Learn how to make Pico de Gallo! This is an authentic Mexican salsa recipe made with tomatoes is incredibly easy. Use it for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos, as a dip for chips or as a side for basically any Mexican dish! This can be made ahead by 1 day.
This is a traditional Pico de Gallo recipe from a Mexican cookbook called “Truly Mexican”
Pico de Gallo
Pico de Gallo is an essential side for Mexican food. It’s stuffed in things, piled on things, served as a side. It’s by far the most well known Mexican salsa. And it’s definitely no co-incidence that the red tomato, white onion and green cilantro/coriander represent the colours of the Mexican flag!
This is a classic authentic recipe for Pico de Gallo from a fabulous cookbook I got in Mexico called Truly Mexican. This cookbook, as the name suggests, is all about real Mexican food and there is an entire chapter devoted to salsas. And Pico de Gallo is the first salsa in it!
Use Pico de Gallo for all things Mexican
You’ll find Pico de Gallo appears on the side of virtually every dish in Mexico, not just with tacos. It’s served as a side dish, as a fresh side – almost like a sauce because it’s juicy – and spooned over things like Enchiladas as toppings.
Here’s a list of popular Mexican dishes to serve Pico de Gallo with:
TACOS & Fajitas
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Beef tacos – old school ground Beef Tacos, slow-cooked Mexican Shredded Beef or Beef Barbacoa
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Chicken tacos – Quick Chicken Tacos with Sauce, Mexican Shredded Chicken and Marinated Grilled Chicken for tacos
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Mexican Pulled Pork – Pork Carnitas, big reader fave!
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Fish – Grilled Fish Tacos – marinated and grilled (also try this same recipe with prawns/shrimp)
MORE Mexican!
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As a dip for Chips alongside traditional Guacamole, Avocado Hummus or Avocado Dip
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Enchiladas – use as toping for Beef or Chicken Enchiladas
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Mexican Fiesta – wouldn’t be complete without Pico de Gallo! Mexican Fiesta – a fiesta menu, starters, mains, sides and dessert
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Nachos – or for something different, try this Nachos Pie!
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Browse all Mexican recipes
I also use it for non Mexican things like a topping for Omelettes, Frittatas or a simple Juicy Baked Chicken Breast. It just makes everything better! – Nagi x
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Pico de Gallo (Authentic)
Ingredients
- 3 large tomatoes
- 1/3 cup cilantro/coriander leaves , roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped jalapeño or serrano chilli (adjust to taste)
- 1 - 2 tbsp lime juice (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp salt (table salt) or 3/4 tsp kosher / sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes in half and use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds and watery centre. Cut into 1cm / 1/3" dice.
- Combine with remaining ingredients. Set aside for 5 to 20 minutes. Serve as a topping or side for things like tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas and any Mexican dish!
- This can be made ahead up to 1 day. Leave out the lime juice and salt (otherwise the tomato juices will leech out), cover and refrigerate. Drain excess liquid, add lime juice and salt just before serving.
Recipe Notes:
- Topping/filling for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, taquitos, quesadillas, fajitas, nachos
- As a side salad for any Mexican, Mediterranean or Middle Eastern dish
- Top fried eggs or stuff in a folded omelette to make a Mexican breakfast!
- For corn chips as an appetiser
Nutrition for the whole recipe.
Pico de Gallo is not just for mexican food. I love fried eggs in the morning with pico de gallo on them. There are other foods (like steak or pork chops) that also benefit from pico de gallo. Admittedly, I triple the jalapeno in the recipe to give it a little heat.
Absolutely delicious. Have made it many times with Nagi’s Mexican dishes and fantastic with her Chilli Con Carne. Such a refreshing addition. I add 2 chopped avocados so as to not need guacamole. I don’t deseed the tomatoes but the salad only lasts 2 days in our house. We just use a slotted spoon when serving.
We all love this recipe and make it all the time for tacos, burritos and wraps. So simple to make but another recipe full of flavour.
I had to leave out the cilantro as my daughter is one of those soap-tasters, substitute thin-fleshed green peppers for the jalapeños, and lemon juice for lime, but it still came out great. I cooked down the chopped onions in the lemon juice on the stove to take away the spiciness, and it was perfect. I get a stomachache if I eat raw onions, so this was much better for me. Will make again!
Between this recipe and your tomato salsa, I’m never buying the jarred stuff again. Thank you!!
I‘m making this today with fresh garden tomatoes. Just curious – what weight is considered a large tomato? For instance a large tomato on one kind of my plants is 275g whereas on the other it‘s 180g.
Lori,
The measures are recommendations. I watch the Mexican mamasitas make this and the amounts they use vary vastly from person to person. My favorite maker doubles the cilantro and the peppers. Others add extra tomatoes.
Make it, then make a mental note to add more/less tomato next time. If you need more, grab a tomato, dice it, and toss it in. The same goes for the rest of the ingredients. Close is good enough.
I made this at the weekend for my guests who are originally from Brazil and Mexico. They thought it was amazing and so delicious. I’m in love with it myself, it’s so tasty and fresh that you can’t stop eating once you’ve start!
Thanks Nagi for another great hit!👩🍳
How long does this stay good in the fridge? (that is, if I don’t eat the whole bowl — it is so incredibly delicious!)
Tomatoes start to lose their freshness and get watery very quickly. It’s best eaten on the day it’s made Joan but I have notes in the recipe for the best way to make ahead!! N x
Thank you so much!! I’m sorry I didn’t see this sooner- it went to spam!!
We also add diced cucumber to this recipe. Just to give it a bit more volume. It works really well with the tomato and onion.
When scooping out pulpy or fibrous fruits or vegetables, have you ever used grapefruit spoons and knives?
https://www.amazon.com/Grapefruit-Spoons/s?k=Grapefruit+Spoons
I live in the USA, but I would be surprised if you did not also have access to them.
All the best!
Dan
This is just the best. I make it all the time and especially love to eat it with scrambled eggs and spinach. Although it pairs beautifully with beef steak. I was wondering thought how many carbs per serve?
I’m so glad you love it Michelle!!! I’ll need to update the nutrition on this one but for the whole serve it’s: calories 115, 22g of carbs – N x
Can I use cherry tomatoes in this recipe? Altho I can’t imagine deseeding them!
Have made this a couple of times and it’s so good, exactly like in restaurants!
Cooking tacos this weekend for someone who doesn’t eat coriander, (ridiculous) what could we sub, would parsley work?
Tom, if it is just like the stuff in restaurants, then you are not making it right, Home made is usually far superior to restaurant quality, and this recipe rocks.
Hi Tom, there’s nothing quite like it but parsley is the closest sub – or just leave it out completely 🙂
I made this using drained tin tomato as its all I had. The lime really makes this pop. I’ll never buy salsa again. So good.
or you can be *really* creative & mince up carrot leaves 😉
I made this on the weekend to go with sangria and more tapas! So fresh and delicious ?
You ROCK Chelsey! So glad you enjoyed it, thank you! N x