Easy Homemade Pico de Gallo

Brighten your favorite Mexican-inspired foods with this easy homemade Pico de Gallo recipe (salsa Fresca) filled with spicy fresh ingredients.

This quick recipe will get even better because I'll share my favorite prep tips for tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and cilantro.

If you love Mexican cuisine, this homemade salsa fresca recipe is your ticket to turning a handful of ingredients into a bright finish for all your favorites.

Don’t wait for Cinco de Mayo, and don't stop with tacos. It's a great addition to stuffed peppers, topping hummus, or smothering pakoras. Yep, it's a global indulgence.  

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• No cooking. Grab a sharp knife because that's all you'll need to toss together the simple ingredients.
• Spicy or mild. Use jalapeno or milder serrano peppers. Adjust the amount to make this chunky salsa as heated or mellow as desired.
• Fat-free. Naturally vegan and made without oil.

Ingredients, Notes, and Substitutions

Fresh tomatoes. Use firm, ripe red tomatoes such as Roma tomatoes or fresh plum tomatoes. You can also use cherry tomatoes, which are sometimes the best ripe tomatoes you can get in colder months.

Onions. Red onion is traditional, but a white onion can add similar sweetness. If you want less onion, use just half.

Jalapenos. Nothing says chunky salsa better than a fresh jalapeno pepper. You won't get the same flavor if you use pickled jalapenos. If all else fails, cross over a use a fresh red chili or another kind of fresh pepper.

Fresh cilantro. If you are not a fan of cilantro (coriander), omit it. Parsley isn’t a great substitute here.

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.

Instructions and Pro Tips

Deseed the tomatoes

Removing the seeds and jelly-like membrane from tomatoes keeps them fresher for longer. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and run your knife blade down the middle of each piece. Even the best tomatoes will benefit from this easy process.

Dice the tomatoes small and place them in a medium bowl. Pile in the rest of the ingredients as you prep them.

Dice the onions

My favorite way to dice onions into small pieces goes like this:

1. Peel the onion and cut it in half.
2. Place each half, cut side down, and slice horizontally, about three-quarters of the way to the end of the onion.
3. Cut the onion laterally, from the cut side to toward the stem.
4. Cut across the onion to form small, diced pieces.

Dice the Jalapenos

Cut the jalapeno(s) in half lengthwise, then use a small spoon to remove the seeds and membrane. Cut the jalapeno into thin, long slices, then bunch them up and dice.

Roll and Chop Cilantro

Have you tried the ball-and-cut method for chopping cilantro? Ha, it’s so easy. Trim the thicker stems from the bottom of the plant, roll the remainder into a ball, and chop it. Turn the ball 90 degrees and keep chopping.

Mix and Finish

Finish by mincing or pressing a garlic clove and adding it to the bowl. Then, cut a fresh lime and squeeze it over the top. You might need two if they are tiny. Then, add a pinch of salt and mix.

For best results, let the salsa rest at room temperature for 15 minutes or longer.

Serving Suggestions

This is a great recipe to accompany just about any Mexican dish. It might be gushing, but this easy pico de gallo recipe goes with everything.

From tofu scramble to your lunchtime burrito bowl or those tempeh Asada tacos you've been craving. And let's not forget about your favorite tortilla chips. Fresh salsa is the perfect excuse to break out a bag!

Frequently Asked Questions