice of 1 large lime about 2 Tbsp
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Make sure the vegetables are cut small and evenly sized. It tastes the best when is consumed within 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/2 cup | Calories: 32kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Sodium: 129mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g

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I’ve been making this salsa since I was 15 years old! And I also make it at least once a week. Let me know if you make it! SaveSave

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